Pass it on

I have never seen a Broadway show, or even walked down Broadway for that matter. However, had I been in New York (or Hong Kong, New Zealand, Sydney, or London) when The History Boys came to town, I would have tried my hardest to see them. However, since that chance did not plan itself out ("f***king history" as some of the characters say), I decided that viewing the movie version of the play was the next best thing. No need to dress up or wait for intermission to go to the restroom, pretty good situation, I think.

The History Boys could be mentioned as a rite of passage, coming of age, lessons on life, the new Dead Poets Society film. But it deserves such better descriptors than just those. It is funny, dramatic, tongue-in-cheek, open, heart-wrenching and so much more. It revolves around eight public school boys who are all preparing for exams and interviews in hopes of getting into Oxford and other elite British colleges. Three teachers help them along the way, each with their differing styles, approaches, and emphases. And while each teacher seems somewhat contradictory to the other, some of the boys are able to find the balance between each of them.

Poetry and song is often quoted. The question, "what is history?" is wrestled over. The approaching exams and college interviews are so focused on it appears to the boys that college is the be all, end all for life. And yet, life happens in the interim. Some take risks, some work to the status quo, others act for others rather than themselves. All the meanwhile, the connect with history and thought and poetry. As Hector shared, "The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours."

The History Boys is not a great film. There are no shootouts, CGI effects or "boy meets girl" love stories. But it is a good one, a solid one. One that follows you, leaves you thinking and reflecting. So, as a close, I will allow Hector to speak on my behalf, "Pass the parcel. That's sometimes all you can do. Take it, feel it and pass it on. Not for me, not for you, but for someone, somewhere, one day. Pass it on, boys. That's the game I want you to learn. Pass it on."