Age difference between Samantha and Mason?

I'm trying to work out the supposed age difference between siblings Samantha and Mason in Richard Linklater's Boyhood, as there seem to be a number of inconsistencies.

First, when the children are first re-united with their father, Samantha states that all she can remember from their parents failed marriage was their arguments and bickering: she prefixes this statement with "When I was six, I remember...."

Later, towards the end of the film as Mason is celebrating his graduation from High School with his family, his uncle gives him some sagely advice as to the employment of prophylactic measures whilst at University. He infers that Mason was the result of "Break up sex" between his father Mason Sr. and mother Olivia.

If this is correct, wouldn't that make the age difference between Samantha and Mason at least 6 years?

In reality there is only a year between the actors, and it's noticeable (particularily early on in the movie, when they are still children) that they are much closer in age.

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Also, Mason visits his sister whilst she is still at college whilst vetting the campus as a possibility for his own alma mater: wouldn't that mean they were within three or so years of each other?

Is there anything in the movie that clears this up? is it possible that Mason Sr. and Olivia's initial 'break up' (which resulted indirectly in Mason Jr) was only temporary, and their permanent, final break-up came later; when Samantha was 6? is there anything to substantiate this theory?

boyhood

Best Answer

Samantha's first year at college is one segment before Mason graduates from high school. This means that they are two grades apart.

From the Wikipedia plot:

In 2012, Mason and Sheena visit Samantha at the University of Texas at Austin.

In 2013, during Mason's senior year in high school...

Depending on their birthdays, they could be anything from 12 to 36 months apart and fall into that spacing.

For example, say that the school's birthdate cutoff is September 1st and pretend that Samantha is born in 1990.

If Samantha was born August 31st 1990, and Mason was born September 2nd 1991 (12 months and 2 days later) they would actually be 2 grades apart.
If Samantha was born September 2nd 1990, Mason could be born as late as August 31st 1993 (2 days short of 36 months) and still be only two grades lower than Samantha.

So, on average, you could think of them as being two years apart.

Now, to address your inconsistency questions.

First, when the children are first re-united with their father, Samantha states that all she can remember from their parents failed marriage was their arguments and bickering: she prefixes this statement with "When I was six, I remember...."

He infers that Mason was the result of "Break up sex" between his father Mason Sr. and mother Olivia.

I don't see this as an issue. I think that what their uncle is implying (as you guess at) is that Mason Sr. and Olivia ended up stuck back together again due to his conception. I think that the implication that Mason Jr. seems to remember them being together (and wants them to get back together again) implies that the divorce probably only occurred a year or so before the movie begins.