The Boys In The Boat: Worthy Watch Or Not?

The Boys in the Boat is a 2023 sports drama directed by George Clooney, based on the 2013 book of the same name by Daniel James Brown. The film follows the University of Washington's rowing team as they overcome adversity and train to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The movie has received mixed reviews, with some praising the cinematography and racing scenes, while others criticise the character development and pacing. Some viewers were disappointed by the lack of struggle and tension in the plot, as the team consistently wins races without much difficulty. The historical context of the Great Depression and the presence of Nazi Germany at the Olympics are also underutilised. Overall, The Boys in the Boat is a conventional underdog story that may appeal to older audiences and those seeking a feel-good sports movie.

Rowing scenes are unrealistic

The rowing scenes in *The Boys in the Boat* have been criticised for their lack of authenticity. One viewer, who is a rower themselves, described the scenes as "really, really hard to watch". Another viewer, also a rower, said that "the artistic license on the story line is ridiculous". The film's portrayal of a novice boat winning the Olympics was deemed unrealistic.

The rowing scenes were also criticised for their lack of struggle. One viewer commented that the team "beat Cal, they beat the Varsity, they won IRA, they won the Olympics. It was compressed to make it look like a very easy but successful novice year". Another viewer agreed that there was "no real depiction of how much of a grind this was, or how uncertain it was that they could win at all".

The rowing scenes were also criticised for their lack of technical accuracy. One viewer, who is also a rower, said that the scenes were "well done enough" but that the plot was "reduced too much to be interesting". Another viewer, a former rower, said that the rowing was "pretty rough to watch".

Despite the criticisms, some viewers found the rowing scenes thrilling. One viewer, who is a big fan of the Olympics, said that the athletic action and character development in the film were well balanced. They also said that, although the outcome of the races was known, they were "on the edge of [their] seat and really enthralled by the scenes". Another viewer, who is not a rower, said that the rowing scenes were "solid" and that, although they knew the crew would win, they were "on the edge of [their] seat".

The film's director, George Clooney, reportedly made it a requirement that the actors learned how to row properly. One viewer, who is a rower, said that "the actors actually can row - it is super impressive how well they can row, less impressive how well they can act".

Poor character development

While some viewers enjoyed the movie, many were disappointed by the lack of character development. One viewer called the film "terribly boring if you don't know the real story and worse if you do." Another viewer commented that there was "very little meaningful character development."

Some viewers felt that the film failed to capture the individual personalities of the rowers, with one stating that "the biggest issue for me is you look at the boat at the end and you feel like you don't know anybody." Another viewer agreed, saying that "the final lines of the movie are (paraphrased) 'Not eight. We were one.' Other than the party there really weren't scenes of them coming together and having that beyond-brotherly bond."

Some viewers felt that the film's focus on Joe Rantz left other characters underdeveloped. One viewer commented that "the actors actually can row - it is super impressive how well they can row, less impressive how well they can act." Another viewer said that "the biggest issue for me is you look at the boat at the end and you feel like you don't know anybody. Other sports movies have done much better in that regard."

Some viewers felt that the film's portrayal of Joe Rantz was lacking in depth. One viewer commented that "the movie doesn't do it justice -- not the personalities, the time involved, or the grind." Another viewer said that "the movie needed 20 minutes at the end to tie up loose ends. I couldn’t believe the movie ended immediately after the final race did. I wasn’t watching the movie to learn whether America won in 1936 or not, I wanted to see what happened to the characters."

Overall, while some viewers found the film enjoyable, others felt that it suffered from poor character development, with a particular lack of depth in the portrayal of Joe Rantz and the other rowers.

Historical inaccuracies

The film "The Boys in the Boat" is based on the true story of the University of Washington rowing team and their journey to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics. While the film adaptation was well-received, there were some notable historical inaccuracies. Here are some of the most significant ones:

• Timeline Compression: The film condenses the team's three-year journey into a single year. In reality, the team participated in many more races over a longer period. This compression may have been necessary for a two-hour film, but it omits important details of the team's struggles and victories.
• Joe Rantz's Backstory: The film does not include a significant moment from Rantz's life—his abandonment by his family when he was 15 years old. In reality, Rantz lost his mother at age four, was expelled from his family home at ten, and was left to fend for himself. These experiences shaped his character and added depth to his determination to succeed.
• Berkeley's Support: In the film, the University of California, Berkeley coach, Ky Ebright, provides a $300 check to support the University of Washington team's trip to Berlin. However, in reality, while Ebright offered moral support, he did not provide any financial contribution.
• Meeting with the President: The film omits an interesting episode from the team's journey. In real life, the team attempted to meet President Roosevelt before a race by rowing to his Hyde Park estate. Although the President was not home, they had a chat about rowing with his son, who was also a rower.
• Olympic Final Decision: The film depicts the Olympic final as an extremely close finish decided by a photo, with the U.S. narrowly beating Italy and Germany. However, in reality, there was no photo used to determine the winner. The judges deliberated and announced the winners after an extended period, but there was no visual evidence to support the decision.

Lack of struggle

While some viewers enjoyed the movie, others criticised it for its lack of struggle and adversity. One user wrote:

> There was no real depiction of how much of a grind this was, or how uncertain it was that they could win at all. No tension = not interesting to watch.

Another user agreed, saying:

> They face zero adversity once they start rowing and there's basically no character development. It's terribly boring if you don't know the real story and worse if you do.

Some viewers felt that the movie's plot was too straightforward and that the characters faced no meaningful challenges. One user wrote:

> All the kids never made a decision that resulted in a negative consequence during the entire movie. The only bad things that happened to the team were totally random, unforeseen events.

Another user agreed, saying:

> They beat Cal, they beat the Varsity, they won IRA, they won the Olympics. It was compressed to make it look like a very easy but successful novice year.

Some viewers also felt that the movie's portrayal of the characters' struggles was not authentic or realistic. One user wrote:

> They make the coach 5'7" which for an impressive former rower is tough. They add an over-sexualized wife for no reason.

Another user agreed, saying:

> The biggest issue for me is that there was no STRUGGLE in it at all. For the first 10 minutes of the movie Joe Rantz was homeless, couldn't afford school, and then had a try out of the team which looked harder. After that literally everything went well.

Poor pacing

The pacing of the movie "The Boys in the Boat" has been criticised for being too fast, with some viewers suggesting that it would have been better as a mini-series. The film compresses the true story's timeline into the year leading up to the Olympics, when, in reality, the athletes trained for three years. This compression results in a lack of depth in the characters and their backstories, with viewers feeling that they don't get to know the athletes well enough. The pacing also means that the struggles and adversity faced by the athletes are not fully explored, and the film fails to depict how much of a grind it was for them to get to the Olympics. The lack of tension and struggle makes the film less interesting to watch, and the absence of character development means that viewers don't feel invested in the athletes' journeys.

The pacing of the film also contributes to a lack of realism, with viewers commenting that it is unrealistic that the athletes went from novices to Olympic champions in such a short space of time. The film's portrayal of the athletes' training and the challenges they faced has been described as "ridiculous" and "cartoonish". The pacing also affects the development of the romantic subplot, which some viewers found unnecessary and underdeveloped.

Overall, the pacing of "The Boys in the Boat" has been criticised for being too fast, resulting in a lack of depth in the characters and their journeys, and a failure to depict the struggles and adversity faced by the athletes.

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