Boys Don't Cry

Starring: Hilary Swank, Chloe Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard
Directed by: Kimberly Peirce
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Box Office: $11,540,607
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young woman, Teena Brandon (Hilary Swank) starts her life over as Brandon Teena, a man. She hides her true identity from her new-found friends (including Chloe Sevigny). However, once her true sexuality is discovered, her friends react with deadly consequences.

Review:

Tim: Hilary Swank is something to behold in this movie. She plays a woman living as a man with incredible accuracy. Her performance is striking and memorable. I was surprised that she won an Academy Award for Best Actress, but her performance is so gutsy and courageous that she deserves all her accolades. She also, subsequently, won the Golden Globe and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Best Actress.

This is a bold movie all around. Normally, films like this are often not well received by audiences. Boys Don't Cry is extremely well done, however. The movie is very unconventional, but it tells an interesting story in a powerful and moving way. I truly believe that all movie goers need to expand their horizons and watch films that they are not necessarily comfortable with. This is a good place to start.

Is this a messed up, bizarre, oftentimes disturbing and unorthodox film? Yes. Will many people hate it? Probably. This is not a film I'd ever want to spend too much time watching. One viewing is more than enough for me. I personally didn't enjoy this movie, because it was so difficult to watch. For example, the rape scene is almost too disturbing to view all at once. The only real reason I found to watch this movie is for Swank's strong performance. The film also has a conclusion that will leave you feeling shattering.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Million Dollar Baby, The Brandon Teena Story, October Sky