President Obama Picks His Favorite Movie of the Year

And the First Lady reveals what book she thought was better than the movie

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If Richard Linklater‘s “Boyhood” doesn’t live up to the Oscar hype surrounding it, at least the writer and director of the unique coming-of-age tale can take comfort in knowing it was the President of the United State’s favorite film of the year.

“‘Boyhood’ was a great movie,” the president said in a new People Magazine interview. “That, I think, was my favorite movie this year.”

The movie, which has been competing with “Birdman” as the year’s best in the eyes of critics and organizations handing out awards, took 12 years to film, and traces a fictional character’s journey through adolescence in real time.

So far, the film starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as the parents of newcomer Ellar Coltrane has been named Movie of the Year by the AFI Awards, and is up for five Golden Globes, as well as three Independent Spirit Awards.

The president’s wife, Michelle Obama, on the other hand, did not offer up a favorite film she saw in theaters. But did share a thought on David Fincher‘s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl.”

“I’ve read others [since, but] I read ‘Gone Girl’ a couple summers ago, which is one of my favorites,” the First Lady said. “The book is much better than the movie.”

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