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Boys Don't Cry

Play trailer 1:32 Poster for Boys Don't Cry R Released Sep 2, 1999 1h 59m Biography Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 84 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Young female-to-male transgender Brandon Teena 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, an aspiring singer, and begins to plan for their future together. But when her ex-convict friends, John and Tom, learn Brandon's secret, things change very quickly.

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Boys Don't Cry

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gianvito A Amazing movie, great story, great acting, very emotional just wow Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/18/24 Full Review barbara b Great movie phenomenal acting Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Rami A All I can say is that this film has nothing but excellent acting, especially from Hilary Swank. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/08/24 Full Review 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 Full Review Thomas M The best acting performance from Hilary Swank! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/25/22 Full Review Read all reviews
Boys Don't Cry

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Young female-to-male transgender Brandon Teena 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, an aspiring singer, and begins to plan for their future together. But when her ex-convict friends, John and Tom, learn Brandon's secret, things change very quickly.
Director
Kimberly Peirce
Producer
John Hart, Eva Kolodner, Jeff Sharp, Christine Vachon
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
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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