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.
Pam says:
If you’re looking for a feel-good, uplifting story for the holidays, “The Boys in the Boat” is just the ticket. Based on the true story of the 1936 University of Washington rowing team whose losing streak was an embarrassment, a group of rookie rowers just might be up for the task of winning it all…and that means going to the Berlin Olympics.
To read Pam’s review in its entirety, go to RHR
Chuck says:
The 1936 Olympics in Berlin were notable for a great many reasons. Hitler had intended the ceremony to be a showcase for Germany’s massive social and economic transformation he oversaw as well as being a showcase for the Third Reich and its politics of exclusion and antisemitism. And while the host city did take home the most medals and Jesse Owens’ four wins in Track and Field events are the most often cited highlights of the event, an underdog story has emerged in recent years that seemed as if it were tailor-made by one of the era’s Hollywood studios.
Published in 2013, Daniel James Brown’s “The Boys in the Boat” recounted the circumstances surrounding the formation of the University of Washington rowing team, the trials they faced while competing in the collegiate arena against more established programs and their ultimate triumph at the 1936 Olympic games. It’s the sort of story despite it being based on fact, cynics scoff at while optimists cling to it as proof that hard work, good luck and divine intervention do conspire at times to work miracles.
Obviously, it’s the sort of story the movies were made for, so being adapted for the big screen was only a matter of time. In the hands of director George Clooney, the film adaptation captures the spirit of the story but ultimately suffers due to his insistence on producing it as if it were made in 1936. His heartfelt, innocent approach ultimately robs the tale of its power. The circumstances of the era presented in a way that belies the dire nature of the challenges these men faced which ultimately undercuts the meaning of their success.
While Brown spent time delving into the background of each member of the crew, the focal point of the film is Joe Rantz (Callum Turner), a young man who like so many millions like him, was struggling to get through the Great Depression. Abandoned by his family at the age of 14, we see him living in a hollowed-out car in the local Hooverville, while taking classes at the University of Washington in the hopes of bettering himself. However, his tuition is due and there’s no way he’ll be able to scrape up enough money to continue his education. However, he learns that a rowing team is being assembled on campus and if he were to make it on the team, not only would his tuition be covered but room and board would be provided as well.
That’s he’s never touched an oar in his life doesn’t matter as Rantz undergoes a series of physical and mental tests he never knew he was capable of. Joel Edgerton takes on the role of Coach Al Ulbrickson and it comes as no surprise that a heart of gold beats beneath his gruff exterior. He pushes Rantz and his cohorts but he’d no sadist, understanding he simply needs to tap into the desire to succeed that is in each of his young charges.
The cast is capable, everyone hitting their marks and reciting their dialogue as needed while Clooney dutifully follows Mark Smith’s script, lensing each scene with a tinge of sanitized nostalgia. The true horror of the Depression is never captured and there’s no sense of desperation in the film, just a sense of inevitable triumph. To be sure, if you’re looking for a feel-good family film, “Boat” will check every box to fulfill that need. Unfortunately, I was looking for a bit more heft and ambiguity than Clooney was prepared to provide, leaving me with a ho-hum feeling when I was desperately hoping to be inspired.
2 1/2 Stars
