The History Boys

The story of how The History Boys made it to the big screen is as rich and enjoyable as the script’s sharp dialogue and twisted yet whimsical plot. Playwright/screenwriter Alan Bennett was as surprised as anyone when his tale about a ragtag group of eight prospective university students and their distinctively eccentric teachers in the North of England became a smash hit at the National Theatre in London. After an award-winning, yearlong residency, the entire cast and crew hit the road for a couple of years on a successful world tour of theatres, conquering Broadway and dominating the Tony Awards along the way. In the midst of this hectic performance schedule, the play’s director, Nicholas Hynter, helmed a film adaptation of the theatrical production and the tight-knit cast hit every mark knowingly. Sure, many of the scenes are a tad showy — the particularly flamboyant characters are occasionally bombastic in their key scenes, as the actors negotiate what director Hynter describes as "the film’s more literal” world. In the featurette "Pass it On,” many of the young men reveal that in playing bright teenagers curious about life they actually came of age while working on the craft of acting. For some, it was their first time on-camera and they were forced to grapple with the odd problem of knowing their roles and stage marks intimately for up to a year before taking a step on a film set. While the transition from performing before a live audience to a camera proved to be challenging for some, the strong ensemble came together to make The History Boys an endearing cinematic document of an historic theatrical achievement. Plus: director and writer commentary, more.