Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Released:  October 22nd, 1999

Rated:  R

Studio:  Fox Searchlight

Staring:  Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson, Jeanetta Arnette, Matt McGrath

Directed by:  Kimberly Peirce

Written by:  Kimberly Peirce, Andy Bienen 

Personal Bias Alert:  thinks Hilary Swank is amazing at a very particular kind of role, not familiar with the true story

8.3 of 10

            Everyone knows someone like Brandon.  That optimistic, bubbly personality radiates off them, and simply being in close proximity perks you up.  They dream and speak of the dream as if it’s something they’ll do tomorrow.  Even if you know they’ll never end up doing it, those dreams always seem a little closer when they’re around.  I don’t know if this is something writers Kimberly Peirce and Andy Bienen gave to Brandon or if their research on the real-life man made him out to be this way.  Either way, it serves as an excellent congealer for this rough, complex, and loving story.

            Set in Falls City, Nebraska, the film follows trans man Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) as he finds a new group of friends and falls in love with a local girl named Lana Tisdel (Chloë Sevigny).  The city itself is captured as one of those small towns with few things to do and even fewer opportunities to leave.  I have no clue if that’s how the town really was, but I do know that it was named for a small waterfall that no longer exists.  It’s not hard to imagine a town that’s lost its namesake as a pretty forlorn place.

            Brandon’s big personality provides a spark to the otherwise listless group of friends that includes Lana, Candace (Alicia Goranson), and Tom Nissen (Brendan Sexton III).  The story takes it time getting to know the group and its self-appointed leader, John (Peter Sarsgaard), a recklessly enjoyable imp.  What the film doesn’t waste its time doing is in setting up the inevitable conflict between John and Brandon.  In Lana’s introduction, she sings a boozy karaoke song, and a shot holds on Brandon and John sitting side-by-side, each blissfully enamored and entirely unaware of the other.  It’s an untenable situation that ends in a graphic, nasty way.  To be clear, the last 40 minutes of this film is a tough watch.

            The preceding time, though, is largely a love story, portraying Brandon and Lana’s budding romance.  Swank and Sevigny have great chemistry, and the flush of their romance is the most palpable aspect of the film.  What makes both of their performances great, and what won Swank her first Oscar, is that they first and foremost portrayed their characters.  They didn’t get distracted by the issues the film brings up, but instead focus on what makes their characters tick, what makes them upset, and what ultimately makes them fall in love.  Their performances are equaled by Sarsgaard, who unfolds John’s personality in an immaculately even way.  He’s tragic in and of himself, unable to handle losing the family he has built in his head.

            Despite a wonderfully told story, a few small missteps hold it back from being a masterpiece.  Some technical problems, like an awkward lighting change after a character is shown turning off a lamp, jolts you out of the film.  The music is often too prominent, and the cinematography takes some risks, occasionally stumbling on its more ambitious attempts.  The film thrives on its slowing building story, which makes these jolts all the more detrimental.

            It would have been easy to make this film about intolerance, to paint the locals as ignorant hillbillies, and send the audience home with a message about acceptance, but “Boys Don’t Cry” does something much richer.  It tells a timeless story of ill-fated lovers, and in doing so makes you see them how they see themselves, as a boy and a girl, destined to be separated. 

            Other Notes:

Ø  I criticized the music, but Nina Persson and Nathan Larson’s version of “The Bluest Eyes in Texas” is perfect.  I can’t hear that song without thinking about this film.

Ø  The line where the sparks fly:  “Someone walked me home last night.  I think it was you.”

Ø  The line that reassured me they were going to land the ending:  “There was never any Memphis, was there?”