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Daniel Radcliffe, Christian Byers, Lee Cormie, James Fraser, Teresa Palmer ... see more see more... , Jack Thompson , Rod Hardy , Victoria Hill

Prolific television and film director Rod Hardy helms this tale of four young orphans coming of age in 1960s-era Australia. Soon after the quartet leaves the orphanage behind for a seaside holiday, ru... read more read more...mors that one of them is about to be adopted lead to steadily rising tensions among the tightly knit group. Adapted from Michael Noonan's popular novel by screenwriter Marc Rosenberg, December Boys is headlined by Harry Potter film series star Daniel Radcliffe. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

54% liked it

22,026 ratings

Critics

41% liked it

69 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Rod Hardy

Release Date: October 5, 2007

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DVD Release Date: December 11, 2007

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Stats: 1,970 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,970)

  • fb733768972
    January 25, 2010
    fb733768972
    I liked it! But it's pretty lacky with the plot!
  • aliceinpunderland
    September 8, 2009
    aliceinpunderland
    Kinda sweet, but ultimately forgettable. Dan is okay in the angry climax, doofy in the love scene, and really uncoordinated when he's running.
  • CrookedlittleB33
    July 26, 2008
    CrookedlittleB33
    Okay, I know what you're thinking 'What the hell is Harry Potter doing in the outback??" But seriously, you guys should give this a chance...I know not everyone would prefer such a film...but I really really really liked it.

    Yip, JBitBop...another aussie film that gets a shining... read more gold start from moi. ;]

    Some background, perhaps?

    This is the story of Maps, Spit, Spark and Misty...four orphans who all happen to have been born in December. Because of this very fact is the basis of their friendship, all of them living in a catholic convent in the outback in about the 60s.

    They watch as other little boys get happily adopted into families, and silent seethe with jealousy...knowing deep within themselves that it'll never be them smiling with two new parents. Since it is their birthday, and the convent seemed to have set aside some money to take the boys on a holiday to LadyStar Cove.

    After a long road across the arid scenery, they finally get to the sea where they are welcomed by an older couple named Bandy and Skipper. While there, they swim, splash about, climb over the rocks and simply have a good time.

    When passing by towards the cove they come across a fair where the 'Fearless Forte' jumps his motorcycle through hoops of fire and death-defying stunts. Being in total awe of this, he discovers that this fearless biker lives just next door to the place they're staying. And meet the couple who are unable to have children, learning that they are looking into adopting one of the four as their own when their holiday draws to a close.

    Maps, being the oldest, doesn't seem to worry much about being adopted and instead sets his eyes upon a girl named Lucy.

    While the other three compete to show who would be the most likely candidate for adoption. Things happen that test their friendships and then the feelings of rejection seem to drive a bit of a rift between them.

    Eventually, these ties become stronger what with the various events that happen in the cove...where they learn what being a December Boy is really about.

    The scenery in this simply stunned me, it was vibrant and lively...drawing one further into this endearing story of a bamd of orphans. The acting in here was quite decent, as each Boy portrayed what their names meant behind their titles.

    To be honest, the story sort of reminded me of Les Choristes...so therefore anyone who enjoyed that type of story...would enjoy this as well.

    Good news avid bookfiends! It's a novel by Michael Noonan...which I have already added to my list as well.
    :]
  • Redlats
    July 19, 2008
    Redlats
    I usually like coming-of-age stories, and this one is OK too. This one focuses on four orphans who happen into a month-long holiday at the other end of Australia. Of course living at the sea-side with real people around is different than their lives at the orphanage.
  • deano
    March 1, 2008
    deano
    The outback orphanage (four boys) of the 1950s calls them December Boys is a poignant memoir of friendship and family, outstanding and effective coming-of-age drama I ever watched. Daniel Radcliffe does a wonderful performance in this Aussie film as an older oprhan boy.
  • ascordeiro108
    October 31, 2011
    ascordeiro108
    It's nothing new and original, it's the same old story about orphans.
    Daniel Radcliffe did a good job in the angry bits, but felt a bit awkward acting the love scene.
    I liked the ending though.
  • Yinali
    October 21, 2008
    Yinali
    Made me cry...Wonderful.
  • RemiLogan
    March 9, 2009
    RemiLogan
    Sweet story! The boys in this film were absolutely adorable; I wanted to adopt them all myself!
  • ParanormalDreamz
    April 24, 2011
    ParanormalDreamz
    This was an ok movie. I just wanted to watch it because it had Daniel Radciffe in it and i wanted to see him act in a different movie besides Harry Potter.
  • alienmindtrick
    June 21, 2010
    alienmindtrick
    I think I had a pretty idyllic childhood. We certainly weren't rich - my parents were both civil servants - but my life felt rich. The place and time that I call childhood was simple, warm, and easy. This movie is very much like that. There's a carefree feeling that swept ove... read morer me when I was watching 'December Boys' that I rarely get from a film. It's nostalgic, yes, and I'm sure the writers and the director were shooting for that. But there's something else, something hard to touch at work here. This wasn't the most challenging role Daniel Radcliffe has had, I'm sure, but it had to have been fun to do. The boys who played the younger three lads Spark, Misty and Spit, were perfectly cast and their performances rang true. Rod Hardy's direction was so unlike that of American directors, and that makes it that much better; the film has a feeling of realness and it seems to come genuinely from the heart. For the most part it's an upbeat movie, but there's tragedy too like the death of the fish Henry and the discovery that one of their hosts has cancer. Life's like that. You take the hard times with the good times, and if your disposition is like mine, you just focus on the good memories. This film will be one of those, for me.

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Critic Reviews

Ann Hornaday
November 3, 2007
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Radcliffe is good at showing vulnerability but without the skills to give it gradation. The magic doesn't work for him this time. Full Review

Richard Roeper
October 8, 2007
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

I was not charmed. I was not moved.

Roger Ebert
September 21, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

There seem to be two movies going on here at the same time, and December Boys would have been better off going all the way with one of them. Full Review

Joshua Katzman
September 21, 2007
Joshua Katzman, Chicago Reader

Though familiar as an old shoe, this is straightforward and well told. Full Review

Ty Burr
September 21, 2007
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The two halves of December Boys -- the pre-adolescent getting of wisdom and the adolescent getting of action -- never mesh. Full Review

David Wiegand
September 21, 2007
David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle

The kind of film people call 'uplifting,' and while it is that much of the way, there are times when it's so oversaturated with sweetness and light, it's likely to uplift more cynical viewers from the... Full Review

Sid Smith
September 20, 2007
Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune

Juvenile viewers may well benefit from the movie. But, for the adult, it's ultimately a film that arrives too early for the season in its title and too late in terms of style and impact. Full Review

Desson Thomson
September 20, 2007
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Radcliffe is good at showing vulnerability but without the skills to give it gradation. The magic doesn't work for him this time. Full Review

Kirk Honeycutt
September 17, 2007
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

December Boys bathes in the summer sun and sea breezes even as it exudes the energy of youth and promise.

Lou Lumenick
September 15, 2007
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

[A] tasteful and gorgeously photographed coming-of-age story. Full Review

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December Boys Trivia

  • In which movie does Daniel Radcliffe play the character "Maps"?  Answer »
  • What movie will hit theaters in December,2006, about a group of orphans in Australia?  Answer »
  • Which Famous Actor stars in the new movie December Boys?  Answer »
  • Which movie does Daniel Raddcliff star in that was shot in Adeliade, Australia?  Answer »
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