As a way of dealing with being a very sheltered, fatherless young boy, Will Proudfoot(Bill Minler) draws incredibly elaborate and fascinating pictures. His religion forbids him watching t.v and in school when his class watches a movie he has to sit outside the class. One day as he is sitting outside, he sees Lee Carter, a trouble making classmate, getting kicked out of class. Carter and Proudfoot soon start up a very unlikely friendship. Carter manipulates Proudfoot into helping him do some screen tests for a young directors competition, but as soon as Proudfoot sees First Blood, he wants to make a real movie. Soon, Carter and Proudfoot are making The Son of Rambow; it is an epic tale of a young boy trying to save his father from an evil scarecrow. Proudfoot is the star and Carter the director. When Carter is suspended for a week, Proudfoot enlists the help of most of the students at school and when Carter comes back, everything has changed. It is no longer a little fun movie. Friendships are formed and tested and the social norms combated as young Will Proudfoot tries to reconcile his new found popularity in the secular world with the faith of his family.
With the exception of some short cut away scenes involving a french foreign exchange student, I found The Son of Rambow to be a funny, charming and heart warming tale of growing up. I also revere it as a nice homage to anyone who loves movies. Anytime you have children as the leads in a movie that is not directly aimed at children you run a risk of misfiring in casting, but I thought both the young male leads did an excellent job. I was really taken in by Will Poulter(Lee Carter). He managed to find layers in the character of the misunderstood youth and was charming beyond his years. I have read about the comparison between him and a young River Phoenix in Stand by Me, which I think is warranted.
The things that most struck me in this movie were the scenes of filming the movie and the scenes featuring Will when he was upset or excited. I thought the director really handled the scenes of shooting the movie in a very reverent, but exhilarating way. The whole time we watch Will and Lee shoot The Son of Rambow they have so much giddy energy that it makes me remember what it was like being that young and coming out of a movie. When we would come out of Three Ninjas we were jumping all over practicing kicks and punches and after the Goonies we wanted to search for treasure. This movie brings all of those childlike feelings back. It makes us want to go out and make a movie. It makes us appreciate movies that were made with love and creativity because they didn't have the money for CGI.
What struck me about the scenes of Will's excitement or anger is that they were shot in this hand drawn looking animation. It gives the impression that all of Will's thoughts happen in animation. Everything he thinks, feels and desires happen from the pages and walls of drawings he creates. It is a very cool concept to think that our thoughts appear in pictures. His pictures also act as storyboards for the movie they are making. Watching the flying dog or the creepy scarecrow come to life later in the movie is a fun and thrilling ride, just like the majority of the movie.
Be warned though, it is not all happy and charming. The Son of Rambow is not afraid of tackling tough issues and it is a better movie for it. Mixing joyous film making with a tale of growing up without a father or without parents relying on your best friend for laughter, joy and love combine to make a very heart warming tale that is never heavy handed.
Final Grade: B+
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