BOYS

US, 1996, 89 minutes, Colour.
Winona Ryder, Lukas Haas, John C. Reilly, James Le Gros, Skeet Ulrich, Charlie Hofheimer, Bill Sage, Catherine Keener.
Directed by Stacey Cochran.


Boys is rather brief film about high school students and their encounter with a young woman who had fallen from a horse and whom they found and brought to the school to look after.There are complications with the police looking for the young woman.

The original title the film was The Girl You Want but was changed, apparently to the chagrin of the director, to Boys.

Winona Ryder plays the young woman who had been involved in partying the night before the main action of the film, involved with a star sportsman played by Skeet Ulrich who has drowned in a car crash into the river.

John C.Reilly plays the policeman wanting to question her. Lukas Haas plays the high school student who finds her, with the help of some of the younger boys, but is harassed by his peers wanting to know what is going on, and his reputation being spoiled in the school. Word gets to his parents, Jessica Harper and Chris Cooper, the latter being particularly severe.

The whole experience is liberating for the young man and he is able to defy his father – and, perhaps in a nod to The Graduate, the young man and the young woman elude the police and escape to…

Director is Stacey Cochran who also made My New Gun.

1. Title, the focus?

2. High School, the town, school, parties, the carnival and fair, police precincts? The musical score?

3. Patty, in the house, the inspector questioning her, going to the horse ride, the fall, found, her collapse, John Baker caring for her, the young boy assisting, in his room, his care, the boys and their comments, the older boys and their being understood, their curiosity? The young boy getting the food? In the bathroom, the shelf collapsing? John Baker taking her out in the car, going to the fair, enjoyment, the sexual encounter, the effect on John, the repercussions?

4. Patty and flashbacks, but he Valentine, the party, drinking, going in the car, speeding, the crash? In the water, his death? Patty getting out? In the park, meeting a friend and his girlfriend, their curiosity, persuading them to take her home?

5. The police, the inspector waiting for Patty? On the bridge, retrieving the car? Taking John? The interrogation? John and his parents? Being let go – the two escaping of the elevator?

6. John Baker, at school, creative writing, the teacher and his severity? His friends, with him, in his room? The young boys, taking the car, fighting Patty, bringing her to the room, his care for her, being beguiled by, getting the young boy to get the food, getting the other boys out, they’re telling him his reputation was tarnished, is going out with Patty, fair, enjoyment, the evening? The policeman seeing him, his phone call to his parents, being taken, his being allowed to go to the Spanish quiz, his behaviour in the clients, punching the boy? Going to the station, with his parents, the reaction of his father, of his mother? Escaping with Patty?

7. The small boys, the sympathetic boy, the cantankerous boy?

8. The older boys, friends, curious about the room, the Spanish test, the punch? The reaction of the teacher?

9. John’s parents, the severe father, his mother anxious, is phone call, meeting them, at the police precinct?

10. The police, the detective, the interrogations?

11. The situation with Buddy Valentine, his reputation, the party, Patty and her behaviour at the party, going with him, his death?

12. The overall impact of this film about I school students?