The Boys In The Boat: Worth The Watch?

The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama film directed by George Clooney, based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. The film is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world. The movie has received mixed reviews, with some praising the cinematography and others criticising the character development and pacing. However, it is worth seeing for those interested in rowing or historical sports dramas.

The Boys in the Boat is a faithful adaptation of the book

The movie captures the essence of the book, focusing on the team's perseverance and their journey from novice rowers to Olympic champions. It highlights the importance of teamwork and the camaraderie that develops among teammates, with the rowers depicted as humble, hardworking, and loyal individuals. The challenges faced by the team, including poverty and class struggles, are also portrayed in the film, although some reviewers felt that the movie rushed through these struggles.

The book's key characters, such as Joe Rantz, Coach Al Ulbrickson, and George Pocock, are portrayed in the film with nuanced performances by the actors. However, some reviewers felt that the movie could have benefited from deeper character development, especially for the other rowers in the team. The romantic subplot between Joe and Joyce, although present in the film, was seen as unnecessary by some, who felt it took away screen time that could have been used for more character development.

The rowing scenes in the movie were generally well-received, with the cinematography capturing the beauty of the rivers and the thrill of the races. However, some rowers who watched the film felt that the technical aspects of rowing were not accurately portrayed.

Overall, "The Boys in the Boat" is a heartwarming sports drama that remains true to the book's inspirational message. While there are some differences in the timeline and certain story details, the film effectively captures the spirit of the book, making it a satisfying adaptation for fans of the original story.

The film's pacing and character development

The pacing of the film has been described as "slow in spots" but ultimately "inspiring" and "feel-good". The film has been criticised for compressing the true story's timing into the year leading up to the Olympics, which has resulted in a lack of character development and an absence of the "struggle" and "grind" that the rowers faced. The film's pacing has also been described as "ridiculously rushed", with one user stating that "2 hours was not nearly enough time to flesh out the character of 9 rowers plus coach plus Pocock plus love interest". The film's pacing has also been criticised for its lack of tension, with one user stating 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. No tension = not interesting to watch".

However, some viewers have praised the pacing of the film, with one user stating that they really enjoyed the movie, and I also hope that we can someday maybe see an adaptation more along the lines of what you described, a Queens Gambit-esque mini-series that shows more of the heart and struggle that made the real-life story so incredible". Another user stated that the film was "a solid historical biography that ticks a lot of the right boxes. It’s not going to set tongues wagging but what it does do is tell an inspiring story with polish and a deftness befitting the genre".

Rowing accuracy

The rowing scenes in *The Boys in the Boat* have been praised by some viewers for their cinematography and realism. The actors underwent training to learn how to row properly, and this has been reflected in the final product. One viewer noted that "the cinematography of the rowing is quite good (the cinematographer is a rower) outside of all the unnecessary shots of the oarlock".

However, others have criticised the rowing scenes as being unrealistic and frustrating to watch. One viewer commented that "as a rower, the actual rowing scenes (especially the race scenes) are really really hard to watch". Another viewer, who is also a rower, stated that "the rowing was … not great. But it's fine for most of the viewing public".

The film has also been criticised for its inaccurate portrayal of the timeline of the University of Washington crew team's journey to the Olympics. In reality, this journey took three years, but the film compresses this into one year. This has resulted in a lack of depiction of the struggle and grind that the team would have faced, with one viewer noting 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".

Some viewers have also pointed out specific inaccuracies in the rowing scenes, such as the margins in the races being too big and the team coming back from unrealistic distances. Additionally, the film has been criticised for its portrayal of the team as novices who had never rowed before, when in reality, the athletes had been training for several years.

Despite these criticisms, some viewers have defended the film, acknowledging that some artistic license was necessary to make the story work within the two-hour runtime. One viewer commented that "they HAD TO streamline the rowing for the sake of clarity", and another noted that "the rowing wasn't great, but it's fine for most of the viewing public".

Overall, while the rowing scenes in *The Boys in the Boat* have received mixed reviews, it is clear that the film took steps to ensure a certain level of accuracy and realism in its portrayal of the sport, even if this was not always successful in the eyes of all viewers.

Historical accuracy

The Boys in the Boat is a 2023 sports drama directed by George Clooney, based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. The film is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.

The movie compresses the true story's timing into the year leading up to the Olympics, as Joe Rantz and his teammates practice and prepare for every competition while also dealing with the difficulties of being young and poor during the Great Depression. The film deals with mature topics, including the poverty caused by the Great Depression, obstacles faced by working-class student-athletes, the impact of a lack of parental support, and (briefly) racism.

The movie faced criticism for its artistic license, with some viewers claiming that it suggests a novice boat wins the Olympics. However, the artistic license taken was in compressing the three-year story of Joe Rantz's class into one year for the movie. In the book and real life, Rantz started college in 1933, three years before competing in the Olympics.

Despite some criticisms, the movie was praised for its cinematography, which captured the beauty of the rivers and the immediacy of the races. The movie was also commended for its positive messages about teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of parental support.

The film's reception

The Boys in the Boat, directed by George Clooney, has received mixed reviews. While some viewers praised the movie for its heartwarming story, others criticised it for its lack of character development and its rushed pacing.

The movie is based on the true story of the University of Washington's 1936 Olympic crew team, as told in Daniel James Brown's 2013 nonfiction book. It follows the team, comprised mostly of poor, rural, blue-collar rowers, as they beat rivals from Cal Berkeley and the Ivy League to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, which was controlled by Nazi Germany at the time.

The movie received praise for its cinematography, with some viewers enjoying the racing scenes and the beauty of the rivers. The historical setting and costumes were also well-received, with the film capturing the difficulties of the Great Depression.

However, one of the main criticisms of the film is its pacing. Many viewers felt that the movie rushed through the story, condensing a three-year journey into a single year. This led to a lack of character development, with some viewers feeling that they didn't get to know the characters well enough. The romantic subplot between Joe Rantz and Joyce Simdars was also criticised for taking up precious screen time that could have been used for character development or depicting the team's struggles.

The rowing scenes themselves received mixed reviews. While some viewers, especially those with no experience in rowing, found them well-done and exciting, others, particularly those with a rowing background, found them hard to watch and unrealistic. The technique and form of the actors were criticised, with some commenting that it looked like the actors had only recently learned to row.

Despite its criticisms, some viewers acknowledged that the movie was never going to be a perfect representation of the sport and that it was still an enjoyable watch. It was praised for highlighting the importance of teamwork and perseverance, and for showcase the impact of parental support (or lack thereof) on young athletes. The performances of the lead actors, especially Callum Turner as Joe Rantz, were also well-received, with Turner's portrayal of controlled emotions noted as a nuanced performance.

Overall, The Boys in the Boat has received mixed reviews, with some viewers enjoying it as a heartwarming sports drama, while others felt it fell flat due to its rushed pacing and lack of character development.

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