Boys Don't Cry (1999)

A young man named Brandon Teena navigates love, life, and being transgender in rural Nebraska.

Director:

Kimberly Peirce

Writers:

Kimberly Peirce, Andy Bienen

Stars:

Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard

Won 1 Oscar. Another 49 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Based on actual events. Brandon Teena is the popular new guy in a tiny Nebraska town. He hangs out with the guys, drinking, cussing, and bumper surfing, and he charms the young women, who've never met a more sensitive and considerate young man. Life is good for Brandon, now that he's one of the guys and dating hometown beauty Lana; however, he's forgotten to mention one important detail. It's not that he's wanted in another town for GTA and other assorted crimes, but that Brandon Teena was actually born a woman named Teena Brandon. When his best friends make this discovery, Brandon's life is ripped apart.

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Plot Keywords:

transgender | prejudice | sexual assault | sex | based on true story | 

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Taglines:

A true story about finding the courage to be yourself.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence including an intense brutal rape scene, sexuality, language and drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is no Hunt County in Nebraska. The city of Lincoln, the state Capitol, is in Lancaster county and is a college town (University of Nebraska) which results in a large population under 25 for a city its size, approx. 300,000.

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Goofs

The court summons Candace finds in the trash can (for which Brandon traveled to Lincoln) says "Hunt County." The courthouse building that Brandon walks into to pay the traffic ticket ALSO says "Hunt County." That would mean that Brandon walked into the very same courthouse where the bench warrant was earlier issued, but the sheriff tells Brandon that "this is what the Lincoln authorities faxed us over."

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Quotes

Nicole: You don't seem like you're from around here.
Brandon: Where... where do I seem like I'm from?
Nicole: Someplace... beautiful.

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Crazy Credits

A special thanks to all of the transmen and butch dykes who helped, advised and auditioned for this project and supported the process of bringing this story to the screen.

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Alternate Versions

The double rape caused some big problems with the MPAA and had to be trimmed to avoid an NC-17 rating. The European version is more explicit (especially with the first rapist.)

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: Lion King Sized Problems (2019)

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Soundtracks

Burning House of Love
Written by Exene Cervenka and John Doe
Performed by X
Published by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) o/b/o itself and Eight Twelve Music
Courtesy of Elektra Recording Group
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

A Moving Piece of Filmmaking.

Boys Don't Cry was a major success with the critics and the Academy Award's, so I looked forward to seeing it. Easily one of the best films of the past year, Boys Don't Cry is a moving experience that deserved all the credit it got, and then some.

The film takes for its source material the true story of Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank), a girl who, well, just wants to be a boy. A sex-changing (getting her hair cut and sticking a dildo down her pants) credit sequence sees our hero(ine) at first on the pull, duping a local girl into a bit of nookie, and then on the run, when the truth about her sexuality rears its bizarre head. A fugitive of the law, as well as a few irate townsfolk, a twist of fate leads to her befriending a bunch of trailer-trash misfits and, temporarily, enjoying a new-found freedom under her manly guise. Of course, it's all going to go horribly wrong - particularly when she falls in love with the local girlie sweetheart (Chloe Sevigny).

Chloe Sevigny, who plays the girl Brandon falls in love with, deserved to win an Academy Award. Her performance still lives in my memory, and it has been some time since I first saw Boys Don't Cry. Hilary Swank, who did receive an Oscar, pulls off an absolute barnstormer of a performance as Brandon Teena, it is easily one of the boldest and most memorable performances I saw in the 20th century. Kimberley Pierce is also another stand-out, she is in the director's chair, and she hardly got any praise for her amazing effort that she put into this film. I applaud everyone involved in Boys Don't Cry, even the one's who got little credit, particularly Brendan Sexton III (who plays a trouble-making misfit) and Andy Bienen (co-writer).

Groundbreaking performances and a brilliant debut directing effort make this film unmissable.

I rate Boys Don't Cry 9 out of 10.

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Take It Like a Man

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$73,720, 10 October 1999

Gross USA:

$11,540,607

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,540,607

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, The Independent Film Channel Productions, Killer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1