Boys Town

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Henry Hull, Leslie Fenton, Gene Reynolds, Edward Norris
Directed by: Norman Taurog
Rating: Passed
Genre: Drama
1938

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) decides to form a town for boys, giving poor, orphan, or troubled boys a second chance at life.

Review:

Tim: Boys Town is a very good movie about a real-life person, Father Flanagan. He was doing work with the homeless and he realized it was too late to do much for them. His passion became trying to help troubled youth before they wrecked their lives. This story follows his efforts to create Boys Town and impact hundreds of youths. It's a good drama and a film I enjoyed watching. It won two Academy Awards and is certainly a film worth seeing.

I enjoyed Spencer Tracy's performance as Father Flanagan- he does appear believable as a man of faith who wants to make a positive impact on the world. He's really really the central part of this story. As much as I liked Tracy's performance, I have to admit I am a little surprised he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. It was a historic moment, as he had won the same award the year previously. This made him the first actor to win two Academy Awards, the first to win them back-to-back (a feat Tom Hanks would later replicate), and the first to win an acting Academy Award for playing a person who was alive. Like I said, Tracy was very good. I would undoubtedly have given him a nomination, I'm just a little surprised this was deemed good enough to win.

The supporting cast is good, but it's mostly the child actors who make an impact. Mickey Rooney was good as the troubled Whitey Marsh. Although he has a tendency to ham it up a bit, he brought a lot of energy to the part. It required some range of ability and Rooney was able to deliver, whether that was being tough and difficult, or heartbroken and sobbing. You also have to to give Bobs Watson credit for being pretty darn cute as Pee Wee. He and Marsh have perhaps the most emotional moment of the film towards the end. That was difficult to watch, but wonderfully shot and a highlight of the film.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, there were a few flaws apparent. I still don't fully understand how Flanagan financed Boys Town. There was a big hubbub about not paying his bills, but I wasn't crystal clear on how he kept managing to squeak by- was it just donations of people or something else? I also didn't love the climactic scene with the bank robbers. This just felt far too Hollywood and far too removed from any part of reality. If you watch that scene- from the way the bank robbers act to the way the boy army marches on them, the whole thing is completely absurd and disconnected from the real world. That was perhaps my least favorite part of the film. I also have to say it kind of bugged me that everything was overly focused on boys. Girls needed help too, but they aren't even mentioned here. I get it, but it was still a little troubling.

While a few big flaws prevent this from being a great movie, Boys Town is still a very good movie with a powerful message. I love the idea of, "There's no such thing as a bad boy." I love the idea of getting to the boys before life completely corrupts them. This is definitely a feel-good movie that isn't afraid to touch on the darker side of life. I'd certainly recommend this movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Men of Boys Town