BOYCHOIR
US, 2014, 103 minutes, Colour.
Dustin Hoffman, Garrett Wareing, Kevin Mc Hale, Eddie Izzard, Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Debra Winger, Joe West.
Directed by François Girard.
Remembering a film about a child and music, August Rush, from 2007, I glanced at my review at the time and it struck a chord (so to speak) for the response to Boychoir. Here it is, ‘If you are a reader of reviews by the more ‘serious’ critics, you will find a rather universal dismissal of this film as far too emotional and sentimental. If you are a reader of reviews which try to communicate with the general audience, you will find the film praised for its entertainment and values – and the admission that it is unashamedly emotional and full of sentiment. It was W. Somerset Maugham who remarked that sentimentality is only the sentiment you disapprove of.’
Stet is an 11-year-old living in Texas. He is an angry boy, often smouldering, lashing out physically, problems at school, although the principal of the school (Debra Winger) knows that he has a singing talent and invites the American Boychoir to visit the school so that Stet can audition. He interprets things wrongly and runs out.
Meanwhile at home, his mother is alcoholic, a pill-taker, unmarried, her life is a wreck. Within some minutes, she is literally in a wreck and dies. Stet is emotional at the funeral but can’t bring himself to go to the grave. His father (Josh Lucas) turns up, having never seen his son but who has supplied finance for his upkeep and education. Stet is the result of a casual affair.
The father takes his son to the Boychoir school, assuming that he will get in, but the administration is reluctant, especially the Master Conductor (Dustin Hoffman) who remembers Stet running out of the audition. Sometimes a big cheque helps and Stet is accepted to the school.
As might be expected, he does not fit in with many of the boys, or with some of the staff, getting himself into quarrels, lacking discipline which the Conductor interprets as lack of respect. However, everybody recognises that Stet has a special gift in his voice.
The screenplay is more or less predictable, and while there are no great surprises, sympathetic audiences will want to follow Stet’s development in the school, relating with the boys, academic studies, sport, music theory, music practice. The audience does get a good idea of what this kind of music education entails.
For music lovers, there is quite a range of music, a range of pieces for individuals and for the choir, from Faure to Benjamin Britten. The choir, with rival eyes on The Vienna Boys Choir, wants to be accepted to sing in New York City. When they get the opportunity, because of Stet and his voice (a performance that was almost sabotaged by a jealous boy stealing his score), the choice is Handel’s Messiah, with his alleluia chorus and the soloist having to reach and sustain a very high note. Will the boy, analytic in his approach to singing, gain the day or will the more instinctive Stet be chosen?
In the background, there is also the situation with Stet’s father, his not having told his family the truth, there being some tickets to a concert sent anonymously to the family, the father wanting to send his son to a school in Switzerland, and a solution, happily, for the benefit of Stet.
The film has been directed by Canadian, François Girard, whose films included 32 Variations by Glenn Gould and The Red Violin.
Audiences will enjoy seeing Dustin Hoffman, a touch irascible, as the conductor of the choir, very demanding, with very little back story until a final conversation with Stet, a story of frustration and disappointment. Eddie Vizard is Drake, in waiting to take over from Dustin Hoffman, a perfectionist, sometimes pedantic, with favourites. Kevin McHale? is the very young and sympathetic teacher who supports Stet. And, as always, and enjoyable performance from Kathy Bates as the administrator of the school, and she gets a couple of very telling speeches and delivers them with great gusto.
The film introduces a Garrett Wareing as Stet. He is quite persuasive, as the angry boy, not always sympathetic, finding his way in the school, realising his great desire to sing but having to overcome anger and antagonisms.
When the school emphasises that Handel’s Messiah is a crowd-please, we realise that this is what this film intends to be, a crowd-pleaser about music, song, boy choir voices (which sooner or later will break) and, as the final song during the credits reminds us, the mystery of the gift.
1. The appeal of the film? Wide audience? Song, music, voices, performance? Education and training?
2. The title, the choir contributing to the soundtrack?
3. Boy choirs around the world, rivalry? The boys, the gift, for a limited time, treasuring it, using it, the transition, their future?
4. The choir, the school, the staff, administration, teaching and tutoring? The range of boys? Auditions, their talent, the requirements, schooling, academic, sport, music, theory and practice? The effect at this age of a life? Concerts, school visits, international tours?
5. The score, the selection of pieces, song, the range? The Messiah?
6. Stet and his story, at school, the interest of the principal, his anger and fighting? His mother, sleep, drinking, her pills? Her death in the accident? Her funeral, Stet keeping a distance, his father arriving?
7. The father, Stet as his secret child, financially supporting him, yet no connection? The background of the affair? His family, wife and daughters? His having to face the reality at the funeral? Taking him to the choir school? The interview, the cheque, the reaction of the administration, Justine taking it? Carvelle and sending the tickets for the concert? The family coming? The father going to the recital of the Messiah? Wanting his son to go to a Swiss school? Carvelle and his standing his ground, keeping the secret so that Stet could remain? Telling his wife the truth at the end? The coming to welcome him into the family?
8. Carvelle, conductor, irascible, coming to the school, the urging of the principal to listen to’s debt, Stet running away?
9. Stet going to the school, his room, roommate, the sound system, the clash with the other boys? The effect of the education on him? Wanting to sing? Unable to read music? The strong voice, the episodes of singing, the audition? Justine and her interest?
10. Carvelle, tough, watching the time, wanting respect? Drake and his meticulous approach, critical, in waiting for the top job? Wooly, young, talented, humane? Justine and her administration, exasperation, interest in the success of the school?
11. Devon is the star singer, solutions, his performance, going to Japan, Carvelle fostering the rivalry with Stet? Devon, analytical, cold, malicious, the flu, taking the copy of the music, stranding Stet? Stealing the documents, the copies about Stet’s mother and her prison photo? The final fight?
12. The other boys, some friendly, some not, the range of classes, the knowledge required, musical theory, skills, the boy helping Stet to read music?
13. Carvelle, the glimpse of his personal life, a hard man, the revelation of his past, Julliard, being failed, punching his tutor? His response to Stet, the demands, Stet and his anger, breaking the window?
14. Stet and his change, saying he wanted to sing, Christmas holiday by himself, staying, getting the food, practising singing for the audition? His singing, seeming to fail, anger? Yet finding his uniform on his bed?
15. New York, the concert, Devon taking the pages, the success of his singing, the aftermath, not wanting to fight Devon?
16. Devon, the document, distributing the copies, the dining room, the photos on the wall, Stet and his fight?
17. Stet meeting Carvelle, the chapel, his acknowledging that there would be the meeting?
18. The meeting, Justine presiding, strong words in exasperation? The arguments? Carvelle voting for expelling Stet – as long as Devon was expelled? His
knowing the truth? Offering his resignation? Justine and her demands?
19. The choir going ahead with the Messiah, the choice for singing the high note, each of the boys auditioned, practising? Stet performing? Success?
20. The aftermath, his voice breaking, questions about being an alto? His father taking him to a new school, his wife arriving, the children, welcoming him?
