The Movie
Fitting in with a specific social group or being neglected by popularity are usually the biggest problems that plague those turning 21. But imagine having a full-on sexual identity crisis where anything other than missionary-position hetero sex is, shall we say, frowned upon. Hilary Swank charges the screen (and wins an Oscar) with her portrayal of Teena Brandon, whose passion for women proves impossible to disguise. So she cuts her hair and assumes the identity of Brandon Teena-- just another cowpoke from the very southern town of Lincoln, Nebraska.
After evading conviction for carjacking and making a new set of friends in a neighboring town, Brandon finally feels comfortable? especially once she (or should it be "he"? These transsexual issues are confusing) and her lover (Chloe Sevigny-- definitely a she) consummate their relationship. But this newfound love turns violent when Teena's secret is brutally revealed.
This haunting true story, which was publicized on ?20/20? a few years back, raises a lot of painful issues. But the absolute brilliance of Boys Don?t Cry is its anti-Hollywood ending? a brutally honest commentary on how far prejudice extends and the courage it takes to live life as yourself.
9 out of 10
The Video
Fox provides a really nice 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As most of the film is set at night, I was glad to see an absence of the motion artifacts and smudging that mar so many dark movies' transfer to DVD (such as the horrible transfer that Fox gave Predator). Most sequences are near perfect; distortions are kept to a bare minimum and film grain is at an all-time low. First-time director Kimberly Peirce enhances the drama of Boys with time-lapse photography and a few other techniques to keep the viewer compelled, and these effects translate well to DVD.
8 out of 10
The Audio
Whispers and barfly conversations dominate most of this film, and both the Dolby 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Surround tracks do a good job of backing up the well-written dialogue. One scene toward the end of the film is one of the times where the quiet voices of Swank and Sevigny are hard to understand, so a little volume control is justified. But aside from this one minimal mishap (which could simply be blamed on poor theatrical mastering), the rest of the feature?s sound is fairly relaxing, and extremely subtle.
Unfortunately, this disc only has English audio tracks. Although it is not a huge concern for most American viewers, this is a film that you'd expect to have some appeal among more sophisticated bilingual types. (And it's all the more vexing considering that an alternate language is present on 85% of all DVDs).
7 out of 10
The Extras
It wouldn?t surprise me if a special edition of Boys Don't Cry arrived on store shelves later this year, since this disc was made prior to Swank?s Oscar win-- the cover art trumpets only her nomination for Best Actress, instead of emphasizing that she walked away with the Oscar. They must not have thought she would win.
An audio commentary from director Peirce is the highlight of this disc, allowing the first-time filmmaker to launch into in-depth discussion of the hardships and indignities faced while bringing Boys Don?t Cry to the silver screen. Controversy surrounded the film?s production, but the most pressing task for nearly two years seemed to be finding an actress willing and capable of tackling to role of Teena Brandon. Sometimes this alternate track even provides a bit of unintentional humor, simply because it sounds like Peirce is reading directly from her ?making-of? journal.
Apart from the commentary, this is a bare-bones disc. The extremely short promotional featurette is like most others: a summary of the film, crosscut with clips and interviews with cast and crew? a supplement that is rendered almost completely useless after viewing the film. A theatrical trailer and three TV spots round out the extra features.
Fox should have licensed some of the original news footage that was splattered throughout magazine shows across the country. Real-life examples, especially the Teena Brandon segments, would have been great reinforcements of the powerful content of the film. Or why not throw in the heartfelt Awards footage of Swank and Sevigny accepting their many honors? especially the clip from the Oscars where Swank?s husband is leaking faster than an imitation Ziploc? They should have waited for the results of the many awards this movie was nominated for, rather than rushing it out the door.
6 out of 10
-- Jon M. Gibson hopes Hilary Swank won?t make a sequel to The Next Karate Kid.