Bernard Chanticleer (Peter Kastner) is a very nice young man anxious to step out into the “adult world.” His plan is to move out of his parents’ Long Island house into an eighth-floor Greenwich Village walkup – and try to convince someone to share his new “liberated lifestyle” with him. YOU’RE A BIG BOY NOW was Francis Ford Coppola’s UCLA Film School Master thesis – and a hilarious, high-speed debut in film comedy for the future maker of “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now”. Fresh off A Patch of Blue, Elizabeth Hartman bewitchingly plays the free spirit who tempts Bernard. Karen Black makes her own screen debut as the love object that lovesick Bernard overlooks and Geraldine Page nearly steals the show with her Academy Award-nominated performance as Bernard’s possessive mother.
For thoughts on You’re A Big Boy Now, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
You’re A Big Boy Now debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative which is stunning. The transfer maintains the perfect amount of natural film grain that is impeccably resolved and allows for detailed textures in the production design and clothing. Skin tones look natural throughout this transfer in all environments. The shadowy content is accompanied by stable black levels free of any crush. Highlights are likewise firm without blooming rearing its ugly head.
The transfer brings this narrative to the screen in a stunning way. Vivid colors saturate the frame with background elements and lighting radiating off the screen quite nicely. The image throughout the disc is nearly entirely free from dirt or print damage, as well as pesky digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or banding. Warner Archive has really knocked it out of the park for this early Coppola effort. Fans of the director are in for a treat.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that perfectly captures this story. There does not appear to be any damage or age-related wear to the track. None of the sound effects or the score from Robert Prince ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. All exchanges come through crisp and clear even when characters have overlapping dialogue. The film showcases a great number of environmental details that make the space feel more three-dimensional in the speakers. Kinetic sequences are in short supply here, but there are a handful of sequences that make more of an impression in the mix. Overall, this is a stellar audio presentation that suits the material really well. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: The three-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided for the film.
Final Thoughts
You’re A Big Boy Now is a comically absurd film from the mind of early Francis Ford Coppola. The main character is painfully obtuse, yet many of the situations he finds himself in are very funny. Not all of the humor holds up, but those who appreciate a free-wheeling psychedelic trip will enjoy this one. The performers all inhabit their broadly drawn characters to their intended purpose. Coppola has obviously reached greater heights since this feature, but it holds signs of his early promise. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a sparse array of special features. If you want to round out your Coppola collection, this release will treat you right. Recommended
You’re A Big Boy Now can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
