By John LaBarbera
It was a smash in London, winning the 2005 Olivier Award for Best New Play. It was a hit on Broadway, snagging a record six Tony Awards including Best Play. And now, Alan Bennett’s The History Boys comes to the silver screen.
Starring the original London and Broadway cast, the film follows eight young history scholars on their journey through Oxbridge preparation at Cutler’s Grammar School in 1983 Sheffield, England.
The pupils are taught by two very different teachers: Hector (Richard Griffiths), who runs his class seemingly on a whim but always leaves the boys with inspiration and the newly-instated Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore), who pushes the boys to rethink their assignments, gives them different perspectives and tells them to push the edge.
The administration rounds out with the clear-headed Mr. Lintott (a class act by Frances de la Tour), and the strict, yet eccentric Head Master (Clive Merrison).
Undoubtedly the main character from of the boys is Posner (played quite nicely by Samuel Barnett) is the youngest of the group. He has fallen in love with fellow student, Dakin (Dominic Cooper, a sort of English James Dean), who appears to be the main focus of most of the characters. Through consultation from Irwin and his best friend Scripps (Jamie Parker), Posner keeps his crush inside, at least for the time being.
In offering the boys rides home on his motorcycle, Hector doesn’t have the most orthodox of intentions, yet they never bring it to the head master’s attention, for fear that their great teacher will be dismissed. However, while riding home one day with Crowther (Samuel Anderson), Hector is caught in the act by a crossing guard, and thus disciplined, leaving the boys suspicious of “which one of them told.”
While Nicholas Hynter’s direction seems a little uninspired, the film is more about Bennett’s biting dialogue and witty circumstances, including an entire scene in French, sans subtitles and the final scene telling of the boys’ futures.
The film opened in October across the pond and is set for a limited release on November 21st here in the States. It is highly recommended, unless clever humor mixed with intense situations is not what you’re looking for. In this case, rent “Dude, Where’s My Car?” But if you want to be mentally stimulated and are in the mood for a film you will truly enjoy that will leave you feeling inspired, go see The History Boys.
GRADE: A
