Women with sons (or those interested in them)
I’m sure I’m not the only one that is, generally speaking, fascinated by the relationship that women have with their sons. Nowhere Boy is about John Lennon’s life during his formative teenage years and delves into how he had not one but two mothers. Their difference and the way he engaged with that difference is intriguing.
Lovers of The Beatles
At the time Nowhere Boy was released in the UK there was lots of discussion about whether it was or wasn’t factually accurate. It would be unbelievable if there wasn’t disagreement given The Beatles are iconic, the events depicted in the film are in living memory, and people love to bitch and moan. True-to-life or not, I found it hugely interesting to learn something of the origin of these famous musicians. (Whether films based on real life have to be accurate is a discussion I’ll leave for another time.)
Music lovers
Yes, of course, the music is great.
Lovers of films with a heart
Nowhere Boy is another reminder that stories can be told in many different ways. This story, for example, could just as easily have been made in a way that was dark and angst-ridden. Instead, it’s understated and has a good heart and a lovely sense of fun.
See the creative process in action
Underneath the narrative, Nowhere Boy is about the development of a creative spirit. For more on this theme in relation to director Sam Taylor-Johnson (nee Sam Taylor-Wood), who came to film through video art, I recommend this one-hour interview. Taylor-Johnson was awarded an Order of the British Empire in 2011 for services to the arts and is currently working on a big-screen adaptation of the steamy best-selling book Fifty Shades of Grey. And by the way, you may be interested in this article from Forbes magazine– despite it being written a year ago – because of its feminist point of view.
Cougars unite
Finally, for the cougars out there, revel in knowing that Taylor-Johnson married her leading man, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who is more than 20 years younger than her. There’s photos of the couple here if you want to get an eyeful. What are they up to right now? I don’t know, but I found this piece of firearm-themed news from this week extremely funny.
Watch the Nowhere Boy trailer below:
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