Tour de Force Performance by Hilary Swank
"Boys Don't Cry" has been cited for two major Academy Award nominations:  Chloe Sevigny for Best Supporting Actress and Hilary Swank for Best Actress.  The film is based on a multiple murder that occurred in a run down Nebraska farmhouse in 1993.  What appeared at the time to be an inexplicably brutal killing soon turned into something far more intriguing as the true story of the killers and one of the victims emerged.  Among the dead was a person who had been in town only a short while but had already become one of the town's most fascinating characters:  a rebel, a loyal friend, and an irresistible romancer of the ladies.<br /><br />That person was Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank), not the boy he and everyone else wanted him to be.  Knowing him as a dashing boyfriend to many women, people were shocked to learn after his death that Brandon Teena was, in fact, a woman from Lincoln, Nebraska, named Teena Brandon.  While Teena was a young adult trapped in a world that did not accept her, Brandon Teena was a fun-loving fellow with beautiful girlfriends who publicly adored him.<br /><br />"Boys Don't Cry" is one of those bizarre true stories that cannot help but fascinate and intrigue.  For the film to succeed, the role of Teena as Brandon must be convincing.  If everyone who knew Brandon believed that she was a he, the audience has to be convinced as well, despite the explicit information given at the very beginning of the film.  Swank accomplishes this through her angular face, close-cropped hair, physical mannerisms, and lilting midwestern drawl. Though the viewer watches carefully to catch a moment in which her femininity comes through, it never does.<br /><br />It is virtually impossible not to be drawn to the film because of Swank's performance, which is captivating. The film is violent, often painfully so, as co-writer/director Kimberly Peirce recounts the odd events surrounding Brandon's ability to endear himself to people -- particularly female -- and to make friends easily.  In the few scenes in which Brandon's true sex is revealed, Swank transforms into an awkward, embarrassed, tense outcast, knowing full well she is perceived as a freak.  Gone is Brandon's winning smile, gone is Brandon's confidence, and gone is the very persona Teena has adopted.<br /><br />"Boys Don't Cry" is one of those films that simply must be seen.  It is unique among standard Hollywood fare.  Not for the squeamish, it is a look at a dark, unpleasant side of how differences in individuals are not tolerated, society often accepts the expedient lie rather than the difficult truth, and stupidity and bigotry can lead to tragedy.<br /><br />Swank elicits viewer compassion on several levels.  Clearly, she is emotionally troubled, yet has adjusted her persona to fit in and feel comfortable.  Her Brandon can flirt with attractive girls, become friends with them, and even carry the relationship to a sexual level.  In the latter part of the film, she is the object of violence simply because she has successfully fooled those around her -- primarily low-life types whose own sexuality is threatened and whose alcohol-clouded minds inspire them to a "payback" of humiliating brutality.<br /><br />The script, by Peirce and Andy Bienen, moves along briskly, seldom meandering.  There is no sense of padding, as each scene provides a new dimension to the story.  We learn that Brandon has a police record for petty crimes, but little else about Teena's/Brandon"s past is revealed. This gives the film a suitable mystery.  The viewer shares an off-balance feeling with the characters in the film.  The writers based their screenplay on an assortment of trial transcripts, media coverage, interviews with local kids, real-life participants, and their own imagination. The result is an intense look at events in the life of a misfit being the "perfect boyfriend" to lonely, innocent, and underprivileged young women.<br /><br />Rated R, "Boys Don't Cry" succeeds primarily because of Swank's unique, often startling performance. It transcends the ordinary and sweeps the viewer up into Brandon Teena's peculiar,<br />tragic life.
The movie title "Boys Don't Cry," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.7 from 3437 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Genre for Featured Categories and Drama. 
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 {"Genre": "Drama", "Format": "Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen", "Contributor": "Rob Campbell, Kimberly Peirce, Jeannetta Arnette, Chlo Sevigny, Alison Folland, Cheyenne Rushing, Matt McGrath, Peter Sarsgaard, Hilary Swank, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson, Robert Prentiss, Josh Ridgway, Andy BienenRob Campbell, Kimberly Peirce, Jeannetta Arnette, Chlo Sevigny, Alison Folland, Cheyenne Rushing, Matt McGrath, Peter Sarsgaard, Hilary Swank, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson, Robert Prentiss, Josh Ridgway, Andy Bienen   See more", "Language": "Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)", "Runtime": "1 hour and 56 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "1.85:1", "Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "MPAA rating": "R (Restricted)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.08 Ounces", "Director": "Kimberly Peirce", "Media Format": "Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen", "Run time": "1 hour and 56 minutes", "Release date": "October 13, 2009", "Actors": "Hilary Swank, Chlo Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson", "Subtitles": "English", "Studio": "Fox Searchlight", "Writers": "Andy Bienen, Kimberly Peirce", "Number of discs": "1"}

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