Boy A

Synopsis: A young man is released from prison after many years and given a new identity in a new town. Aided by a supervisor who becomes like a father to him he finds a job and friends and hesitantly starts a relationship with a compassionate girl. But the secret of the heinous crime he committed as a boy weighs down on him, and he learns that it is not so easy to escape your past.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): John Crowley
Production: The Weinstein Co.
  12 wins & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Metacritic:
75
Rotten Tomatoes:
88%
R
Year:
2007
102 min
Website
404 Views


[Man]

How do you feel?

Oh, I don't know.

Just like I'm having a dream.

Well, you're not, kiddo.

They... They said I could

choose me own name.

That's right.

- Any name.

- You got one?

I can't...

I can't make up me mind.

Why don't you ask me

what's in the bag?

[chuckling]

What's in the bag?

- It's funny you should ask.

- [laughs]

Terry.

- Have a look at what they're called.

- Terry.

Kind of appropriate, don't you think?

I don't...

You don't know what to say?

Say thank you.

- Thank you.

- My pleasure.

Thank you.

- All right.

- All right.

[sighs]

Now...

As you know,

There are certain conditions

that have gotten your release.

I do.

There's quite a few, in fact, so we've...

Jack.

What?

That's the name...

That's the name I want.

Okay.

Jack.

Well, that's the first

thing taken care of.

[Terry]

So what are you thinking?

Don't worry.

The longer you spend here,

the smaller it's going

to seem, I promise.

Yeah, lots of students,

plenty of new faces,

which will work out pretty well

in your favor.

Mmm.

McDonald's.

Mm?

Oh, well,

at least we know what

we're having for dinner.

[Woman]

Hi.

Hi, Miss Woolly.

This is my nephew Jack.

Jack, Miss Woolly.

Come in, come in.

[Miss Woolly]

Sorry about the mess.

- And it's Kelly, by the way.

- Kelly.

It's just that I'm on nights this week,

so I'm actually not long out of bed.

- Tea?

- No, thank you.

Coffee?

Tomorrow morning,

I'll show you where everything is...

the washing machine,

the dryer, whatever.

You like your room, right?

- Absolutely, yeah.

- Good, I'm glad.

It's small, but it's clean.

- Am I wrong?

- [Jack] Uh-uh.

Functional,

and you've got

the portable telly in there,

although don't try getting ITV.

It just won't pick up

for some reason or other.

Anyway...

Sorry. Did you say

you wanted a coffee or not?

- Uh.

- Mmm.

So, tomorrow we go to the bank

and we open up

an account for you, okay?

Because the more forms you fill in,

the more real your name

is going to become.

Okay.

What else do you want to do?

Uh,

well, what else can we do?

Whatever we want.

In two weeks time,

you start work proper,

so you need to experience

as much as you can before then.

Of course, your history

has to become second nature,

so I'm going to be going

over it and over it

- and getting it.

- Yeah.

I was wondering

if m-maybe at some stage

we could take a trip.

To where?

See Philip's grave.

Think we could do that?

Let me...

Terry, no, if we can't, it's fine.

Seriously, it's fine.

Just let me think about it, okay?

I'm not saying we can't go.

Right. Yeah, right.

Newton.

What's that?

It's where I'm from.

What's your name?

My name's Jack Burridge.

And why are you here, Jack?

Now, you got two numbers

in your address book...

mine and P.S.

That's for Protection Squad.

Okay? That's a special number.

You call them,

and they'll come running.

- Oh.

- All right?

Now, just for tonight,

there's two policemen.

Just go there. Can you see them?

Yeah?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

How do you feel?

This is as bad as it's going to get.

All right?

Okay. Come here.

You're going to be fine.

Yeah?

[sniffles]

"Putting it into his pocket,

he turned back the way he'd come

"and went searching for home.

But It was evening now,

and growing dark."

[Woman] Then what did he

find when he got to the...

A butterfly.

I don't see any hands.

A butterfly.

