IMDb > Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Boys Don't Cry
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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   31,832 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 29% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Kimberly Peirce
Writers:
Kimberly Peirce (written by) &
Andy Bienen (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Boys Don't Cry on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
29 October 1999 (Canada) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
A true story about finding the courage to be yourself.
Plot:
The story of the life of Brandon Teena, a transgendered teen who preferred life in a male identity until it was discovered he was born biologically female. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 42 wins & 27 nominations more
User Comments:
A Moving Piece of Filmmaking. more (402 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Take It Like a Man (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for violence including an intense brutal rape scene, sexuality, language and drug use.
Runtime:
118 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:R (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:R (Approved No. 36926) (edited for re-rating) | Philippines:R-18 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 (director's cut) | France:-16 | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Italy:VM18 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | Brazil:18 | Iceland:16
Filming Locations:
Austin, Texas, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The title of the film is taken from a song by The Cure. A cover of the song also plays in the background at one point. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: While the movie was set in 1993, some of the characters were seen drinking Celis Pale Rider Ale, which was not introduced until 1997. more
Quotes:
Lana: Shut up, that's your business. I don't care if you are half monkey or half ape, I'm gettin' you out of here! more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "Family Guy: Boys Do Cry (#5.15)" (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Burning House Of Love more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
69 out of 94 people found the following comment useful.
A Moving Piece of Filmmaking., 2 December 2000
9/10
Author: flickjunkie-3 from New Zealand

Boys Don't Cry was a major success with the critics and the Academy Award's, so I looked forward to seeing it. Easily one of the best films of the past year, Boys Don't Cry is a moving experience that deserved all the credit it got, and then some.

The film takes for its source material the true story of Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank), a girl who, well, just wants to be a boy. A sex-changing (getting her hair cut and sticking a dildo down her pants) credit sequence sees our hero(ine) at first on the pull, duping a local girl into a bit of nookie, and then on the run, when the truth about her sexuality rears its bizarre head. A fugitive of the law, as well as a few irate townsfolk, a twist of fate leads to her befriending a bunch of trailer-trash misfits and, temporarily, enjoying a new-found freedom under her manly guise. Of course, it's all going to go horribly wrong - particularly when she falls in love with the local girlie sweetheart (Chloe Sevigny).

Chloe Sevigny, who plays the girl Brandon falls in love with, deserved to win an Academy Award. Her performance still lives in my memory, and it has been some time since I first saw Boys Don't Cry. Hilary Swank, who did receive an Oscar, pulls off an absolute barnstormer of a performance as Brandon Teena, it is easily one of the boldest and most memorable performances I saw in the 20th century. Kimberley Pierce is also another stand-out, she is in the director's chair, and she hardly got any praise for her amazing effort that she put into this film. I applaud everyone involved in Boys Don't Cry, even the one's who got little credit, particularly Brendan Sexton III (who plays a trouble-making misfit) and Andy Bienen (co-writer).

Groundbreaking performances and a brilliant debut directing effort make this film unmissable.

I rate Boys Don't Cry 9 out of 10.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What exactly WAS Brandon Teena?? blantonbrenda
Did John love Lana? swlitzy
Respect for Hilary. Kimzy
I really didn't like Lana's mom!! loopylauseng
Boys Don't Cry: The Lesson kingsleyshacklebolt
What was the background song in the bar? robferre3-1
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