Boys Don't Cry

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Based on a true story, this drama was adapted from the life of Brandon Teena, born Teena Brandon, a woman who chose to live her life as a man and suffered tragic consequences as a result. In 1993, 20-year-old Brandon (Hilary Swank) leaves Lincoln, Nebraska for the nearby community of Falls City, where she sports a crew cut, favors jeans and boots, and is regarded as a man by most of the people in town. While Brandon's friend Lonny (Matt McGrath) warns her that sexual outsiders aren't looked upon kindly in Falls City, she develops a reputation for being something of a ladies' man, and is soon living with a single mother named Candace (Alicia Goranson). But when Brandon meets teenage Lana (Chloe Sevigny), the two become romantically involved almost immediately. Brandon makes friends with Lana's mother (Jeanetta Arnette) and a burly ex-con named John (Peter Sarsgaard). John and his buddy Tom (Brendan Sexton) run with a rough group of men who like to drink and carouse, and they accept Brandon as one of their own. However, when Brandon ends up in jail on a traffic violation, her secret comes out, and, while Lana stands by Brandon's side, John and Tom feel betrayed -- and their anger soon boils over into violence. A distinguished feature debut for director Kimberly Peirce, Boys Don't Cry was enthusiastically received in its showings at 1999 film festivals in Venice, Toronto, and New York. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Surround
• Features:
  • cc
  • Featurette
  • Director's commentary
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • TV Spots

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress - 1999 (Chloë Sevigny)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Nominated Best Actress - 2000 (Hilary Swank)

• Broadcast Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)

• Chicago Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 1999 (Chloë Sevigny)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture M - 1999 (Chloë Sevigny)

• Independent Spirit Awards

•     Won Best Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 1999 (Chloë Sevigny)
•     Nominated Best First Feature Over $500,000 - 1999 (Kimberly Peirce)
•     Nominated Best First Screenplay - 1999 (Andy Bienen, Kimberly Peirce)
•     Nominated Producers Award - 1999 (Eva Kolodner)

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 1999 (Chloë Sevigny)

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Won Best Directorial Debut - 1999 (Kimberly Peirce)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1999

• National Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Actress - Runner-up - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Won Best Supporting Actress - 1999 (Chloë Sevigny)

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)

• Screen Actors Guild

•     Nominated Best Female Actor in a Leading Role - 1999 (Hilary Swank)
•     Nominated Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role - 1999 (Chloë Sevigny)

• Toronto Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actress - 1999 (Hilary Swank)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Hilary Swank - Brandon Teena
       Chloe Sevigny - Lana
       Peter Sarsgaard - John
       Brendan Sexton III - Marvin Thomas 'Tom' Nissen
       Alison Folland - Kate
       Alicia Goranson - Candace
       Matt McGrath - Lonny
       Rob Campbell - Brian
       Jeanetta Arnette - Lana's Mom
       Lou Perryman - Sheriff

• Director:

  Kimberly Peirce

• Producer:

  Christine Vachon, Eva Kolodner, John Hart, Jeff Sharp

• Screenwriter:

  Kimberly Peirce, Andy Bienen

• Cinematographer:

  Jim Denault

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Randall Poster

• Composer (Music Score):

  Nathan Larson

• Editor:

  Tracy S. Granger, Lee Percy

• Production Designer:

  Michael Shaw

• Co-producer:

  Morton Swinsky

• Associate Producer:

  Bradford Simpson

• Executive Producer:

  Pamela Koffler, John Sloss, Caroline Kaplan, Jonathan Sehring

• Costume Designer:

  Victoria Farrell

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Mack Melson

• Casting:

  Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Jennifer McNamara

REVIEW:

• With what was possibly the most acclaimed independent debut film since Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, first-time director Kimberly Peirce paints an unforgettable portrait of small-town doldrums and gender identity crisis, using the harrowing tale of Teena Brandon, a young Nebraska girl who successfully passed herself off as a male, resulting in a violent attack on her life. Expertly realized by Peirce, the film is straightforward, uncompromised filmmaking, and smartly removes any traces of martyrdom or cheap sentiment in exploring its fascinating lead case study. More than any film about gender identity preceding it, Boys doesn't resort to needless exposition in order to translate the story to the uninitiated. This factor is best actualized by the film's sterling cast, including Hilary Swank in a mesmerizing, dexterous performance as Brandon; Chloe Sevigny, heartbreaking and faultless as Brandon's love interest; and Peter Sarsgaard, hypnotically and believably menacing as one of Brandon's eventual assailants. In a robust Best Actress victory, lead actress Swank managed to beat perennial favorite Annette Bening to the Oscar podium in 1999, proving that being a relatively new talent to motion pictures was by no means a deterrent to the recognition of her significant achievement. (Many noted that not since Simone Signoret's win for 1959's Room at the Top had an actress in an independently-produced film received the statuette.) The events of Boys are also covered in a documentary film about the same subject, The Brandon Teena Story, which recounts some material in a different light. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi