Filming twice a year while sculpting the details of the screenplay, Linklater somehow captured the fundamental grief of the parenting experience.

...it’s hyperbolic in its minimalism and boring in spots and its overall narrative reach often exceeds its grasp. Even still, it’s one of the most important movies of the decade so far and you should experience it just to say you did.

Like Michael Apted in his Seven Up! documentary series, Linklater makes you feel as if you're watching a photograph as it develops in the darkroom.

The fact that [Ellar Coltrane] turned out as good as he was is nothing short of a miracle, much like the film itself.