Boys Don't Cry

R

Released Sep 2, 1999

1 hr. 59 min.

Biography

Drama

LGBTQ+

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90%

84 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Young female-to-male transgender Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) leaves his hometown under threat when his ex-girlfriend's brother discovers that he's biologically female. Resettling in the small town of Falls City, Nebraska, Brandon falls for Lana (Chloë Sevigny), an aspiring singer, and begins to plan for their future together. But when her ex-convict friends, John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Tom (Brendan Sexton III), learn Brandon's secret, things change very quickly.

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Critics Consensus

Harrowing yet stirring, Boys Don't Cry powerfully commemorates the life -- and brutally unjust death -- of transgender teen Brandon Teena.

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Blu B

All Time Classic. Brutal, raw, and powerful. What's crazy is you jus know a character like Brandon will not have a happy ending because of his flaws which have nothing to do with his sex. And the more things get happier and more positive the more a pit in your stomach builds because you can just feel the dread build more and more. I really can't think of many other films that do that. The acting is truly phenominal and a Oscar worthy performance by Swank rivals the best female performances ever put to screen. No one blends in, nothing is forgettable, and it truly is difficult to watch in the final 30 minutes. It's a coming of age romance, and drama tragedy. Absolutely watch this if you feel you can handle really dark moments because it's story is powerful and will leave you thinking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/01/23

Full Review

Jeremy H

I think anyone who hasn't watched this film yet, really should watch it now.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/08/23

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Thomas M

The best acting performance from Hilary Swank!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/25/22

Full Review

rachel b

A good movie. Violent but sensitive. And H. Swank is absolutely wonderful.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

isla s

This film dates from 2000, so its got some age to it. I remember hearing about it when it came out and I've no doubt it generated some controvery due to the story it told - its about a real life story, though I don't know how accurate it is as such but certainly Hilary Swank seems to give a pretty decent performance as the protagonist. I thought Chloe Sevigny also gave a decent performance as the love interest, Lana. I can certainly imagine mid-America wouldn't be entirely tolerant of trans type people or hermaphrodites, as the protagonist refers to herself as during the film. I didn't feel it was unnecessarily gratuitous really - the subject matter is of course somewhat sensitive but perhaps, hopefully, less so these days, as more is being openly/publically spoken about in terms of gender identity/body dysmorphia and transgender rights etc. I thought this film was quite well made as I did feel frustrated by how locals treated the protagonist, Brandon, once their personal history had become local knowledge. Some of the scenes were a bit too dark and I don't mean subject wise but literally lighting wise, in as much as I found it a bit hard to fully follow exactly what was going on but for the most part its a pretty good film that handles the subject relatively well. I like to think there's more tolerance around for such things nowadays, broadly speaking but its an important story to tell, especially at the time it was released I suppose, to highlight the issue. If your particularly interested in this film then yes, I'd say its worth a watch, though its not really a film which is greatly memorable or impactful in a sort of long term basis I reckon but for what it is, its certainly not bad. I feel glad the story was told and able to reach a reasonably big audience at the time it was released, I hope.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Rewatched it after ages... Still a good character movie, tho the pacing was a little slow for me and not such a feel good film, so one needs to be in the mood.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Kimberly Peirce

Director

Hilary Swank

Teena Brandon

Chloë Sevigny

Lana Tisdel

Peter Sarsgaard

John Lotter

Brendan Sexton III

Tom Nissen

Alison Folland

Kate

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Why 1999 Was The Ultimate Year for Teen Movies

Boys Don't Cry: Trailer 1

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Peter Stack

San Francisco Chronicle

Rated: 3/4

Jun 18, 2002

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 19, 2002

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Steven Rosen

Denver Post

One of the year's best American films!

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Savina Petkova

A Good Movie To Watch

The film features fantastic performances aplenty and very raw storytelling, visualized by neorealist style and low lighting.

Rated: 86/100

Nov 24, 2023

Full Review

Jennifer & Marty

Alabama Forum

With this movie, Brandon's memory lives on forever.

May 5, 2023

Full Review

Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Kimberly Peirce's film is unarguably one of the finest adult dramas of the year, and arguably one of the best examples of independent filmmaking in recent memory.

Dec 16, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Young female-to-male transgender Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) leaves his hometown under threat when his ex-girlfriend's brother discovers that he's biologically female. Resettling in the small town of Falls City, Nebraska, Brandon falls for Lana (Chloë Sevigny), an aspiring singer, and begins to plan for their future together. But when her ex-convict friends, John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Tom (Brendan Sexton III), learn Brandon's secret, things change very quickly.

Director: Kimberly Peirce
Executive Producer: Caroline Kaplan, Pamela Koffler, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss
Screenwriter: Kimberly Peirce, Andy Bienen
Distributor: Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Production Co: Independent Film Channel, Hart-Sharp Entertainment, Killer Films
Rating: R
Genre: Biography, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 2, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.5M
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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