Boys Don't Cry

[axeslade]

spacequeen posted about movies that make her cry, and I remembered one of my favorite tear jerkers: Boys Don't Cry, the film about FTM transgender Brandon Teena/Teena Brandon My copy vanished quite awhile ago (must get it for birthday!) but...well, some trivia and quotes.

Trivia

To prepare for her role, Hilary Swank lived life as a man for at least a month, including wrapping her chest in tension bandages and putting socks down the front of her pants much the same way that Brandon Teena did.

Hilary Swank won the lead role of Brandon/Teena after hundreds of other actresses had been considered and rejected over the course of three years. She told director Kimberly Peirce that, like her character, she was also 21 and came from Lincoln, Nebraska. But she was fibbing, and when Pierce later confronted her with the lies, she responded, "But that's what Brandon would do."


Those make me respect Hilary Swank so much, esp. when you also add in all the work she did for her other notable role, Million Dollar Baby. I admire her dedication.


Quotes

Lana: I hate my life.
Brandon: I hate your life, too.

Brandon: Boy, I really fucked up. I borrowed one of Candace's checks. Then I got that speeding ticket, and now it's all in the papers. I just need to learn to stay home, huh?
Lana's Mom: I invited you into my home and you EXPOSED my daughter to your sickness! Did you ever think about Lana in all this?
Brandon: Yes, ma. She's all I think about.

Lana: (to Brandon when he tells her *falsely* that he is a hermaphrodite) Shut up. It’s your business. I don’t care if you’re half monkey or half ape, I’m getting you out of here. [not actually sure about that one, someone else got it for me, damn I need the movie again!]

Comments

[rid-of-her.livejournal.com]

i think i love you. no...not really, but i found your journal and i love it. your user page made me giggle a whole lot...kinda creepy.

Tori and Velvet Goldmine. you rock. i'm adding you. i don't EVER do that...but you seem special. let me know if that is okay. if not, i will remove you.

[axeslade.livejournal.com]

but you seem special

aww, thanks! Another Tori/VG fan! of course I it's okay, and I'll add ya back ~_^

[rid-of-her.livejournal.com]

*commenting again*

you do the same thing i do. i will go on about a movie i just watched and quote it and put pictures up and shit. movies. love em.

and that one...especially. god, that movie makes me cry too. i always cry at movies. i am a wuss... i know this. great song you are listening to, as well :o)

[spacequeen.livejournal.com]

I have to actually force myself to sit down and watch the whole thing. But I'm afraid. I've never watched Roots for the same reason. If a movie really really upsets, me, I tend to not get over it for a long time.

[axeslade.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm afraid of watching it again now since it shows rather graphic rape and now that my brain has truly accepted what happened two years ago, I'm a little afraid of what might happen...

[siriusly-punk.livejournal.com]

Boys Don't Cry made me SOB. Hilary Swank is so amazing homg. There aren't very many actors that would have the guts to play the roles she has. Most actors only like the roles that will up their careers, and rarely pick the "dirty" jobs. Swank does the roles that other actors won't, and does a kick ass job of it.

One thing that pissed me off though: Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry (1999)) received the award for playing a woman who was pretending to be a man. (imdb.com)

Teena Brandon was never pretending to be a man. If anything, he was pretending to be a woman.

[axeslade.livejournal.com]

To the first bit: yes! It made me cry too, and I love Hilary to death. This was the first movie I saw he in, and the other one is Million Dollar Baby, both VERY unconvential roles that could have killed her career.

And to the second...yeah, that bothers me too. Of course, Brandon's mother is still in denial. In the book that inspired the film, 'All that She Wanted the woman states that 'Teena' had always intended to come back home as 'Teena'. *shakes head*

[siriusly-punk.livejournal.com]

I still need to see that!

I did not know it was a book! I def. need to read that.

[axeslade.livejournal.com]

mmm, yes you do. good movie, very sad but good. Things about boxing usually wouldn't have been my thing, but Hillary lured me in and as I watched...mmmm, rawr. so glad I got it for Chirstmas.

and the book...I never got all the way through. I stopped when they talked about John Lotter and whatever his name is raping Brandon. ;_; very sad. both of them should be executed, the one should not get just life in prison because he gave evidence.

[siriusly-punk.livejournal.com]

Oh, and Chloe Sevigney is totally gorg. too.

[axeslade.livejournal.com]

rawr, yes ~_^