Release Date: 2007
Starring: Christian Byers, Daniel Radcliffe, Lee Cormie, James Fraser, Teresa Palmer
Directed by: Rod Hardy


Thanks to my busy life juggling between work and children, I rarely have time for movies. I love going to the cinemas; the feeling of watching a movie at home is nothing compared to the cinemas with an excellent sound system, and not to mention the overall atmosphere and the anticipation when stepping into the cinemas. It is a wonderful feeling.

My husband and I were fortunate to be able to watch the latest Harry Potter movie last week, thanks to my in-laws who agreed to look after our children for us. We enjoyed the movie, and it amazed me how Daniel Radcliffe, the wizard boy who played Harry Potter, and his fellow cast members, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have all grown. I knew Daniel had starred in another movie but I didn't had the chance of catching it on screen then. Last Monday, I happened to walk into a CD store and I found this DVD on the shelves. I grabbed it; and to make things sweeter they have a sale going on so it was like killing two birds with one stone.

Anyway, I enjoyed this movie. December Boys is based on a classic novel by Michael Noonan and it is about four orphan boys growing up in a Catholic convent in outback Australia during the 60s.

Misty (played by Lee Cormie), Spark (Christian Byers), Spit (James Fraser) and Maps (Daniel Radcliffe) called themselves the 'December boys' because they were all born in the month of December. Though they are happy staying in the convent, deep in their heart they are hoping that one day they would get adopted. When they knew they would be going on a holiday by the sea for their birthday, they are thrilled but never do they know this vacation will change their life thereafter.

During their vacation, they stayed with the McAnsh's couple. Both of them are wonderful people, but it is a pity that Mrs McAnsh could not have children due to an accident. The boys enjoy their stay with them, though Maps (being the oldest of the group) keeps a distance with them and mingle around more with a teenaged girl named Lucy. Lucy is staying with her uncle and like the boys, she is there on a vacation but they did not know about this. Maps began to spend more and more time together with Lucy, and for the first time Maps knew what love and desire is with Lucy.

However, their friendship would lead to a test after Misty overheard a conversation whereby the McAnsh couple would adopt one of them and tension and competition arise once the other three boys came to know about the news later, except Maps who seems to be indifferent of the whole idea of adoption. He is more affected when he later realized that Lucy is gone and would not return until the next summer. He also got to know the past history of the McAnsh's couple by chance, and he is not at all surprised that Misty is being chosen towards the end.

As much as Misty has craved for this, actually he is not prepared of leaving his friends. As for whether or not did he stay with the McNash's couple in the end, I will not tell so as I will not spoil it for anyone who has the intention of watching this. All I have to say is December Boys is a marvellous coming of age story; this is a story about friendship and family, and I loved the nostalgic and bittersweet feelings of this story. And it is great seeing Daniel Radcliffe playing a different role besides Harry Potter; he is such a talented actor.

Did you watch this movie? What do you think of it?