On B List of Movie Reviews

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Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 12/04, 1/14

BoysC
1/14: Some actors and actresses give a performance that will never be topped for the rest of the year.

Hilary Swank did it in 1999 when she played Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry. The first time that I saw the film about which was about ten years ago, I didn't realize it was the same actress from The Karate Kid Part III. Needless to say, I was shocked.

Watching Hilary Swank play Brandon, I actually believed she was a he. Having said that, it's been a dramatic turnaround for her by going from a bad actress to one of the best in Hollywood. Her performance in Million Dollar Baby further cements it.

Back to Boys Don't Cry, the story is tragic, full of bigotry, and human. Thanks to the cast, most especially Chloë Sevigny, it's a well-played masterpiece from start to finish that's a superbly handled by Kimberly Peirce, a welcome change for achieving a huge break in the male-dominated profession.

All in all, buoyed by Hilary Swank's masterful performance, Boys Don't Cry is one of the most important films made about hate crime.