Richard Linklater’s 2014 film Boyhood is a coming-of-age movie in the most literal sense, portraying characters who grow older in real time via a groundbreaking 12-year shooting period. One of Richard Linklater’s best movies, his innovative approach also buries subtle narrative details underneath the movie’s surface portrayal of a family dynamic evolving naturally during the course of a childhood. Perhaps the most intriguing detail casts Boyhood’s ending in a whole different light, adding a profoundly romantic dimension to its protagonist’s journey toward manhood. The film’s final scene sees Mason Jr share what feels like a formative moment with Nicole, the friend of his new roommate, on his first day of college.

https://screenrant.com/boyhood-movie-ending-nicole-college-easter-egg-romantic-op-ed/