Hilary Swank does a stunning job as Brandon. I haven't seen a woman make such a convincing man since Linda Hunt in The Year of Living Dangerously. You wouldn't expect such skill and finesse from an actress whose previous career high points have been a season on "90210" and The Next Karate Kid (hell, she makes a better man than Ralph Macchio does).
The supporting cast isn't quite as good. Chloe Sevigny is fine as Brandon's girlfriend Lana, but her quiet, droopy-eyed thing is starting to get a tad moldy. My friend John thought the actress playing Lana's mother looked like an older, alcoholic Judith Light (I know that doesn't really fit here, but it was a good line and I can't find anywhere else to put it). None of the other actors are given much to do. The weakest part of the movie, for me, was this skimpy characterization: I didn't get a sense of why Brandon's so-called friends killed her -- the movie's explanation seems to be that they were homophobic assholes with poor impulse control, which is certainly enough to commit murder in this day and age, but it doesn't make for a very satisfying motive, story-wise.
But that's a small quibble with a powerful and harrowing film. I was close to tears a couple of times, especially during a brutal rape scene. (Note to the couple sitting next to me and John: it is NOT funny when a man rapes a woman and then picks her up off the ground and says gently, "Come on, buddy. Are you okay?" Did you not notice that you were the ONLY people in the theater laughing?)
I definitely recommend Boys Don't Cry. It's a moving story with a lesson we can't be told often enough, featuring one of the best acting performances you'll see this year.
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