‘The Boys In The Boat’ Review- A Rowing Good Time
The film was released in 2023.
The Boys In The Boat is a sports biopic directed by George Clooney. It is based on the book of the same name by Daniel James Brown, with Mark L. Smith penning the screenplay. It was released in theaters in 2023 before going to a home video release in 2024.
Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) and his friend Roger Morris (Sam Strike) are struggling engineering students at the University of Washington. Joe meets an old crush, Joyce (Hadley Robinson), who flirts with him. After being told he has two weeks to pay his tuition or be kicked out, Joe is desperate. Roger tells him that if they can get paid on the rowing team, they will try out. Coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton) is tough, but he recruits Joe. The team is trained hard because Al sets his sights on the ultimate prize: defeating Germany at the 1936 Olympics.
Since the focus is on Rantz and Ulbrickson, you do not really get to know the other rowers on the team. This did not help raise the stakes like with other sports films. You do not feel totally connected to the entirety of the team. You felt like you were cheering for strangers, but cheer you did.
That is where the film has its greatest strength. The movie made you feel like you were in the moment when the University of Washington team heads to the Olympics. They face all kinds of political red tape. First, they face it in the United States. Then they face it with the largely European elites over the Olympic committee. Finally, they faced it against Germany. These were the moments when you cheered for them.
I also enjoyed the acting. Everyone does a fantastic job. I cannot say that anyone had a breakout performance, but I thought everyone performed their roles very well.
When it comes to these sports movies, I am a sucker for them. This is especially true of stories where Americans put Europeans in their place. I enjoyed the story a great deal and found it very enjoyable. You see how a man who is struggling through the Great Depression gets an opportunity to rise. It is the American Dream.
Bottom line, The Boys In The Boat is an imperfect film. Sure. That being said, I was cheering for the rowers as they took us on a journey through one of America’s toughest times to achieve victory.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Some violence, Minor foul language, Crude humor
FAVORITE QUOTE: Row for each other. Row for your country. Row for that one moment when everything against you can take a backseat.
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a novel, comic book, movie, or anime you would like me to review.