| Photos (See all 19 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 3) |
| Hilary Swank | ... | Brandon Teena | |
| Chloë Sevigny | ... | Lana Tisdel | |
| Peter Sarsgaard | ... | John Lotter | |
| Brendan Sexton III | ... | Tom Nissen | |
| Alicia Goranson | ... | Candace | |
| Alison Folland | ... | Kate | |
| Jeannetta Arnette | ... | Lana's Mom | |
| Rob Campbell | ... | Brian | |
| Matt McGrath | ... | Lonny | |
| Cheyenne Rushing | ... | Nicole | |
| Robert Prentiss | ... | Trucker | |
| Josh Ridgway | ... | Kwik Stop Cashier | |
| Craig Erickson | ... | Trucker in Kwik Stop | |
| Stephanie Sechrist | ... | April | |
| Jerry Haynes | ... | Judge | |
| Lou Perryman | ... | Sheriff | |
| Lisa Renee Wilson | ... | Pam (as Lisa Wilson) | |
| Jackson D. Kane | ... | Sam Phillips (as Jackson Kane) | |
| Joseph Gibson | ... | Tom | |
| Michael Tripp | ... | Nerdy Teen | |
| Shana McClendon | ... | Girl in Car | |
| Libby Villari | ... | Nurse | |
| Paige Carl Griggs | ... | Dave - Deputy | |
| Gail Cronauer | ... | Clerk | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Guilford Adams | ... | Teena Brandon's Father (uncredited) | |
| Chad Briley | ... | Extra (uncredited) | |
| Ryan Thomas Brockington | ... | Kiss (uncredited) | |
| Christophe Dahlkvist | ... | Truck Driver (uncredited) | |
| Michelle Fairbanks | ... | Girl in Car (uncredited) | |
| Gabriel Horn | ... | Lester - Restraining Order Guy (uncredited) | |
| Gavin Perry | ... | Deputy (uncredited) | |
| Robert A. Steffenino | ... | Bartender (uncredited) | |
| Caitlin Wehrle | ... | Valley Girl (uncredited) | |
| Natalie Zea | ... | (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Kimberly Peirce | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Kimberly Peirce | (written by) & | |
| Andy Bienen | (written by) | |
Produced by | |||
| Jill Footlick | .... | line producer | |
| John Hart | .... | producer | |
| Caroline Kaplan | .... | executive producer | |
| Pamela Koffler | .... | executive producer | |
| Eva Kolodner | .... | producer | |
| Jon Marcus | .... | line producer: additional photography, New York | |
| Jonathan Sehring | .... | executive producer | |
| Jeff Sharp | .... | producer (as Jeffrey Sharp) | |
| Bradford Simpson | .... | associate producer | |
| John Sloss | .... | executive producer | |
| Morton Swinsky | .... | co-producer (as Mort Swinsky) | |
| Christine Vachon | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Nathan Larson | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Jim Denault | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Tracy Granger | |||
| Lee Percy | |||
Casting by | |||
| Kerry Barden | |||
| Billy Hopkins | |||
| Jennifer McNamara | |||
| Suzanne Smith | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Michael Shaw | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Shawn Carroll | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Victoria Farrell | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Angela Angel | .... | hair assistant | |
| Angela Angel | .... | makeup assistant | |
| Jane Choi | .... | key makeup artist: additional photography, New York | |
| Jeff Francis | .... | hair stylist: Ms. Sevigny, additional photography, New York | |
| Kalen Hoyle | .... | makeup artist | |
| Renee Lecuyer | .... | key hair stylist (as Renee Le Cuyer) | |
| Renee Lecuyer | .... | key makeup artist (as Renee Le Cuyer) | |
| Renee Lecuyer | .... | key makeup effects (as Renee Le Cuyer) | |
| Kerrie R. Plant | .... | key hair stylist: additional photography, New York (as Kerrie Plant) | |
| Kerrie R. Plant | .... | makeup stylist: additional photography, New York (as Kerrie Plant) | |
| Nicki Ledermann | .... | makeup consultant (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Phyllis Detrich | .... | property master | |
| Sherief Elkatsha | .... | set dresser: additional photography, New York | |
| Jimmy Estrada | .... | assistant props (as Jimmy Joe Estrada) | |
| Lynn A. Johanson | .... | leadperson | |
| Lissa Murphy | .... | set dresser (as Lisa Murphy) | |
| Amy Beth Silver | .... | art director: additional photography, New York (as Amy Silver) | |
| Andrea Stanley | .... | art director: additional photography, New York | |
| Debra Sugarman | .... | set dresser | |
| Sarah J. Thompson | .... | set dresser | |
