The Boys Are Back is a 2009 drama film directed by Scott Hicks, produced by Greg Brenman and starring Clive Owen. It is based on the 2001 memoir, The Boys Are Back in Town, by Simon Carr.

The Boys Are Back
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Scott Hicks
Written by	Allan Cubitt
Produced by	Greg Brenman
Starring	Clive Owen Emma Booth Laura Fraser George MacKay Nicholas McAnulty
Cinematography	Greig Fraser
Edited by	Scott Gray
Music by	Hal Lindes
Production companies	Miramax Films HanWay Films BBC Films Screen Australia FFC Australia Tiger Aspect Productions South Australian Film Corporation Southern Light Films Maple Pictures
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (International) Hopscotch Films (Australia)[1]
Release dates	15 September 2009 (2009-09-15) (TIFF) 12 November 2009 (2009-11-12) (Australia) 22 January 2010 (2010-01-22) (United Kingdom)
Running time	104 minutes
Countries	Australia United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	$3,185,839

Plot

Joe Warr (Clive Owen) is a British sportswriter who lives in Australia with his second wife and horse jockey, Katy (Laura Fraser) and his young son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty). Katy is diagnosed with cancer and dies, forcing Joe to cope with the responsibilities of being a single parent.

Joe's teenage son from his first marriage, Harry (George MacKay), feels abandoned in the United Kingdom with his mother. Harry uses Katy's death as an opportunity to try to build a relationship with his father, coming to visit him in Australia. Although Harry is initially unnerved by the lack of discipline in the house, he eventually forms a strong bond with Artie, while struggling to foster a closer relationship with Joe.

When Joe is forced by work to leave his sons alone in the house for a night, local teenagers throw a party at the house against both boys' will. With the house ransacked, Harry flies back to England because he no longer feels safe living with Joe. Joe and Artie go after him. After much discussion, Joe convinces Harry to move to Australia on a permanent basis.

The trio return to Australia, and together shoulder the responsibilities of running the household without a female influence.

Cast

• Clive Owen as Joe Warr
• Laura Fraser as Katy
• Emma Lung as Mia
• Nicholas McAnulty as Artie
• George MacKay as Harry
• Julia Blake as Barbara
• Emma Booth as Laura
• Erik Thomson as Digby
• Natasha Little as Flick
• Alexandra Schepisi as Mother
• Adam Morgan as Journalist
• Tommy Bastow as Ben
• Luke O'Loughlin as Bree

Production

The script of The Boys Are Back was based on the 2001 memoir, The Boys Are Back in Town, by Simon Carr,[2][3] adapted by Allan Cubitt.[4]

The film was directed by Scott Hicks, produced by Greg Brenman and stars Clive Owen.[5] It features a score composed by Hal Lindes.[4]

Release

The film was released in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2010.[6]

Reception

As of May 2021^[update], the film holds a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 6.30/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "Great performances by Clive Owen and The Boys save this melodrama from entering into the sappy territory it might have in less competent hands."[7]

Box office

The Boys Are Back grossed A$2,117,064 at the box office in Australia,[8] and US$809,752 in the United States, grossing US$3,185,839 worldwide.[1]

See also

• Cinema of Australia
• Cinema of New Zealand
• Cinema of the UK

References

External links

• The Boys Are Back at IMDb
• The Boys Are Back at Box Office Mojo

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