The Boys Are Back (film)

The Boys Are Back

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2009 (2009)
Founder	Scott Hicks (director)
Key people	Greg Brenman (producer), Scott Hicks (director), Allan Cubitt (screenwriter), Hal Lindes (music)
Products	Drama film

The Boys Are Back is a 2009 drama film directed by Scott Hicks, produced by Greg Brenman, and featuring Clive Owen in the lead role. The story is adapted from Simon Carr’s 2001 memoir, The Boys Are Back in Town.

Plot

Joe Warr, a prominent English sports journalist now settled on Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula near Adelaide, lives with his second wife Katy and their young son Artie. Their home offers a lively environment for Joe and Artie, complete with amenities like a treehouse and swimming pool that encourage their playful bond. After Katy receives a cancer diagnosis and subsequently passes away, Joe confronts the difficulties of raising his son alone.

Harry, Joe’s adolescent son from his first marriage, arrives from an English boarding school. Feeling abandoned and harboring resentment, Harry finds it challenging to adjust to Joe’s laid-back household and his new sibling. Joe struggles to juggle his professional responsibilities, parenting duties, and managing the home. Assistance comes from Laura, a single mother connected to Artie’s school, along with Katy’s parents who operate a vineyard nearby. At work, Joe resorts to shortcuts by covering events he watches on television instead of attending them in person.

The narrative shifts when Joe must report on an event at Rod Laver Arena. With Laura declining to babysit and Katy’s mother occupied with the grape harvest, Harry assures Joe they can handle things alone for two days. While Joe is away in Melbourne, Harry attends a beach gathering with friends. Later that evening, the party results in damage to the house. Harry attempts to call for help but cannot reach anyone.

Joe rushes back from Melbourne to discover the house in chaos and Artie under his grandmother’s care, who criticizes Joe for his lack of responsibility. Harry has also used Joe’s return ticket to London without informing him.

In search of reconciliation with Harry, who remains distant and bitter over past neglect, Joe and Artie travel to England. Despite Joe’s efforts to justify his past choices as being in Harry’s best interest, the emotional divide endures.

As they prepare to depart from Heathrow, Artie notices Harry—now authorized by his mother to live with Joe—signaling a promising fresh start.

Cast

• Clive Owen as Joe Warr
• Laura Fraser as Katy
• Emma Lung as Mia
• Nicholas McAnulty as Artie
• George MacKay as Harry
• Julia Blake as Barbara
• Emma Booth as Laura
• Erik Thomson as Digby
• Natasha Little as Flick
• Alexandra Schepisi as Mother
• Adam Morgan as Journalist
• Tommy Bastow as Ben
• Luke O'Loughlin as Bree
• Anni Finsterer as Tennis journalist
• Nathan Page as Headbutter

Production

The Boys Are Back draws from Simon Carr’s 2001 memoir The Boys Are Back in Town, with the screenplay penned by Allan Cubitt. The film was helmed by director Scott Hicks and co-produced by Greg Brenman alongside Tim White and Bella Wright. Clive Owen stars in the leading role, supported by a musical score composed by Hal Lindes.

Release

The movie premiered in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2010 and was distributed in Australia by Hopscotch Films.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 73% approval rating derived from 126 critiques, with an average score of 6.3 out of 10. Reviewers highlighted Clive Owen’s portrayal as a key factor that raised the melodramatic elements above conventional sentimentality.

Box office

The Boys Are Back earned in Australia, alongside US$809,752 in the United States, culminating in a global total of US$3,185,839.

See also

• Cinema of Australia
• Cinema of New Zealand
• Cinema of the UK