| Minda Work | .... | leadperson | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Jack Bennett | .... | special effects | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Mark Dornfeld | .... | optical effects: Custom Film Effects | |
| Vincent Lavares | .... | digital asset manager (uncredited) | |
| Mark Sawicki | .... | optical camera (uncredited) | |
Stunts | |||
| Tim Buchanan | .... | stunts | |
| Jeremy Hill | .... | stunts (as Jeramy Hill) | |
| Ben Loggins | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Diane Towery | .... | stunts | |
| Russell Towery | .... | stunt coordinator | |
Casting Department | |||
| Emily Abt | .... | extras casting assistant | |
| Elizabeth Beck | .... | extras casting director | |
| Mark Bennett | .... | casting assistant: New York | |
| Deborah Maxwell Dion | .... | casting assistant: Los Angeles | |
| Amy Grappell | .... | casting director: local | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Sarah Beers | .... | wardrobe supervisor: additional photography, New York | |
| Mary McCormick | .... | seamstress | |
| Michelle Elaine Teague | .... | wardrobe supervisor | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Matthew Ballen | .... | post-production intern | |
| Janna Bilski | .... | post-production intern | |
| Marc Bruni | .... | post-production intern (as Mark Bruni) | |
| Gabrielle Demeestere | .... | post-production intern | |
| Emily Digiacomo | .... | post-production intern | |
| Ryan Ganimian | .... | post-production intern | |
| Joe Graceffa | .... | post-production intern | |
| Rebecca Green | .... | post-production intern | |
| Fred Grinstein | .... | post-production intern | |
| Michelle Harrison | .... | associate editor | |
| Elizabeth Heeden | .... | second conform assistant editor (as Elizabeth R. Heeden) | |
| Kit Hui | .... | post-production assistant | |
| Irene Kassow | .... | first assistant editor | |
| Jonathan Kaye | .... | second conform assistant editor (as Jonatan Kaye) | |
| Marc Landers | .... | post-production intern | |
| Jordan Leff | .... | post-production intern | |
| Addison MacDonald | .... | post-production intern (as Addison Macdonald) | |
| Berndt Mader | .... | post-production intern | |
| Aleeza Marashlian | .... | post-production intern | |
| Dennis McNeill | .... | color timer | |
| Daishiro Narita | .... | post-production assistant | |
| Andy Newcomer | .... | post-production intern | |
| Tina Pacheco | .... | first assistant editor | |
| Maxime Pardo | .... | post-production intern | |
| Seyi Peter-Thomas | .... | post-production intern | |
| Cecile Rebbot | .... | post-production intern | |
| Olivia Relova | .... | post-production intern | |
| Sebastien Robeis | .... | post-production intern | |
| April Roth | .... | post-production intern | |
| Jennifer Ruff | .... | avid support | |
| Lousine Shamamian | .... | apprentice editor | |
| Michael Sledd | .... | post-production intern | |
| Patricia Sztaba | .... | negative cutter | |
| Stan Sztaba | .... | negative cutter (as Stan) | |
| Laura Weinberg | .... | conform assistant editor | |
| Virginia Williams | .... | post-production intern | |
| Tanya Yokum | .... | post-production intern | |
| John McNulty | .... | apprentice editor (uncredited) | |
| Ken Rubenfeld | .... | dailies colorist (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Jim Dunbar | .... | executive music producer | |
| Christopher S. Parker | .... | music clearances (as Chris Parker) | |
| Randall Poster | .... | music supervisor | |
| Allan Zaleski | .... | music editor | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Marty Carrington | .... | driver | |
| Robert C. Fite | .... | driver | |
| Wally Welch | .... | driver | |
Thanks | |||
| Rob Albright | .... | thanks | |
| Lynn Auerbach | .... | thanks | |
| Consuelo Saah Baehr | .... | thanks | |
| Tonyee Barretonetto | .... | thanks | |
| Kate Bornstein | .... | thanks | |
| Nancy Brody | .... | thanks | |
| Sarah Nean Bruce | .... | thanks: Dallas/Fort Worth Film Commission (as Sara Bruce-Craft) | |
| Eliza Byard | .... | thanks | |
| Lorne Cameron | .... | thanks (as Loren Cameron) | |
| Mark Christopher | .... | thanks: for development in the film's initial stages | |
| Dan Cowherd | .... | thanks | |
| DeMane Davis | .... | thanks (as Demane Davis) | |
