There seem to be two movies going on here at the same time, and December Boys would have been better off going all the way with one of them.
Comment
09/21/07
December Boys (2007)
43
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:65
Fresh:28
Rotten:37
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: Uneventful and far too sentimental.
Synopsis: Based on the novel by Michael Noonan, DECEMBER BOYS is a touching coming-of-age drama set in Australia in the 1960s. Maps (Daniel Radcliffe), Misty (Lee Cormie), Sparks (Christian Byers), and Spit... [More]
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Lee Cormie, Christian Byers, James Fraser
Director: Rod Hardy
Reviews for December Boys
Top CriticThough familiar as an old shoe, this is straightforward and well told.
09/21/07
The two halves of December Boys -- the pre-adolescent getting of wisdom and the adolescent getting of action -- never mesh.
09/21/07
The kind of film people call 'uplifting,' and while it is that much of the way, there are times when it's so oversaturated with sweetness and light, it's likely to uplift more cynical viewers from their seats in the movie theater. No matter.
09/21/07
Don't expect magic here.
09/20/07
Director Rod Hardy musters his fine cast to provide a nuanced story...about coming of age, friendship, old age and young love.
09/20/07
Juvenile viewers may well benefit from the movie. But, for the adult, it’s ultimately a film that arrives too early for the season in its title and too late in terms of style and impact.
09/20/07
Radcliffe is good at showing vulnerability but without the skills to give it gradation. The magic doesn't work for him this time.
09/20/07
Top CriticA tween version of Superbad this certainly isn't, with a significant stench of familiarity covering rites of passage like peeing together and clamoring to see naked girls.
09/20/07
An absorbing, gentle slice-of-life, light on plot but heavy on smaller moments of keen human interaction and observation.
09/17/07
December Boys bathes in the summer sun and sea breezes even as it exudes the energy of youth and promise.
09/17/07
Click to read the article
09/15/07
A coming-of-age tale so treacly it doesn’t just tug your heartstrings, it attempts to glue them to your ribs.
09/15/07
Top Critic[A] tasteful and gorgeously photographed coming-of-age story.
09/15/07
A coming of age story for Dummies. It packs in the schmaltz and spells out all the life lessons in case you weren't paying attention. It's not unwatchable, but I certainly wasn't in the mood that day.
09/14/07
Radcliffe is the big draw, but he's really a supporting player, just one of the parentless wonders sent to live with a loving couple one glorious, life-changing summer.
09/14/07
This charming tale of a quartet of Australian orphans who share a life-altering holiday in the 1960s should appeal to sentimental adults old enough to wax nostalgic over their own adolescence.
09/14/07
Except for the breathtaking Australian landscape, there's little to recommend about December Boys.
09/14/07
Enhanced by an exotic locale, the movie overcomes a well-trodden narrative path and unflinchingly brandishes its sentimentality as it stakes out its crowd-pleasing territory.
09/14/07
Top CriticRadcliffe -- in full benevolent leadership -- clearly has a future as a young adult performer once he shelves Harry Potter's wand once and for all.
09/14/07
Latest News for December Boys
December 11, 2007:
RT on DVD: Take Harry Potter, Jason Bourne Home for the Holidays
This week, get Bourne (The Bourne Ultimatum) -- or get Potter (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), or Efron (High School Musical 2), or opt for a different sort of... More...
September 16, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Jodie Struggles But Still Hits #1
For the second straight weekend, a star-driven action drama aimed at adult audiences opened at number one with $14M in ticket sales from roughly 2,700 theaters. This time it was... More...
September 13, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Brave One Isn't Tops, Mr. Woodcock is Flaccid, Hunting Party is Busted
This week at the movies, we've got vigilantes (The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster), gym teachers (Mr. Woodcock starring Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon), war... More...
August 25, 2007:
Preview and images. 
More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.
Wes Anderson on Fox
The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Win Glee DVDs
We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.
Win tickets to Cold Souls
Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser
Win the entire 007 collection
Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection
IGN RSS Feeds