Pahk The Cah: The Not So Subtle Nuances Of The Boston Accent

What do you think of when you hear people talking about Boston movies? The sights of Harvard, Fenway Park and the Charles River may come to mind, but what truly separates a good film about Boston and one not so good?

As someone who has had some background in acting, taking on or getting rid of any type of accent is truly one of the most difficult tasks for any actor to undertake. In developing a character, adopting a particular pattern of speech is often necessary in that process, so that they can completely transform themselves into an entirely different individual. There are some accents that even the most seasoned performers find difficult to replicate, including the Boston one.

Why Is The Boston Accent So Hard To Do?

Having been born and bred right near Boston, if you’ve ever spent any time here (or if you watched any type of news program), the distinctive speech and even the slang in Boston have so many different forms, and it can be very intimidating, to say the least. Obviously, when an actor has been hearing it their entire lives and/or has spoken with one, like fellow natives Matt Damon, Ben and Casey Affleck and Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, they’re going to be successful at it.

Let’s talk a bit about a few of the quintessential Boston movies which feature that accent. Most of these films listed star at least one of the aforementioned actors, but what about the other cast members that have tried to pick it up? How did I think they fared?

How About Them Apples?

The Departed

The Departed: As Frank Costello, head of an organized crime faction in this film, it was rather disappointing that one of the most highly regarded members of this cast, Jack Nicholson, really didn’t speak with a Boston accent at all. While I can’t speculate on the rationale on the lack of accent, I believe that it would have added even more color and depth to the role if he had. Playing Billy Costigan, Leonardo DiCaprio made a valiant effort at adopting it, and did a decent job,  although it was not as “polished”as it could have been.

Good Will Hunting

The late Robin Williams played Matt Damon’s therapist, Sean Maguire, and while he didn’t affect a very strong accent, every now and then, his speech was peppered with a bit of the Beantown. Regardless if the accent was subtle or prominent, the heart of the role came through and he was rewarded with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. As Damon’s love interest, Minnie Driver flattened her natural British accent and didn’t take on a Bostonian one at all. That didn’t seem to be a detriment in the least, as she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Mystic River

Directed by Clint Eastwood and all critical acclaim aside, this, for me, did not deliver accuracy and believability when it came to the usage of the accent. While the majority of the actors cast in this film (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, Kevin Bacon, and Laurence Fishburne) used it, unfortunately, I wasn’t convinced. I felt that the accents were forced and not pleasing to the ear. For me, the worst of the lot in taking up the accent was Tim Robbins.

Throughout this film, both him and Penn interchanged a New York affectation in lieu of and along with the Bostonian. Lack of proper accents aside, the power of the performances made up for it, as both Robbins and Penn won Academy Awards in the Supporting and Lead Actor categories, respectively. Harden was also nominated for the Oscar for Supporting Actress.

In my many years of watching film, I’ve often found that when filmmakers and actors are creating something set here in the Bay State, they seem have an innate thought and understanding as to what the Boston accent is supposed to sound like, and most times, it’s overdone. Take it from someone who grew up with one that was quite thick and successfully got rid of it, it is not that easy to pick up nor let go of. What can actors and filmmakers do in order to portray a well-rounded, accurate accent?

Is This Wicked Awesome Or What?

Contrary to popular belief, getting the Boston accent right is not just about dropping an “r” where you’re not supposed to or adding one to a word when it isn’t necessary. Neither is elongating or over-exaggerating your speech. In other words, you don’t have to try so hard.

This may sound a bit cliché, but a wonderful starting point is to simply watch a movie starring one of the Boston natives I mentioned above. As they’ve been around the accent extensively, they know what it’s supposed to sound like, and they can turn it on with ease. That will serve as a great instructional tool for gaining those nuances, both major and incidental. Please pay close attention.

While I firmly believe that the Boston accent is one of the most challenging to attempt, a genuine desire to cultivate it truthfully and accurately makes all the difference in the world between a “Bahston” movie and a “Bawstin” one.

Do you agree or disagree with my assessment of Boston movies? What films have you seen where an actor was able to pull off the Boston accent really well? Which ones didn’t?