December Boys (2007)

So much average

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

One summer, four orphans boys who have grown to be the closest of friends find themselves competing for the attention of the same family. With no emotional charge being delivered properly, the acting to be somewhat of a mess and the characters alongside the storyline very boring and messy 'December Boys' wastes both Teresa Palmer and Daniel Radcliffe but also the time and money of it's viewers who somehow found this movie and gave it a shot without knowing what it was truly about. The cast truly deserved better than this messy drama. (0/10)

A touching account of the stresses and joys a group orphaned children (under reasonably good care at an orphanage based in Australia). A group of four, named "December Boys" (DB) primarily because they're all identified as such on their birthday month, are the first selected to be treated to a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity for a Christmas holiday by the sea. The movie takes us across the length of quite an amazing Australian countryside. From the get go, the DB are like brothers in every sense. For Radcliffe, this film overlaps a bit with the Harry Potter movie series. Here he is the eldest of the DB group and the "big brother" of the group, enjoying the experience but less mesmerized by everything than the younger boys in the group. The youngest of the group, "Misty," is very much reminiscent of Radcliffe in "HP Sorcerer's Stone" in terms of his look of wonder and amazement at everything he sees. It's the older and wiser Misty who narrates the story. He's the first to be bitten by the temptation of the little community by the sea. (No Spoilers.)A very heavy element of Catholicism is present throughout the film -- the orphanage is run by religious sisters, a priest chaperones the DBs on holiday, the family sponsoring their seaside holiday is extremely religious, and Misty has a unique understanding of the Virgin Mary and of women in general. (No spoilers, however you should be ready for the religious element coupled with the boyish considerations of good and bad.) The boys are entertained by almost anything, and the members of the little seaside community each have their encounters/shenanigans with the DBs, but midway in the film Misty turns on the group in a desperate effort to secure his adoption by the family sponsoring their holiday. (No spoilers.) Radcliffe ("Map" in the film) is struggling with the fact that he's nearly old enough to be let out of the orphanage; for the majority of the film he tries to play the subdued teenager who isn't easily moved or eager to be adopted, but other factors come into play for him. (No spoilers.)There's a funny confessional scene you'll have to see for yourself, but the most moving aspect of the film is that faith and brotherhood thrive even in the desolate little neighborhood. While nobody in the town is well off by any means, the message to "do unto others..." and to help lift each other up is present among the adults throughout, not only though their words of prayer, but through their quiet actions.The story is very touching and relatable. A lovely film you should watch for yourself.

Nice story and movie in general, but some factual flaws disturbs my illusion. The store takes place in the 60' but all the motorcycles are from 2007 ????? The ocean is the pacific (east) but in a scene is Africa pointed out although that would be West ???? Why can movie instructors never get the details right ??? Or only the best can ??Nice story and movie in general, but some factual flaws disturbs my illusion. The store takes place in the 60' but all the motorcycles are from 2007 ????? The ocean is the pacific (east) but in a scene is Africa pointed out although that would be West ???? Why can movie instructors never get the details right ??? Or only the best can ??

Set in the late 60s, December Boys is a beautiful, poignant tale of adolescence and abandonment with the vast, awe-inspiring Australian outback as a backdrop, unraveled in the same vein as Stand By Me."What's the big deal about having parents anyway?" Maps (Daniel Radcliffe) retorts to his summer fling Lucy (Teresa Palmer). Maps is the eldest of four orphan boys who get sent for a seaside holiday with an elderly couple. Misty (Lee Cormie) is the youngest and the artistic one of the brood. Sparks (Christian Byers) is good with mechanical things, while Spit (James Fraser) is so named for what he does best.Having been given a glimpse of what the orphans' lives have been like together, you have an idea of where Maps' trend of thought comes from. They've survived so far without parents, and they have had each other to call as family growing up. This just becomes more glaring as they interact with their host family's neighbors, and they get in an emotional competition for possible adoption that tests the limits of their brotherhood.Unfulfilled expectations are shared by all characters regardless of age and situation, and this is the main theme that the audience empathizes with. It is heartbreaking to see their faces light up with hope at the possibility of winning the parent lottery only to be passed on time and time again. Rude awakenings and rejection are themes that most people can relate to after hardened years, but for children to already know it intimately at such an age is what makes December Boys the thoughtful tearjerker it is.