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December Boys

December Boys

Drama · Romance · 2007

For many years, four teenage orphans at an Australian outback convent have watched their younger comrades find new parents, and realize that they may never be adopted. The Reverend Mother sends the four boys away on a seaside vacation, where they meet Teresa and Fearless, a couple who would make perfect parents. The youths compete with one another to be the one Teresa and Fearless decide to adopt.

Movie details

December Boys

“After that summer nothing would be the same.”

2007 Drama · Romance 1h 45m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

For many years, four teenage orphans at an Australian outback convent have watched their younger comrades find new parents, and realize that they may never be adopted. The Reverend Mother sends the four boys away on a seaside vacation, where they meet Teresa and Fearless, a couple who would make perfect parents. The youths compete with one another to be the one Teresa and Fearless decide to adopt.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over December Boys?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Rod Hardy

Written by

Marc Rosenberg · Ronald Kinnoch

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe

Maps

Lee Cormie

Lee Cormie

Misty

Christian Byers

Christian Byers

Sparks

James Fraser

James Fraser

Spit

Jack Thompson

Jack Thompson

Bandy

Teresa Palmer

Teresa Palmer

Lucy

Sullivan Stapleton

Sullivan Stapleton

Fearless

Court is in session

Put December Boys on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.