Boys Dont CryThis is a high drama film about a young woman who is determined to be a young man. This intense desire launches the story with a basic conflict, a conflict that drives through the film from beginning to end. What makes this drama high is the range of emotional conditions it explores: sensitivity, obsession, courage, love, rage, redneck intolerance and tragedy.

The story line is initiated with the aforementioned problem, and then advances the tension with a series of crises to a climax, then an anti-climax and a resolution. Its classic story format. But watching this film leaves no room for this kind of structural analysis. It engrosses you, wraps you in the protagonists cause and drags you screaming and kicking through her determined course. Possibly the most amazing and frightening thing about this film is that it is based on a true story.

I often wonder what people mean when they tell me a film is good. This film was spectacular drama but therefore a very difficult story to watch. I would not know how to respond to the question, was it good or did I like it. I dont think it is entertainment because the word denotes a diversion that amuses. What I can say is that this film packs a lot of emotioial content into every audience minute.

Going further, what makes this film story work is the incredible acting of Hilary Swank as the protagonist Teena Brandon, and Brandon Teena. She won a best actress Oscar in 1999 for this role. Swank lied to the director to get the part, and then cut off her hair and lived as a boy for a month to prepare for this lead that earned her,a total of $3,000. Hilary has only been making films for ten years. She had the part of Valerie in The Gift (2000), but I dont remember her. Her big break was a starring rol, in The Next Karate Kid (1994), which I will probably never see.

The main story revolves around another young woman, Lana played by Chloe Sevigny. I thought she was excellent in the part and I have never seen her before. She two men involved were John played by Peter Sarsgaard and Tom played by Brendon Sexton III. Sexton was most recently in Black Hawk Down (2001).

Kimberly Pierce directed this film. She and Andy Bienen collaborated on the screenplay. Pierce also directed and wrote a previous filming of Boys Dont Cry (,995) with a different cast. There isnt much information on it, so Im guessing it was not successful. Essentially, Pierce is a first time director.

This is not a lightweight film. I suggest you watch it with someone you can discuss it with afterwards.