Boys Don't Cry Reviewed - Movies - http://maxpages.com/xanadu/boysdontcry

Starring: Hillary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard, Jeanetta Arnette
Director: Kimberly Pierce
Writer: Kimberly Pierce, Andy Bienen

An hour into this moive, I was rolling my eyes in disappointment and thinking this stinker of a movie would be lucky to get two stars. Then again, the deck was stacked against it. A). It deals with a group of people I am extremely prejudiced against. No, I don't mean the lesbian or transgender subculture. I am talking about white trash. For the first hour, this movie is nothing but a bunch of Midwestern rednecks drinking so much that I got a buzz just watching. B). With the Oscars looking so favorably upon this movie, my expectations were much higher than expecting to see tattooed alcoholic trailer trash acting like idiots. C). The events of Teena Brandon's story being fairly well publicied, I knew what the outcome was going to be the entire time. Amazingly enough, this movie overcame all that, and by the end, I was sitting mouth agape, a bit disturbed, and feeling much wiser for watching.

This look into the evil prejudiced hearts of the narrow minded was co-written and directed by the fairly newcomer Kimberly Pierce. She has the gift of telling a tale with grisly reality while her sharp camera techniques often give off a incongruous dream-like juxtaposition that makes the movie. I can't wait to see more from her.

Aside from the solid writing and camera work, there is some damn good acting going on here. Hillary Swank, of course, took home the Oscar for this performance, and she did her job well. She is convincing as the woman with a sexual identity crisis. Her accent is perfect, and as she falls in love then gets her dreams brutally shattered, you can feel the elation and pain in her expressions and vocal tonations. It's a beautiful performance, certainly worthy of the Oscar nod. However, I must say as good as it was, Annette Benning ( American Beauty) was robbed. The supporting cast of white trash is also well played. People will have no trouble hating bigoted Peter Sarsgaard, and Lana's spacey mother comes to life via virtual unknown Jeanetta Arnette. However, the one who really steals the show is Chloë Sevigny. I can't say she should have stolen the golden statue from Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted), but her portrayal of Lana is nothing shy of incredible. She is both crass and vulnerable, a lost lamb wandering aimlessly along until she lays eyes on Brandon. This is all without even mentioning that her haunting rendition of "The Bluest Eyes in Texas" at the end of the film is going to seduce me into buying the soundtrack. Someone should sign her to a record deal as well.

As the beer drinking dwindles and the real meat of the story is tackled, the viewer is literally kept on pins and needles, often flinching, perhaps even shedding a few tears. Even the most homophobic will be shaking his head as they see the atrocities that Teena Brandon is forced to suffer. Pierce does not pull punches, but at the same time she does not glorify Brandon either. There are really no good guys in this story--just people, which is a tribute to Pierce and Bienen's excellent writing. For those who stick with this gritty tale to the bitter end, the message of tolerance speaks loud and clear, though it is never openly called for.

The film has its drawbacks--I had a hard time buying the love at first sight they were selling between Brandon and Lana, the beginning of the film is terribly slow, and there are scenes that are grisly enough to turn one's stomach. Still, of all the wonderful films out there this year, this one is right up there among them. Aside from lacking a Hollywood touch and pushing a very realistic story, this movie should serve to raise consciousness about the dangers of prejudice and hate. Whether you condone the lifestyle or not, this film brings to everyone's eyes the injustices of a Teena Brandon or a Matthew Sheppard. But right alongside pushing that agenda, it also speaks as a loud and clear call for a new generation of serious filmmakers. I can't wait to see what follows.

My call: Get ready to flinch and stick with it until the end.

Xanadu8503@aol.com

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Page Updated Tue May 9, 2000 4:16am EDT