Boys Don't Cry
1999 · Movie · R · 118 min · ★ 7.4 · 88% critics
A young transgender man in rural Nebraska searches for identity, acceptance, and love while trying to live as his true self. As he builds new connections, tensions rise around him in a harsh and unforgiving community.
Also known as Les garçons ne pleurent pas · Take It Like a Man
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Details
- Years
- 1999
- Release date
- 1999-09-02
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Critic score
- 88/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.4/10 (1,467 votes)
About
You may like this if you want a serious, emotionally heavy true-story drama with strong performances and a bleak atmosphere; Not for you if you prefer lighter, more hopeful stories or are sensitive to intense violence, and you might also connect with Monster.
Pros: powerful lead performance; emotional impact; heartfelt story | Cons: bleak tone; thin character details; intense violence
Themes
- small town
- rape
- identity
- based on true story
- romance
- love
- friends
- murder
- anger
- hate crime
- woman director
- nebraska
- +6 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 2000
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 2000 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 2000 · nominated
- European Film Award — Best Non-European Film · 1999 · nominated
Cast & crew
Hilary Swank
as Brandon Teena
Chloë Sevigny
as Lana Tisdel
Peter Sarsgaard
as John Lotter
Brendan Sexton III
as Tom Nissen
Alicia Goranson
as Candace
Alison Folland
as Kate
Jeannetta Arnette
as Lana's Mom
Rob Campbell
as Brian
Matt McGrath
as Lonny
Cheyenne Rushing
as Nicole
Directed by Kimberly Peirce