"Boys Don't Cry" (1999) - Movie Review

Life is most of the times pre-programmed. In many countries and societies, it is destined to do the certain booked up things to come up in life and if some one show any sign of own interest, it gets dismissed instantaneously if it is not prosperous enough. While a normal career decision will be scrutinized, it is extremely critical and fragile when it comes to sexuality. The sad part is that, it is the taboo everyone ignores but smashed upon ground inside four walls. If some one takes a movie of a girl’s soul stuck in a man’s body, it becomes comedy. While the true story of Teena Brandon a transgender takes on the screen it is no comedy and it is full of emotions crucified on every instance of the frame.

Teena Brandon (Hilary Swank) is a born woman, who as he says is in “sexual identity crisis”. Disguises as a boy, things start to fall in place for Teena by living a life in Falls City away from his hometown Lincoln. Befriending the guys over there he falls in love for the young Lana (Chloe Sevigny). How life can be torn apart due to living a life away from his/her appearance is what “Boys Don’t Cry” is about. There seems to be a casual approach of Brandon not understanding the consequences of his actions. As Brandon’s cousin constantly getting fooled by consistent instinctive actions of Brandon, it is tough for some one to cope up with his behaviour. Probably the feelings are far from understanding the reality for Brandon. Considering being at the age of twenty, for any usual kid, it is the age of reality popping up. But for Brandon, it is the age of confused reality. It is under his skin that things may not go as he intends but still not afraid of the consequences. He accepts the risk hoping to get the happiness of the present.

As the movie progresses, it invites the viewers into the world of a complex emotions but a simple mind. Strange enough, he is bold and outspoken in expressing himself. He goes around bars and woos girls. He does everything to be accepted into the “guys’ world”. The unfortunate thing is that he enters into the world of bad guys’ world. John Lotter (Peter Sarsgard) and Tom Nissen (Brendon Sexton III) appear as a junkie but there lies a deep hatred in them which never comes out initially. The final thirty minutes shows their blind hatred and the person they really are. How a person is driven by hatred where he forgets how close he got in with some one and how it totally brings out the dark ness in him when there is a concept not grasped by them.

The viewers are consistently placed in a dull environment. It may seem how some one can get an enjoyment out of a place so screwed up and shoddy. The reality for Brandon was there in Falls City and where he found what he wanted. The tight romantic tension in between Brandon and Lana is the high light. They both fall in love out of instinct. When Lana first kisses Brandon, the suspicion is shown in her eyes. In fact her suspicion is almost confirmed while they make love but she denies it. Brandon falls for the right person to be loved. The viewers definitely know that there is going to be an eruption of anger in all of the people around Brandon, when the truth comes out. The most would be out of Lana but she embraces Brandon for who he is and continues her affection limit less. They truly love each other.

The film appears sullen and cranky during the first one hour. It happens to grip the throat of the foolish hatred ness during the final thirty minutes. The actions are so atrocious and shown with naked brutality, it takes some moment to come out of the frames. Swank won the 1999 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role. Her enactment of Brandon formed its beauty by the supporting cast of Chloe as lady love Lana. Their chemistry worked the magic for this tragic story. Sarsgard and Sexton form the same chemistry for their enactment of those confused evil souls.

The film does not flag around any message but reminds that there exists hatred for being true to one self. It is granted that Brandon should not have lied and should not have built up piles of further more, but those are the results of a soul, fearing rejection. It is sad that Lana was not powerful enough to save the misery being caused upon Brandon. It is equally sad that the men powerful enough were not ready to save him either.

The film brings out the question on what can be defined as normal. Is there anything wrong with what Brandon felt for Lana? Apart from conning his way through, is brandon’s actions are so bad to be brutalized? After these series of questions, there is nothing called normal as it is termed. Kimberley Pierce directed “Boys Don’t Cry” is the clear depiction on how “out of normal” gets its treatment and how one stands for it till the end.