GOOD BOYS (2019) Movie Review
Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (NLT)
Good Boys
is a modern coming of age story for a six-grade boy named Max with two best friends, Thor and Lucas. Each friend serves as a different influence on his decisions. Lucas is his angelic influence with a compassionate and honest heart, while Thor serves as his demonic influence where destruction follows him everywhere.
Max struggles throughout the story to make decisions on his own without his two friends. Lucas leads him down a productive path, even though he risks failing his ultimate goal. Meanwhile, Thor tempts down an easier path where he is guaranteed to achieve his goal, but the cost is too great. Countless laws are broken, expensive equipment is destroyed, and Lucas becomes severely injured. It ends with an accomplished goal, but Max finds dissatisfaction with his victory.
What he learns on the journey is more important. He grows up, and he learns to think for himself. Both Thor and Lucas' influences cease to be his driving force. He understands the consequences of his poor decisions, and he accepts them with grace.
That is what it means to be an adult: independence and responsibility. It has nothing to do with swearing, drug use, drinking, or the understanding of sex. These are adult-level issues, not the sign of maturity. Children have no business exploring these issues, because innocence once gone is gone for good. We should allow our children to be children. They should understand how to enjoy their childhood while they have it. Let the children be children.
