Synopsis
When the wife of sports-writer Joe Warr dies of cancer, he takes on the responsibility of raising their 6-year-old son, and his teenage son from a previous marriage. As Joe rejects the counsel of his mother-in-law and other parents, he develops his own philosophies on parenting.
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Cast
- Clive OwenJoe Warr
- Laura FraserKaty Warr
- Emma BoothLaura
- George MacKayHarry Warr
- Emma LungMia
- Natasha LittleFlick
- Julia BlakeBarbara
- Nicholas McAnultyArtie
- Chris HaywoodTom
- Lewis Fitz-GeraldTim Walker
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Few films have so poignantly portrayed a father's relationships with his sons as The Boys Are Back. - 80
Variety
This is polished yet authentically moving. - 75
Rolling Stone
Owen, in a heartfelt, award-caliber performance, never goes soft. It's his core of toughness that makes the movie so funny, touching and vital. - 75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
For all its generally judicious choices, there's one device in The Boys Are Back that may test the patience of some viewers. Every once in a while, the late Katy pops up in a scene to offer Joe wifely advice. - 70
Los Angeles Times
The Boys Are Back is a bit like the parenting it portrays -- at times there is pain, mistakes will be made, but if you can get beyond that, there is pleasure to be found. - 67
Entertainment Weekly
With those piercing eyes, Owen makes a lovely, soulful Joe, of course. But it's not the nice papa we want to understand here, it's the unapologetically naughty one. - 63
ReelViews
Hicks has made a technically adept film, but one that, for all of its strong acting and vivid photography, left me less moved than I should have been. - 58
The A.V. Club
Not surprisingly, Boys works much better as an Owen vehicle than a movie--it’s a great, meaty part in a decidedly less-than-great film.
