Richard Linklater: An American Cinematheque Tribute

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The American Cinematheque is thrilled to welcome filmmaker Richard Linklater for an in-person tribute in celebration of the 12th anniversary of his groundbreaking feature, BOYHOOD. The film earned six Academy Award nominations, including a Best Supporting Actress win for Patricia Arquette, and continues to resonate with audiences of all ages for its profoundly familiar themes. Linklater will also join us for screenings of WAKING LIFE and DAZED AND CONFUSED.

Filmed over the course of twelve years as its young lead, Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane), experienced his own coming-of-age, BOYHOOD brings intimate realism to a classic genre by giving viewers the opportunity to watch Mason grow up before our eyes. Many of Linklater’s works reflect this character-driven approach. Often favoring slice-of-life narratives over complicated plotting, his films employ naturalistic dialogue to explore themes of human connection, memory and the passage of time. In WAKING LIFE, an unnamed protagonist floats through a dream world engaging in philosophical discussions with a colorful cast of characters. Enhanced by surreal rotoscope animation, the film takes viewers on a journey through one man’s subconscious to muse on the questions that mystify us all.

Music also functions as an evocative tool to bring us into the worlds of Linklater’s characters, and his expertly deployed needle drops have created some of cinema’s most iconic scenes. His classic hangout film DAZED AND CONFUSED, set on the last day of school in 1976, features hits from Alice Cooper, KISS, The Runaways and more, uniting incoming freshman and prankster seniors through a shared rite of passage: driving aimlessly around town, radio dials synced. BOYHOOD similarly trusts in its music cues, from Coldplay to Lady Gaga and Arcade Fire, to place the audience in each year as Mason experiences it, and to remind us of our own formative musical moments.

Linklater’s affection for his characters and his drive to understand how we continue relating to one another as life inevitably changes us, culminate in a filmography in which even the most personal snapshots of time and place can feel as if they are speaking directly to us. Join us in celebrating one of the most influential independent filmmakers of his generation.