---
title: "Boys Don't Cry"
year: 1999
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/boys-dont-cry"
fi1m_id: "boys-dont-cry"
imdb_id: "tt0171804"
tmdb_id: 226
wikidata_id: "Q465646"
fi1m_score: 85
critics_score: 77
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-14"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:21.171797+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Directed by Kimberly Peirce · 1h 58m · MPA R · Crime, Drama

## Identity

Boys Don't Cry

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/boys-dont-cry
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** boys-dont-cry
- **IMDb ID:** tt0171804
- **TMDB ID:** 226
- **Wikidata ID:** Q465646
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0171804/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/226, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q465646

**Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 77 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two people fall in love, and we spend the evening wishing everyone else would leave them alone

> Kimberly Peirce’s drama is painful and worth seeing, chiefly for Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny’s convincing romance. Some supporting characters remain thin, and the pacing slips, but its tenderness gives us a reason to stay.

## Synopsis

Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) searches for love and the freedom to be himself in a small-town community. A relationship with Lana Tisdel (Chloë Sevigny) offers the possibility of both, but their romance takes shape amid ignorance and the threat of violence. Peter Sarsgaard plays John Lotter, with Brendan Sexton III as Tom Nissen, Alicia Goranson as Candace and Jeannetta Arnette as Lana’s mother. Directed by Kimberly Peirce and written by Peirce and Andy Bienen, this drama draws on a true story. It follows Brandon’s hopes for a life that those around him may refuse to accept.

## Review

Kimberly Peirce’s *Boys Don’t Cry* is a deeply affecting romance, and a difficult film to recommend casually. We recommend it, with a clear warning about the violence and the distress it causes. True-story crime dramas can become so occupied with the danger that the person at their centre barely gets a life. Peirce and co-writer Andy Bienen keep Brandon Teena’s desire for love in view. They make us care about what he wants before asking us to fear for him.

Hilary Swank plays Brandon with an eagerness that makes his wish to belong clear. The bravado never entirely conceals the need for a welcome, and the performance makes us understand how much can depend on getting one. There is a restless pleasure in her acting that gives the film life whenever it threatens to settle into grimness. Brandon wants things, takes chances and enjoys himself; Swank makes space for all of that.

Chloë Sevigny gives Lana Tisdel enough independence to make her interest in Brandon convincing. She seems curious about him, attentive to him, and capable of deciding what she wants without seeking permission. We were moved by the attention Lana gives Brandon, because Sevigny makes being listened to feel like something he has needed for a long time. Their scenes together let us stop worrying for a while. We believe there is something here that Brandon could build a life around.

Jim Denault’s cinematography and Michael Shaw’s production design give the small-town setting a credibility that the performances need. The surroundings feel constricted without making the people who live there look like exhibits. Denault allows tenderness into the harshness, while Shaw avoids making poverty picturesque. Nathan Larson’s music supports the emotional closeness without overwhelming the actors. These are unobtrusive contributions, but they help Peirce keep our attention on Brandon and Lana when the crime-story elements threaten to take over.

The supporting characters are less fully developed, and this is where Peirce and Bienen’s screenplay feels thin. Peter Sarsgaard’s John Lotter and Brendan Sexton III’s Tom Nissen make forceful impressions, but the writing gives us less understanding of them than we need. More background would help us understand this community beyond its capacity to hurt Brandon. Peirce avoids easy contempt for the place, which makes those gaps frustrating: there are people here we would like to understand better.

Tracy Granger and Lee Percy’s editing keeps the central relationship clear, though the 118-minute running time is a little generous. Some stretches prolong the unease after we have understood it, and the strain begins to dull our attention. The film does not need to be hurried, particularly when time spent with its lovers is so valuable. A few firmer cuts elsewhere would have helped those quieter passages retain their force.

The 18 certificate deserves to be taken seriously. The love story is no assurance of an easy evening, and the violence is distressing even when the film’s sympathies are clear. Give it an evening to itself, with some time afterwards before the next thing needs doing.

*Fi1m score 85, published 14 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Boys Don’t Cry, praising its emotional force, strong performances and refusal to soften its violence or its romance. Hilary Swank receives much of the praise, while Chloë Sevigny is also singled out for subtle, affecting work. The Guardian judges Sevigny’s performance even stronger than Swank’s. The reviews repeatedly admire the film’s sympathetic treatment of Brandon and its raw small-town setting, finding tenderness and hope within an otherwise harrowing story.

The spread is wide, though the disagreement comes chiefly from one negative review rather than an evenly divided response. Empire admires the acting and taut direction but finds the character backgrounds sparse and the running time slightly overlong. The Evening Standard rejects the central casting, finding Swank unconvincing and the film’s treatment of identity and romance awkward. That objection runs directly against the prevailing view that the performances make the story credible and emotionally involving.

