Boys Don’t Cry **** (1999, Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard) – Classic Movie Review 1372

Co-writer/director Kimberly Peirce’s 1999 drama stars Hilary Swank, who won a deserved Best Actress Oscar for her astounding performance as young Teena Brandon, who choses to live as a man – Brandon Teena. This outrages her Nebraska contemporaries, with tragic consequences, in this gruelling, heartrending true story.

Provocative, troubling and stupendous, Peirce’s brave film feels raw and real throughout, though, if it has a flaw, it is that it does demonise all men. Chloë Sevigny is also excellent as Teena’s friend, Lana Tisdel. An inspired and fired-up Swank has done nothing of this class before or since, except perhaps Million Dollar Baby (2004) that won her her second Best Actress Oscar.

With its strong language, violence, sexual content, nudity and drug use, this is a movie for adults.

It was originally written and directed by Peirce as a graduate thesis short film in 1995 before it was turned into a feature, giving hope to all aspiring moviemakers.

Brendan Sexton III, Peter Sarsgaard, Alicia Goranson, Alison Folland, Jeanetta Arnette, Rob Campbell and Matt McGrath co-star.

Peirce didn’t direct again till Stop-Loss in 2008 and Carrie (2013).

See also: The Brandon Teena Story.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1372

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