the movie is so good, it's so real, many scenes are so heartbreaking that I had to skip them, I was so moved when I watched this movie

Truly one of the best films ever made

Amazing movie, great story, great acting, very emotional just wow

Great movie phenomenal acting

All I can say is that this film has nothing but excellent acting, especially from Hilary Swank.

All Time Classic. Brutal, raw, and powerful. What's crazy is you jus know a character like Brandon will not have a happy ending because of his flaws which have nothing to do with his sex. And the more things get happier and more positive the more a pit in your stomach builds because you can just feel the dread build more and more. I really can't think of many other films that do that. The acting is truly phenominal and a Oscar worthy performance by Swank rivals the best female performances ever put to screen. No one blends in, nothing is forgettable, and it truly is difficult to watch in the final 30 minutes. It's a coming of age romance, and drama tragedy. Absolutely watch this if you feel you can handle really dark moments because it's story is powerful and will leave you thinking.

I think anyone who hasn't watched this film yet, really should watch it now.

The best acting performance from Hilary Swank!

This film dates from 2000, so its got some age to it. I remember hearing about it when it came out and I've no doubt it generated some controvery due to the story it told - its about a real life story, though I don't know how accurate it is as such but certainly Hilary Swank seems to give a pretty decent performance as the protagonist. I thought Chloe Sevigny also gave a decent performance as the love interest, Lana. I can certainly imagine mid-America wouldn't be entirely tolerant of trans type people or hermaphrodites, as the protagonist refers to herself as during the film. I didn't feel it was unnecessarily gratuitous really - the subject matter is of course somewhat sensitive but perhaps, hopefully, less so these days, as more is being openly/publically spoken about in terms of gender identity/body dysmorphia and transgender rights etc. I thought this film was quite well made as I did feel frustrated by how locals treated the protagonist, Brandon, once their personal history had become local knowledge. Some of the scenes were a bit too dark and I don't mean subject wise but literally lighting wise, in as much as I found it a bit hard to fully follow exactly what was going on but for the most part its a pretty good film that handles the subject relatively well. I like to think there's more tolerance around for such things nowadays, broadly speaking but its an important story to tell, especially at the time it was released I suppose, to highlight the issue. If your particularly interested in this film then yes, I'd say its worth a watch, though its not really a film which is greatly memorable or impactful in a sort of long term basis I reckon but for what it is, its certainly not bad. I feel glad the story was told and able to reach a reasonably big audience at the time it was released, I hope.

Rewatched it after ages... Still a good character movie, tho the pacing was a little slow for me and not such a feel good film, so one needs to be in the mood.

There's no denying Swank's acting ability in Boys Don't Cry. As a girl dealing with sexual confusion and wanting to transition to a male - Swank walks thin lines with her gender identity and relationships. Not for the weak stomached - a brutal story.

Toxic material for children.

One of the most convincing and authentic recreations of a true story I've ever seen. Perfectly captures the blue collar factory towns of middle America in the 90's. A decade when the country was still very divided and unnecessarily morally conflicted on what, if any, rights should be afforded the LGBTQ community. No place in the country was less prepared to accept someone with the gender identity issues that Hillary Swank's character, Tina, is experiencing when she rolls into the sleepy conservative town when we meet her. And every character in this movie delivers believably and meaningfully to the film, but it's Swank's performance that made the movie Oscar worthy. Her humility and her sympathetic position makes it nearly impossible to condemn her for her lies of omission or to write off her character's actions as a potentially great risk to her health and safety. If the movie is accurate, then it seems Tina had to live life exactly as she did at that time in her life, and hope that the world would somehow accept her if they ever discovered what she was hiding.

This movie was so ahead of it's time in the late 1990s. It earned Hilary Swank an Oscar for her role as Transgender. It is hard to watch at some points due to the the violence, but it is a very important film, that has hopefully helped many people understand even a little bit, about the struggle of being Transgender. Peter Sarasgaard is a really good in his supporting role, but damn what a piece of crap this character is.

I can see how there's valid criticism to levy about how the movie doesn't do enough to normalize and educate the general public about the plight of trans people. For what it was I thoroughly enjoyed it; Swank was believable and committed to the role and acquitted herself well, elevating the movie and its place in society's consciousness through her Oscar win in a way that I cannot imagine a more appropriately cast trans actor would have accomplished in 1999. The soundtrack was good and Sevigny did a good job, but I wasn't a fan of the dim lighting and I would've preferred more screentime be given to Brandon's life prior to meeting Lana. The obvious highlight of the movie was the subject itself as I ended up reading not just about Brandon but other trans people as well, like Matthew Shepard and Billy Tipton, and I come away from this feeling more educated than I was before I watched it.

Boys Don't Cry is an utterly jarring drama that highlights injustice and provides a career best performance by Swank.

"Boys Don't Cry" is one of those movies that'll just stick with me for a long time. It's a movie that features a devastating story and is boosted by a committed performance from Hilary Swank. Her work in this movie is truly a showcase of what great acting is made of and it is one of the most well-deserved Oscar-winning performances I have ever seen. The movie kept my interest because of how strong the performances were and then a lot of brutal and saddening events take place in the final act. This is by no means an easy movie to watch, but it is one everyone should watch at least once. It carries important social messages and is one of those movies that highlight how powerful cinema can be as an art form. Overall, it is a fantastic movie that I probably won't revisit much, but will always remember and will often use as an example of how a great lead performance can really carry an entire movie effective sometimes.

Great performances. a honest look into homophobic Americana...

Throughout Kimberly Peirce's Boys Don't Cry, characters roam the night, using the darkness to mask their substance abuse, violent tendencies, petty crimes, and, in the case of Brandon (Hillary Swank), his ambiguous sexuality. Swank's character, born a female, is in the process of testing out life as a male before committing to a full transition and this is what gives the film its dramatic tension. When exactly will her circle of new friends come to the realization that Brandon is not who she says she is and what will be the outcome be? With a tight script, nicely defined characters, and fantastic performances from Swank and co-star Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don't Cry is an impactful film about friendship, realizing our own potential, and the importance of truth.

If you give this film a bad score, you're going to hell.