| Lenore Dekoven | .... | thanks | |
| Esther Drill | .... | thanks | |
| Huong Duong | .... | thanks | |
| Nicole Eisenman | .... | thanks | |
| Alli Farrell | .... | thanks (as Ali Farrell) | |
| Tony Faulkner | .... | thanks | |
| Daphne Fitzpatrick | .... | thanks | |
| Ellen Franning | .... | thanks | |
| Alison Froling | .... | thanks | |
| Linda Gutierres | .... | thanks | |
| Lori E. Seid | .... | thanks (as Lori E. Side) | |
| Lana Tisdel | .... | thanks | |
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| Bully | Head On | Monster | Blow | City of God |
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
Title: BOYS DON'T CRY
Rating: **** (out of 4)
Review: I wasn't able to see this film, unfortunately, until after the Oscars when I was able to go back to the U.S. in April of this year. When I had heard that Hilary Swank won the Best Actress Oscar for this film, I had to put it on my must-see list. As it turned out, the film came out on video just three days before I had to go back to my station in Japan. All I really knew about the film was that it was based on a true story about a woman who lived his life and as a man and was brutally raped and murdered in 1993. That's all I knew, and after watching this film I couldn't believe my eyes. Out of all the true stories that Hollywood has put on film, this stands out, mostly because of its disturbingly honest presentation and unforgettable performances that even the real-life characters that there based on even said how real they were. Like the same year's OCTOBER SKY (which got #2 on my Ten Best List) the story is dramatized, filmmaking-wise, but it dare doesn't turn away from being an unforgettable potrayal of a truly unique and unfairly misjudged human being. The story originates in Lincoln, Nebraska, 1993 which is where Brandon Teena came from. We discover early on that Brandon is a female that develops a "sexual identity crisis" and becomes a male, and eventually becomes one of the most desired guys in Nebraska. We also learn that Brandon, under the name of Teena, has been criminally charged several times, most notably for grand theft auto. Moving to Falls City, Brandon strikes up a friendship with circle of aimless residents, including Candice, a single mother who works as a bartender, John Lotter and Tom Nissen, a couple of guys who've served time for various reasons, and finally Lana Tisdel, a girl who Brandon falls in love with. The bulk of the film showcases Brandon and Lana's growing relationship, and first-time co-writer/director Kimberly Pierce handles this so beautifully despite the addition of a graphic sex scene, which the real Lana Tisdel reports never happened. Eventually, Brandon's new friends soon discover he is not who he says he his, and eventually becomes the victim of a hate crime. Pierce makes the story so compelling from the beginning that the film doesn't become a simple cross-dressing tale but of a powerful examination of a human being who was just different and also of the friends that he made who just wouldn't accept him for who he really was (all of them except for Lana, who surprisingly does). The haunting theme "The Bluest Eyes in Texas," sung by Nina Persson and Nathan Larson, also adds perfect punctuation. Still, what really makes this sleeper praiseworthy are the performances, starting with Hilary Swank's moving, perfectly tuned potrayal of Brandon, who recieved the well-deserved Best Actress, as well as a long list of other honors. Chloe Sevigny, who I've fallen in love with in every film I've seen her in (from her breakout role as an AIDS victim in the controversial 1995 film KIDS, to her shy and smart lead character in last year's underrated THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO) shines as Lana, and has won a score of acting honors as well. Peter Sarsgaard and Brendan Sexton III are fine as the antagonists John and Tom, and finally Jeanette Arnette is great in a smallish role as Lana's mother who, of course, turns the other way at her daughter's new boyfriend.
Although some viewers may be turned off at the high volume of profanity and rape sequences, this film should be given a chance if not only for the fact of it being a true story, but also for it's respect to a unique and unfairly misjudged human being who didn't live his life to the fullest.