Boys Don’t Cry

Perhaps the most important trans film of queer cinema, “Boys Don’t Cry” is iconic and an important film to begin with. The fact that the story is based upon the real tragic murder of Brandon Teena only drives home the powerful, haunting message of the film even more. This is a film that is mean to disturb the viewer, to make them question what they would do in a similar situation. And let’s not ignore Hillary Swank’s award-winning performance as Brandon Teena! But the director, Kimberly Pierce, actually had difficulty casting Barndon before finally landing on Hilary. For nearly three years, she tried to find a trans actor to play the part, but was unsuccessful. However, despite casing a cis woman in the role, the production team went to great lengths to portray a trans man accurately; Hilary Swank even lived as a man for a month! Cinematically, it’s equally an incredible film that everyone should watch – even though it’s actually a difficult film to watch. In fact, in 2019 the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress selected “Boys Don’t Cry” for preservation as they deemed it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. And I fully concur – if you have not yet seen “Boys Don’t Cry”, add it to the top of your watch list; especially if you are seeking to expand your trans film repertoire.