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Local Boys | Year: 2002 Classification: Feature Film Family Directed: - Ron Moler It's in the details Surfing is a metaphor for conflict in life, wrestling with nature, trying to control one's destiny amid the ebb and flow of turbulence...<BR>Okay, that's heavy-handed hogwash. This movie isn't profound, and that's why I enjoyed it. The plot is generic, the dramatic events by-the-numbers, but the details are perfect. In a movie like this, you either get the chracters right or the film sinks into melodrantic contrivances that carry the emotional weight of a gulp of diet cola. This movie has a motherlode of engaging characters who add clout to a basic script. Mark Harmon's tormented widower is remote and unwilling to commit, the desire to care struggling to break through his pall of uncertainty. The older sibling conveys anger over the men who enter his mother's life, leave a trail of [stuff], and then disappear like last night's hangover. His performance is an endearing mixture of love, control, and insecurity. Skeeter, as played by Jeremy Sumpter, does an excellent job portraying a boy who wrestles with damaging feelings, desperately hungering for a father figure. He's the type of kid everyone would want as a son, thoughtful, perky, and good-humored. Sumpter is a natural here, outplaying even the veterans. The circle of friends manage to become distinct entities, caring for each other but making mistakes that we can relate to. There are no vulgar jokes or cruelty to others that seem to dominate idiot teen movies, yet I found myself laughing at humor that arises from the chracter's personalities. The dramatic parts work because I liked the people in the movie. They make great company. The script is subtle and sneaks up on you emotionally. Even though issues of depression, abusive adults, and paternal death are addressed, I never felt manipulated. The dialogue is well-handled abd enlightened. And the surfing scenes are intense, showing tricks I didn't think possible. Overall I would recommend this movie based on its sincerity and the good example is sets for human beings who are unsure about how decent humans should act and communicate with one another. special thanks aloha, this isn't a review,but just wanting to say mahalo to all the fine folks out there, especially RICHMOND,VA and ECHOING TWINS on amazon.com who gave us such "rave" reviews on our film "LOCAL BOYS"...first of all, it was an honor to work with such a great director, ron moler...he has been an avid surfer from the south-bay, malibu area for years...he knows what appeals to surfers as a life-style,(ENDLESS SUMMER 2) but he also integrated a great family atmosphere with the script of "LOCAL BOYS"...our 2nd unit did all the surf footage and we worked under director rick murray, and director of photograpy, scott dittrich, who between the two of them have at least 75 years in the surfing industry... steve spaulding and i did all the water cinematography...in the beginning we had thought about going on "location" to exotic islands (tahiti, fiji etc)to get "perfect surf", but in the end it was decided too keep it real and just shoot all california locations...that in itself kept it real as far as the california surf families, which is 3-4 generations old...the whole premise and genre of the script...we also wanted to keep the surfers real and in audtioning for the parts we used guys who are some of california's greatest "under-ground"stars...except for the part of willy the "k" who's double was surfed by the great david "davy-boy" gonsalves of hawaii, the other great surfers were jonathon pickle, matt king, john roberson,and rick massey...once again thank you richmond, va for your review,(outer banks rock!!!)...and too the echoing twin, thanks for understanding that we ARE NOT taylor steele!!! but we do things with more of a full feature, and in 35mm,not video...forever alooooha, james abubo...capstone pictures,santa monica,ca... What DVD does best "Local Boys" is a perfect example of what DVD does best: providing a showcase for a minor-league delight that had no chance at a big-screen release but deserves more than to be dumped on cable TV for just a few lucky insomniacs to catch on the late show. In short, it is a small gem of a film with a fine cast and promising director that tells a familiar, though moving and involving story. It also showcases a pair of promising young actors who appear on the brink of stardom and gives a couple of solid pros (and former "Chicago Hope" costars) a chance to stretch their acting chops and exhibit their own undeniable chemistry. And it may be the first surfing movie I have ever seen that actually deals with the teen surfing crowd in a realistic and non-exploitative manner by making its kids more than just brain-dead stoners obsessed with riding waves that would kill the world's best surfers. Eric Christian Olsen and Jeremy Sumpter star as Randy and Skeet, brothers whose policeman father "died a hero" (as Randy likes to say) in the line of duty. Skeet wants to learn to surf, so Randy buys him a surfboard for his twelfth birthday. But like so many other well-meaning though self-centered older brothers, he buys one that is too big (that way he'll have a spare) and then leaves Skeet to learn on his own. When legendary surfer Jim Wesley (Mark Harmon) sees Skeet's pitiful attempts at riding a wave, he befriends the boy, buys him a suitable board, and offers to teach him the proper way to surf. Skeet and Jim become fast friends and Jim even begins a tentative relationship with the boys' mother (Stacey Edwards), much to Randy's displeasure. (Randy loathes Jim, sees him as a threat to his status as "man of the house" and refuses to cut him any slack.) But Jim has issues of his own to deal with, since his own wife and daughter were killed in a car crash a couple of years before. And then there's Skeet's unresolved emotional problems surrounding the death of his father to deal with as well-- "Local Boys" isn't exactly loaded with surprises since you can tell where everything is headed almost before the film starts. But it is done with taste and restraint and a refreshing lack of melodrama, except for a ridiculous suicide attempt late in the film by one of Randy's surfer buds (Guiseppe Andrews), whose father thinks is a lazy, pothead loser (which, incidentally, he is) and is forcing to join the Marines. As for the brothers' relationship, it is tender and sweetly rendered, yet combative and utterly believable, thanks to the terrific performances of Olsen and Sumpter. Olsen, who bombed badly in the "Dumb and Dumber" sequel "When Harry Met Lloyd," makes Randy likeable even when he's acting like a spoiled jerk, mainly because he never lets the audience lose sight of how much he loves his brother and mother. He's convinced he's trying to protect them from being hurt by Jim, but in reality, he's protecting himself. As for Sumpter, he is simply amazing as S Buy Local Boys at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Local Boys Search with the Priority Search Engine on Local Boys This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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