The History Boys

Rating R Formats DVD Genre drama Starring Samuel Anderson, James Corden, Stephen Campbell Moore, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour Directed by Nicholas Hytner Publisher 20th Century Fox External Links Official 20th Century Fox

Ah...the sociopolitical high school drama, a genre that I have truly missed. While uneducated dopes claim films like Mean Girls, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and American Pie as reflections of high school life, films like Dead Poets Society, The Browning Version and The Emperor's Club focus on the older generation pressuring down and attempting to conform the younger generation, while hiding their own hypocritical ways of course. The History Boys, based on the award winning play written by Alan Bennet, is a film that follows this exact nature.

Set in 1983 England, a small group of seniors in a lowly regard all-boys school are beginning a special term that shall help them prepare for their college entrance exams and interviews. While they have the assistance of their history teachers Mrs. Lintott (Frances de la Tour) and the unorthodox Hector (Richard Griffiths), the school's glory-hungry headmaster assigns them with a new mentor, Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore), a young instructor who puts image and style over Hector and Lintott's approaches to substance and feeling. A sense of conflict comes about and things get really complex when Hector is accused of sexually groping the boys. On top of that, one of the students, Dakin (Dominic Cooper) questions his own sexuality as he finds himself not only intellectually attracted to Irwin, but physically as well.

History Boys is an adaptation that refuses to water itself down in order to tailor to the general audience. There are moments of laughter, sentimentality and, thanks in no small part to the homosexual themes, uneasiness. On the other hand, these are qualities found in the formula of the sociopolitical high school drama, not to mention the oh so important generation gaps between the students and the faculty, the inclusion of the teacher that emphasizes the appreciation of knowledge and life and the rites of passage that young men go through when making transitions in life. The characters are very well drawn, as each of the boys is given their own distinct characteristics and sets of beliefs Lest not forget the brilliant soundtrack that combines 80's pop music such as New Order and The Cure ("A Forest" compliments the college interview montage very well) and showtunes

As you may or may not know, the entire cast of the play was carried over to the film and there is good reason behind this. Richard Griffiths, known to American audiences as the fat guy with the big purple birthmark in Naked Gun 2 ½, is absolutely fantastic in his performance as the very imperfect but very likable Hector. Frances de La Tour, the film's only female lead, is a wonderful support and Stephen Campbell Moore makes a striking impression that will probably get him more leading roles. All of the boys are particularly good, but Dominic Cooper, Samuel Barnett and Russell Tovey stand out with the most prominent performances.

Extras included are a commentary track with the director and the writer, whom discuss more or less the transition from stage to screen rather than share personal anecdotes, a diary chronicling the boys during the stage productions tour through Europe and Asia and a small making-of featurette. It seems that the features are light on the load but I feel they are enough.

Due to its lack of "star power", English overtone and its no nonsense approach, History Boys will probably not get much notoriety or publicity over in western shores. In order to do this, it needs to release its grips of realism and dash in some sort of overdramatic Hollywood magic that will completely devoid it of its subtleness and its uniqueness. Gotta love those Hollywood cliches.