Boys Don't Cry

"A true story about finding the courage to be yourself."

1999 1h 58m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 1,514

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young transgender man explores his gender identity and searches for love in rural Nebraska.

“A true story about finding the courage to be yourself.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Hilary Swank
Brandon Teena
Chloë Sevigny
Lana Tisdel
Peter Sarsgaard
John Lotter
Brendan Sexton III
Tom Nissen
Alicia Goranson
Candace
Alison Folland
Kate
Jeannetta Arnette
Lana's Mom
Rob Campbell
Brian

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kimberly Peirce
Writers: Kimberly Peirce, Andy Bienen
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.8× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kimberly Peirce, shot by Jim Denault. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nathan Larson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tracy Granger shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny and Peter Sarsgaard carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A true story about finding the courage to be yourself.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kimberly Peirce directs. Jim Denault behind the camera. Nathan Larson scores. Tracy Granger cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 5.8× over at the box office.
327 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Kimberly Peirce, shot by Jim Denault. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Nathan Larson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Tracy Granger shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny and Peter Sarsgaard carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A true story about finding the courage to be yourself.".
9IMDB entry: tt0171804 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 18 themes, including "small town", "rape", "identity", "based on true story".
11Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jim Denault
Original score: Nathan Larson
Editing: Tracy Granger
Production design: Michael Shaw
Costume design: Vicki Farrell
Makeup / hair: Angela Angel
Stunt coordinator: Russell Towery
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,000,000
Box office: $11,540,607
Return: 577% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Actress

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Kimberly Peirce

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2016-02-22
★ 8/10
You don't seem like you're from around here. It's one of those films that any film lover has to see to judge for themselves. A critical darling and an award winner, it's a film of undoubted emotional power. It is based on the tragic case of Teena Brandon (Hilary Swank) who was raped and murdered in 1993, it would become one of the significant cases of hate crime in American history. From the off Kimberly Peirce's film sets out its stall that we are in bleak territory, and so it proves. It dangles little shards of light, but constantly it proves uncompromising and unpleasant. There's a nagging irk that main characters are very thinly drawn, where motives are given short shrift, and this is bizarre given that the pic runs for nearly two hours. However, the performances of both Swank and Chloë Sevigny are outstanding, and Peirce handles the darkest scenes in the movie with a grace and tact that deserves applause. A tale that needed to be told, even in truncated form, Boys Don't Cry is fine cinema making. 8/10
Asa_movies2017-04-03
★ 8/10
The atmosphere completely different from that nowadays. This was probably the first time for man to express his own feelings and sexual identity in public. So, it was something like a Big Bang for people who experienced fact that some of their kith are "such a weirdos". If you compare understanding of people today and only about 2 decades ago you can see that struggle for freedom and equality always exists, but they're a bit different. I may say the sexual revolution has just started and, if you compare some movie from 2000th, 2020th and (probably) 2040th, you will see people are starting to be more aware of changing in global sexual situation and, what is more important, it won't be taboo topic in the future. Kimberly Pierce made Teena Brandon being born-girl, living-boy. Teena was a very brave person, worth living more than "boys from gangs" without any drop of emotion and understanding others, in themselves. Person is changing during his life. People are changing during universal time. This is part of so called evolution. Not necessary revolution! Be who you are :) .................................................................................................. THE BLUEST EYES IN TEXAS The lonesome Texas sun was setting low And in the rear view mirror I watched it go I can still see the wind in her golden hair I close my eyes for a moment, I'm still here The bluest eyes in Texas Are haunting me tonight Like the stars that fill The midnight sky Her memory fills my mind (Where did I go wrong) Did I wait too long Or can I make it right The bluest eyes in Texas Are haunting me tonight Another town, another hotel room Another dream that ended way too soon Left me lonely way before the dawn Searching for the strength to carry on The bluest eyes in Texas Are haunting me tonight Like the stars that fill The midnight sky Her memory fills my mind (Where did I go wrong) Did I wait too long Or can I make it right The bluest eyes in Texas Are haunting me tonight For every heart you break You pay a price But I can't forget the tears In her blue eyes The bluest eyes in Texas Are haunting me tonight Like the stars that fill The midnight sky Her memory fills my mind (Where did I go wrong) Did I wait too long How can I make it right The bluest eyes in Texas Are haunting me tonight The bluest eyes in Texas Are haunting me tonight ................................................................................................. Review written by Asa_movies (Tanja)
T.J paco Lopez2026-06-19
Watching a "Mentally ill Female" Live her Life like this was Just Completely Disgusting to Me... i Literally Felt Sick!, like if you Gonna be Gay then be Gay, but you was NOT Born a MAN! So therefore i Have Absolutely NO Sympathy for What Happened to Her, She Brung that on Her By (Playing Games) with Straight Men and Women, She Deceived People and She Suffered the Consequences for Living a Lie and Pretending to Be Something that she's NOT