Butterfly pendant, good.

Okay, so who's going to continue?

Mr. Wilson?

Where's your book?

How difficult can it be to remember...

I'm sorry.

I take it your homework's done?

I forgot my copy.

Sara, you continue.

"He wanted to prove

to his newfound friend

"that by obtaining the pendant,

he could be trusted

with whatever task was put before him."

[Boy]

Hey, spastic!

Hey, spastic, why is

your face always dirty?

And his clothes.

Yeah, and your clothes, mate.

It's because you're a spastic.

I'm joking.

Hey, stop, now.

Come here for a minute.

Why?

I said we're joking.

Come on, I'm teasing.

Secret, we want to tell you a secret.

[Man]

Who's that?

Is that you, Eric?

Yeah.

Come down here.

Just a minute.

Now.

Your mother's sick,

so don't go near her.

- Sick?

- That's right.

Where is she?

Didn't you hear what I said?

Mum.

Mum, are you okay?

Would you like a cup of tea?

Leave me alone.

I had a fight, Mum.

Leave me alone. Get out.

Some boys, they...

[sobbing]

What did I say to you?

[Man]

Eric!

[Boy]

Hey.

How do you get 500 cars in a shed?

Put up a bingo sign.

[laughing]

What's your name?

Eric.

Want to see something cool?

[tires screeching]

[horns honking, crash]

[Man]

Bloody hell.

What are you doing?

You came straight at me!

[Second man]

Something hit me!

What's yours?

Huh?

What's your name?

Was it guilt, do you think?

Who knows?

Or...

a way of saying sorry?

[sighing]

Was he sick of the world?

We should go.

This was a bad idea.

Why?

Because Philip...

How many times have we

talked about this?

Sorry.

Don't be sorry.

I made a decision to take you.

But we have to keep looking forward,

not back. Okay?

The you from then is dead as well.

Or am I wrong?

Jack.

No, no. I'm all right.

Okay.

Right, come on.

I want to go home before dark.

All right.

Drop that off.

Come back, pick up something else.

Take that thing wherever it needs to go,

and so on.

- Simple, yeah?

- Yeah, yeah.

Absolutely.

Now, you'll be partnered up

with Chris Kelly,

who should be here but...

[knocking]

Ah, Mr. Kelly. Glad you could join us.

Sorry.

This is Jack.

By the way, I'm told you been

to prison a couple of times.

Yeah, but, I mean...

Listen.

I only bring it up to reassure you

that your secret's safe.

All right?

I believe a man

deserves a second chance.

I also believe in his right to privacy.

So, uh,

mum's the word.

Idiot, eh?

You can say it.

"Mum's the word."

He's like David Brent or someone.

Who?

Yeah, very funny.

So what were you in for?

Unless you don't want to...

No, no.

Uh, stealing cars, you know, joyriding.

Right.

How many stints you do?

Three.

[laughing]

Jesus.

Yeah, after me last,

me Uncle Terry suggested I make

a new start somewhere else.

Get away from bad influences?

Yeah.

Well, I can't guarantee

that that's what you've done.

- [Woman] Sophie McGee.

- Present.

Angela Milton.

Present.

Stuart Thompson.

Present.

Emily Upton.

Present.

Eric Wilson.

Eric Wilson?

[Philip]

Swing.

Swing and shoot webs.

[making shooting sounds]

[train passing]

Turn green is what I'd like.

Green?

Yeah.

Rip some bastard who was

making me angry to bits.

- [laughing]

- Hello, mate.

What's up?

You both get off school?

Answer me, man.

Yeah.

[laughing]

What's your name?

- Are you dumb?

- [boy laughing]

[imitating lisp]

You a spastic?

Your mate is spastic, mate.

[boys laughing]

Oh.

All right, now. F*** off.

We're gonna have

a little word with Eric here.

What, are you deaf as well as dumb?

Ah! F***, my nose!

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Mark O'Rowe

Mark O'Rowe is an Irish playwright and screenwriter. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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