On Screen

Just say okay: The boys are back

The Boys Are Back

Starring Clive Owen, Nicholas McAnulty. Written by Allan Cubitt, based on the novel by Simon Carr. Directed by Scott Hicks. PG. 104 min. Opens Sep 25.

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BY Adam Nayman   September 23, 2009 21:09

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Saddled unexpectedly with the task of raising his two sons  — one a rambunctious six-year-old boy, the other a sullen teen from his previous marriage — following the sudden death of his wife from cancer, rumpled sports writer Joe Warr (Clive Owen) opts for the parental path of least resistance: in lieu of structure or discipline, he adopts the motto, “Just say yes.”

Scott Hicks’ film pivots on the perils of such paternal indulgence, and, while the director’s strategies aren’t subtle — nothing says “lost boys” like a running Peter Pan motif — Owen’s brusquely unsentimental lead performance is quite impressive.

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