Hollywood is certainly no country for old men. Al Pacino can tell you. The Oscar and Tony winner, a legend, has seen one good film, “The Humbling,” turned to pulp by its distributor instead of getting a real release. His current film, “Danny Collins,” is getting a slightly better launch, but just slightly. So far “Danny Collins” is only available in a few places.
Now comes “Boychoir.” Double Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman stars in what should have been a big holiday release. The movie debuted in Toronto, and someone should have sent it out for Christmas release. Instead “Boychoir” has quietly died. This weekend it’s playing in an off run theater in Greenwich Village and a couple of houses in Montreal.
In other words, “Boychoir” is DOA. It may also be VOD. And soon DVR. Maybe HBO. Who knows?
It’s not like “Boychoir” was bad or unwatchable. Quite the contrary. It’s a little like “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “Dead Poet Society,” two movies that if they were released in 2015 might have the same fate. It’s directed by Oscar winner François Girard (“The Red Violin”). A smart marketing campaign could have really caught on. But I’m afraid that effort was not made. It’s too bad. “Boychoir” was a good family film, and something for adults. But there were no car crashes, no special effects and no good cursing or sexual violence.
Too bad.
