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The History Boys | 
 enlarge | Director: Nicholas Hytner
Actors: Samuel Anderson, James Corden, Stephen Campbell Moore, Richard Griffiths, Frances De La Tour
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $2.64
You Save: $17.34 (87%)
New (52) Used (44) Collectible (1) from $2.64
Avg. Customer Rating:  65 reviews
Sales Rank: 5179
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 112
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2242526D
UPC: 024543425199
EAN: 0024543425199
ASIN: B000NIVJFO
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: April 17, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
The play's the thing in The History Boys. Unlike most stage-to-screen transitions, Nicholas Hytner assembled the entire original cast for the celluloid version of Alan Bennett's award-winning work. (The two previously joined forces for The Madness of King George.) As in Hytner's National Theatre production, a group of Sheffield sixth-form boys, Timms (James Corden), Lockwood (Andrew Knott), Rudge (Russell Tovey), Scripps (Jamie Parker), Crowther (Samuel Anderson), Akhtar (Sacha Dhawan), Posner (Samuel Barnett), and Dakin (Dominic Cooper)--the latter two standouts--spend an extra term in 1983 preparing for their Oxbridge exams. Hector (Richard Griffiths) and Dorothy Lintott (Frances de la Tour) are their regular instructors (both performances garnered Tony Awards), while Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore, Bright Young Things) is the enigmatic new history teacher. The Headmaster (Clive Merrison) brings him on board to lend the precocious lads "polish." Irwin, however, is more interested in encouraging them to think creatively--not merely to recite facts. The boys just want to get into Oxford and Cambridge. If that means withstanding the occasional grope from Hector and harsh word from Irwin, so be it. In the end, which boy gets in where isn't insignificant, but Bennett's greater concern is what they learn along the way. If Hytner isn't always successful in reconciling the intellectual with the more earthbound, The History Boys is one of the funniest films yet about Britain's educational system--and education in general. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Stills from The History Boys
Product Description
A delightfully witty comedy about 8 boisterous-yet-talented schoolboys hoping to gain admittance to englands most prestigious universities. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 02/05/2008 Starring: Richard Griffiths Stephen Campbell Moore Run time: 112 minutes Rating: R
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| Customer Reviews: Read 60 more reviews...
 SKIP THIS MOVIE...IT'S A LOSER December 4, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This movie is slow and awful and it's only appeal will be to gay men. This thin story has no other reason to be told other than it's a gay man's fantasy brought to life. A school where a group of adolescent boys are all jokingly okay about the old overweight male teacher who gropes them (quite the opposite of reality where young males who are struggling to assert their sexual identity and find social acceptance would be much more likely to ambush such a teacher in the parking lot for a beating).
The only other adult male in this movie, also their teacher, reveals himself to ALSO be gay, and the group of students all end up turning out to be gay, even the class womanizer. Again...it's the gay man's fantasy of every male is secretly gay, (and thus available to them). And they're entitled to the fantasy...but unless that notion appeals to you also, there's no reason to waste your time with this boring drek.
 Electric November 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The History Boys is inspired and electric and yet at the same time it's absolutely true to life. It also tells a memorable story about 8 British school boys learning, in each case, how to become an individual, how to become a self. The scene where Frances de la Tour either clairvoyantly sees the boys' futures (or is in fact having a clairvoyant dream) is also very powerful, with the mesmerizing Posner talking both satirically and wisely about becoming a teacher and, in the process, following the mantra of the school's most iconoclastic teacher: "Pass it on." When Frances de la Tour then goes to sit next to Lockwood and announces that he was killed by friendly fire when he was 28, it's an incredibly eerie moment since Lockwood doesn't give any evidence of having heard her. Looks, in fact, already dead. The collection of pseudo medals he wears all through the movie's narrative (and which I earlier took to be post-Punk decorations) then makes sense in terms of his "destiny." The other thing that really struck me in this particular scene was the fact that the also mesmerizing Dakin (so clever and original while he was a grammar school boy) had become a tax lawyer. Sad, but again true to life, since the students who are utterly at home and filled with life and exuberant ideas in high school so often seem to make compromises in their adult lives. The actor who plays Scripps (Jamie Parker?) has a mainly reactive role in which he listens to, watches, and comments on the lives of the others---one of the most difficult kinds of roles to play---was subtle and amazing. I've seen this brilliant movie 3 times by now and found it to be absolutely original and extraordinary every time.
www.elisabeth-harvor.com
A generally moving story that drags in places October 21, 2008
If you are a Dominic Cooper fan, then you will love this movie.
The movie seems to have two themes. One is the nature of education. There is a battle between Hector's 'old' style of teaching, which seems to be maybe learning for the sake of learning or bettering oneself (a romantic education) and Irwin's style of teaching, which sees history to be moulded into whatever is the most useful and interesting in making an argument (to treat history as a grand game to be played and manipulated).
The other theme is about same-sex attracted men falling for Dominic's character.
I found the first theme to be boring sometimes. I could not understand some of the dialogue, and sometimes I felt it went over my head. The language is very academic and high-falutin' at times. The second theme I found to be more exciting.
Both themes really tug at the heartstrings. You will probably be emotionally moved (in a good way) by watching this.
The Hysterical Boys August 4, 2008
I just watched this movie and loved it! If you're looking for bullets, blood or nudity then look elsewhere. If the subject of homosexuality bothers you then you might also be offended by this film.
If however, you are captivated by witty dialogue(there is some swearing along with it), an intelligent script, and can decipher English accents (there are subtitles available), then this might be a movie for you. There is plenty of action but it takes the form of verbal jousting.
The story centers around a tight knit group of older teenaged male students and the teachers who are trying to inspire them in order that they might be successful at gaining admittance to prestigious Oxford or Cambridge University. It is very much a story about relationships, and not surprisingly, the "natural" evolution of history.
The actors were expertly cast and use humour thoughout the film very effectively to make their points and simply entertain. The topic of homsexuality is touched upon more than once in the film but it is done in such a way as NOT to make the audience feel threatened or uncomfortable.
I highly recommend this film.
Young minds and all that...3-3.5 stars July 27, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
In the thoughtful and smart, yet somewhat unsuccessful film The History Boys there is a wonderful scene in which two of the characters, Posner (a would be candidate for Oxbridge)and Hector (the immense and immensely complicated and flawed teacher) talk about what makes a particular Hardy poem great. This scene almost does for teaching and poetry what (in Amadeus) Salieri's mental reading of Mozart's compositions did for classical music. It's a quietly powerful and moving scene and made me want to dig out that old volume of Hardy poems.
The History Boys makes learning about cultural history seem hip, musical, cinematic and contagious. Despite its subject matter (education and the methods of inspiration) it's not particularly profound (even though there is a death); but it's engaging, absorbing, and several of the characters are entirely magnetic to watch (Dakin, Posner and Tottie).
AND, if, like me, you want to hear yet another version of the immortal Lorenz Hart classic BB&B (put to mildly humorous and fun use) this is a pleasant few hours.
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