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Boys Don't Cry

Play trailer 1:32 Poster for Boys Don't Cry R 1999 1h 59m Biography Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 83 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.
Boys Don't Cry

What to Know

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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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 11/29/2024
3.5/4
It’s not a stretch to say that director Kimberly Peirce’s 1999 Academy Award-winning debut Boys Don’t Cry helped save my life. Go to Full Review
Janet Maslin New York Times 01/01/2000
4.5/5
Stunning. Go to Full Review
Wesley Morris San Francisco Examiner 01/01/2000
If hers is not a star-making performance, it's a wake-up call to anybody who thought the last time Swank would kick ass was in The Next Karate Kid. Go to Full Review
Savina Petkova A Good Movie To Watch 11/24/2023
86/100
The film features fantastic performances aplenty and very raw storytelling, visualized by neorealist style and low lighting. Go to Full Review
Jennifer & Marty Alabama Forum 05/05/2023
With this movie, Brandon's memory lives on forever. Go to Full Review
Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) 12/16/2022
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. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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thiago s @Thiagostone Sep 27 Filme legal, o roteiro é legalzinho, as cenas são legais, a história é legalzinha, o elenco é bacaninha, e alguns ajudam a melhorar o filme, os personagens são bacaninhas, e o final do filme deu um drama legal, com tudo isso, eu recomendo esse filme. See more Levon H Jul 24 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. See more Gina R @GinaG Jun 19 Yes, then-unknown Hilary Swank won the Oscar for her performance as Brandon after going full method for a whole month (living like a man) while 22 herself, but it is Chloë Sevigny who now stands out the most. Sevigny auditioned for the lead role as well, but was found unconvincing—as a man—by director Kimberly Peirce, so she got the second most important part, that of Brandon's sweetheart, Lana. A woozy 19 year old, Lana is effortlessly charismatic, but with the seriousness of face bestowed on young people forced to grow up way too early. Fresh out of Last Days of Disco, Sevigny pivots to a more quiet, devoted, and tender role, for Lana and Brandon's love story sits at the heart of Boys Don't Cry: their impossible relationship that lasted merely two weeks illuminates the lesser known part of this tragic narrative and affirms the value of love in a touching last shot. See more kim hang l Dec 25 the movie is so good, it's so real, many scenes are so heartbreaking that I had to skip them, I was so moved when I watched this movie See more Dec 7 Truly one of the best films ever made See more Gianvito A 10/18/2024 Amazing movie, great story, great acting, very emotional just wow See more Read all reviews
Boys Don't Cry

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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
Eva Kolodner, John Hart, Christine Vachon, Jeff Sharp
Screenwriter
Kimberly Peirce, Andy Bienen
Distributor
Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Production Co
Killer Films, Independent Film Channel, Hart-Sharp Entertainment
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)