Movie-December Boys

Starring Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame, this movie about four orphan boys who take a trip to the coast one December is pretty good.

It is about friendship, but also how sometimes friendships bonds can get really frayed. The boys hear one of them may be getting adopted in the small fishing village, and so vie to be the "best" child. All except Radcliffe, called "Maps," because he knows he is too old to be adopted. He though has his own coming of age story to go through...first love, and first heartbreak, at the hands of a village girl.

I thought the movie did a nice job of showing the angst that the 4 boys felt...about being orphans and the extreme need to be the one picked. And Radcliffe did a nice job of being on the cusp of manhood...some understanding, but still being a kid at heart.

Some nice extra touches in here too. The hosts for the orphans were excellent, and the extra storyline was nicely written and played, and added an extra emotional depth. And the priest was a hoot, especially the scene with him hearing confession in the front seat of his car, with the confessees seated in the back.

December Boys (2006) was a very nice movie overall, with a good epilogue.