Dreams Realized: The Boys in the Boat Movie Review
Director: George Clooney
Writer: Daniel James Brown, Mark L Smith (Screenplay)
Cast
- Joel Edgerton (The Stranger)
- Callum Turner (Green Room)
- Peter Guinness (Official Secrets)
- Sam Strike (Chernobyl)
- Thomas Elms (I Still See You)
Plot: A 1930s-set story centered on the University of Washington’s rowing team, from their Depression-era beginnings to winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Runtime: 2 Hours 3 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Boys in the Boat starts in Depression-era America, where student Joe Rantz (Turner) is struggling to pay his tuition. Along with another student Roger (Strike), the pair decide to try out for Coach Al Ulbrickson’s (Edgerton) rowing team. It offers pay and boarders, which are both required in their lives.
When the pair make the 8-man team, they end up performing above any expectations. This leads to them competing at a national level, before heading off to the Olympics in Berlin.
Verdict on The Boys in the Boat
The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama following the underdog story of the 1936 US rowing team. It follows the crew from desperation to find work, to conquering the country. All while going through the typical troubles when learning to work as a team.
This is a sporting movie that uses the whole underdog concept. However, it tends to skip over a lot of the personal side of the story. By only focusing on the racing elements, it takes away from who the rowers, except Joe Rantz were. They make a big point that Bobby has troubles, but never go over what it was. This happens way too often in the story. Away from that side of things, it is one of the biggest by-the-books sports dramas you will ever see.
Final Thoughts – The Boys in the Boat is one of the most by-the-books sports drama ever.