## Straight answers

**Is Boys Don't Cry worth watching?**

*Boys Don't Cry* is worth watching for anyone prepared for a painful true-story drama, and we scored it 85. Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny make Brandon and Lana's romance convincing enough that we wanted the rest of the town to leave them alone. Some supporting characters are thinly written and the pacing slips, but the tenderness holds.

**How long is Boys Don't Cry, and what is it rated?**

*Boys Don't Cry* runs 1h 58m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a crime and drama film.

**Where can I watch Boys Don't Cry in the US?**

*Boys Don't Cry* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. It is available in 43 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Boys Don't Cry, and is it suitable for children?**

*Boys Don't Cry* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and is not suitable for children. The violence is distressing even when the film's sympathies are clear, and the threat of it hangs over the romance from early on. Sensitive adults should give it an evening to itself and allow some time afterwards.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (90/100, inferred): A terrific and fearless movie that embraces lyrical realism without exaggeration or avoidance, triumphing over long odds through emotional center and universal impulses. It brings off the life of small-town derelict poor with little condescension and captures euphoria, nobility, and catastrophe in a long tragic poem. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/10/18/boys-will-be-boys-3)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): An exceptional and exceptionally disturbing film from a first-time director, unflinching and uncompromising in telling a passionate story about the price of dreams with universal resonances. Hilary Swank's astonishing, piercing performance makes audiences complicit in the agony and glee of the secret life on the edge. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-22-ca-24827-story.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Xan Brooks (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's emotional resonance and lyrical ambiguity as a crime story, queer Western and romance, highlighting Hilary Swank and especially Chloë Sevigny's performances. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/317)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film a gripping gender-reversal love story with violence and despair but also true romance and transcendence. He singles out Chloë Sevigny's performance as subtly outclassing even Hilary Swank's acclaimed turn. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/apr/07/2)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (85/100, inferred): The film brilliantly tells the resonant true story of Brandon Teena with inspirations from classic American crime dramas and tragedy, reaching beyond biography to illuminate many lives. It is full of hope despite moving toward disaster, thanks to an ensemble effort anchored by Hilary Swank's astonishing performance. [Read](http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/100199boys-film-review.html)
- **Variety**, Emanuel Levy (85/100, inferred): A devastatingly powerful and audacious debut that mixes fiction and nonfiction astutely in a multilayered tale inspired by literary journalism and rural sagas, anchored by fully realized performances. It is bold and uncompromising, a breath of fresh air with stunning accomplishment in every department. [Read](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/boys-don-t-cry-1117752076/)
- **Time Out**, TCh (75/100, inferred): The review calls the film grimly compelling and notes its focus on strong acting, especially Hilary Swank's Oscar-winning performance, which anchors the story of transgression and retribution. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/boys-dont-cry)
- **Empire**, Mark Dinning (70/100, inferred): The film is a bleak and uncompromising true story that proves harrowing thanks to strong performances and taut direction, though it suffers from sparse character backgrounds and a slightly overlong runtime. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/boys-cry-review/)
- **Evening Standard** (30/100, inferred): The story is discomforting but the film is unconvincing due to inexperience and miscasting of Swank, who cannot credibly pass as the required type of boy; it awkwardly tries to both agonise over transvestism and romanticise a lesbian relationship. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/boys-don-t-cry-7433928.html)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (★★★★): Peirce has taken a newspaper story and given it style, with sympathies firmly with Brandon. Swank and Sevigny deliver strong performances in a raw small-town setting where ignorance destroys feelings. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/boys-dont-cry-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Kimberly Peirce
- **Director:** Kimberly Peirce
- **Writer:** Kimberly Peirce, Andy Bienen
- **Cinematography:** Jim Denault
- **Editor:** Tracy Granger, Lee Percy
- **Music:** Nathan Larson
- **Production design:** Michael Shaw
- **Costume design:** Vicki Farrell
- **Producer:** Eva Kolodner, Christine Vachon, John Hart
- **Cast:** Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena; Chloë Sevigny as Lana Tisdel; Peter Sarsgaard as John Lotter; Brendan Sexton III as Tom Nissen; Lecy Goranson as Candace; Alison Folland as Kate; Jeannetta Arnette as Lana's Mom; Rob Campbell as Brian
- **Runtime:** 1h 58m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 22 October 1999
- **Genres:** Crime, Drama
- **Budget:** $2 million
- **Box office:** $12 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxWt9rxNzjg

## Where to watch in the US

Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2000: Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Actress (won)
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 1999: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Ma vie en rose* (1997): Another small community polices gender, with a child’s happiness at stake.
- *A Fantastic Woman* (2017): A woman fights for ordinary dignity while other people make it conditional.
- *My Summer of Love* (2004): Desire offers escape from a narrow life, with unease beneath the attraction.
- *Ali: Fear Eats the Soul* (1974), Fi1m 88: Love becomes difficult work when neighbours appoint themselves its moral supervisors. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ali-fear-eats-the-soul.md)
- *Pariah* (2011): A young person’s search for belonging gets room for pleasure and uncertainty.

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/boys-dont-cry