If you’ve already seen “Son of Rambow,” then you’re part of an elite and lucky few. The quirky, retro British import took in a grand total of $1.8 million at box offices last year, never gathering the attention it deserved as a salty coming-of-age story.
Your tweens and young teenagers will appreciate it on DVD, what with its underlying themes of enduring friendship and childhood rebellion. Some ’80s-revival new wave on the soundtrack and doses of illicit smoking and swearing help set the mood.
Will is growing up in the early ’80s with a single mom obsessed by a repressive religion. He wanders his small-town British woods and doodles elaborately in notebooks, having to sit outside of class during movies because The Brethren ban electronic images.
In the hallway, he meets school cutup Lee Carter, and they strike up an unlikely project. Lee’s parents are out of the country, and he likes to borrow his older brother’s video camera to film badly recreated scenes from Sylvester Stallone’s iconic “Rambo.” Will, skinny arms and all, throws himself into the stunts and the survivalist lifestyle.
Goofy British insecurities abound in this highly personal script. When French exchange students come to town, one boy is the embodiment of all things suave, and the British schoolboys serve his every whim.
The crazy stunts, the cruel religion, the utter lack of adult supervision — all will lead to high drama. Writer-director Garth Jennings keeps things light enough, but his affectionate characterizations of the boys give the climax an emotional wallop you probably won’t be expecting. Like “My Dog Skip” or “Stand By Me,” “Son of Rambow” shows boys testing the waters of adulthood and deciding they’d rather not get soaked just yet.
“Son of Rambow”
Rated: PG-13, for consistent (but hardly offensive) profanity and scenes of smoking and dangerous behavior.
Best suited for: Anglophiles, fans of adolescent growing-up stories and boys who dream of blowing things up for the cameras.
