The Boys In The Boat: True Underdogs?

The Boys in the Boat is a 2023 biographical sports drama directed by George Clooney, based on the 2013 book by Daniel James Brown. The film follows the University of Washington's rowing team and their journey to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The team was made up of working-class young men, including Joe Rantz, who was a poor engineering student at the university. Due to his powerful rowing ability, Rantz was part of the junior varsity (JV) team that quickly started posting faster times than the veteran varsity team. The coach, Al Ulbrickson, made the bold decision to send the JV team to the big contests, which paid off as they went on to beat their rivals and win gold at the Olympics.

The boys in the boat were from working-class families

The boys in the boat's working-class backgrounds also shaped their experiences at the University of Washington. They often felt out of place amid the genteel crew culture, especially when travelling East and to Europe. Their socioeconomic status was a core theme of their story, setting them apart from the typically well-heeled Ivy League rowers they competed against.

The boys in the boat's working-class backgrounds also contributed to the impact of their victory. Their win was not just about the gold medal, but it was also about class and the underdog prevailing. Their success put the University of Washington and Seattle on the map, helping the city gain recognition beyond just being known as a logging town. The boys in the boat's working-class backgrounds were an integral part of their story, shaping their experiences, their resilience, and their impact on the sport and their community.

Joe Rantz's troubled childhood

Joe Rantz had a troubled childhood. His mother died from throat cancer when he was four years old, and he was sent to live with his aunt. Three years later, in 1921, his father remarried a woman named Thula LaFollete, who already had four children of her own. Joe's father made him come and live with them, but Thula did not like him and wanted him gone.

One day, after Joe had a fight with one of Thula's children, his father left him at the town's one-room schoolhouse when he was just ten years old. A teacher allowed him to stay there, on the condition that he took on chores such as chopping wood for the stoves. Joe also had to forage for food in the woods, hunt, fish, and work odd jobs to feed himself.

When Joe was 15, his father, stepmother, and half-siblings left him without warning. It was 1929, the year the American economy crashed, and Joe was left to fend for himself at the beginning of the Great Depression. He lived in a half-finished cabin in the woods for two years, continuing to go to school and making money by logging timber, building fences, baling hay, and clearing tree stumps.

Joe's older brother, Fred, eventually invited him to come and live with him and his wife in Seattle, where he no longer had to worry about food and excelled at school and sports. Joe went on to attend the University of Washington, where he joined the rowing team.

The University of Washington rowing team's journey to the Olympics

The University of Washington's rowing team, also known as the Husky Men's Crew, has a long and illustrious history, with the rowing programme first established in 1901. However, the journey to Olympic glory in 1936 began with a group of young men facing significant personal challenges.

Joe Rantz, a student at the university, was struggling financially due to the Great Depression. With his mother deceased and his father having abandoned him at 14, Rantz needed a way to fund his education. He learned that joining the university's JV 8-man crew team would provide him with housing and a job. Despite having no prior rowing experience, Rantz successfully earned a spot on the team.

Under the guidance of coach Al Ulbrickson, the team began their quest for Olympic glory. Ulbrickson made the bold and controversial decision to send the junior varsity crew team to the 1936 Olympic qualifier instead of the more experienced varsity team. This move upset many supporters, as some had sons on the varsity team, and it put Ulbrickson's future employment at risk.

The junior varsity team rose to the challenge and secured a spot at the Olympic Games in Berlin. However, their journey was almost cut short due to a lack of funding from the US Olympic Committee. Determined to make it to Berlin, the team and the community rallied together and raised the necessary funds.

At the Olympics, the University of Washington's rowing team faced adversity once again. Don Hume, a key member of the team, fell ill with a respiratory illness. Despite this setback, the team pulled together and, in a thrilling photo finish, they won the gold medal, defeating Italy and Hitler's German team.

The University of Washington's rowing team's journey to the Olympics is a testament to perseverance and teamwork. It is a true underdog story, as they overcame numerous obstacles and beat better-funded rivals to achieve Olympic glory.

The boys in the boat were underdogs

The rowers on the team were all poor, and their families were struggling to make a living. The Depression amplified the differences between those who had and those who did not. The team members were also students, and for many of them, staying on the team was a way to stay in school. Joe Rantz, for example, was a poor engineering student at the University of Washington. He lived in an abandoned car and ate canned food, with no job and tuition fees due in two weeks. He joined the rowing team because it came with a job and boarding.

The team's coach, Al Ulbrickson, made the risky decision to send the junior varsity team to the big collegiate contests, which angered many school supporters. The junior varsity team was inexperienced, but they were strong and fast. Ulbrickson's decision paid off, and the team went on to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where they won a gold medal, beating the German team in front of Hitler.

The boys in the boat were all human

The film "The Boys in the Boat" is based on a true story, with all characters named after real people. However, the boys in the boat were only human, and the film does well to showcase their human emotions and tendencies.

The film's main character, Joe Rantz, is a poor engineering student at the University of Washington, who joins the rowing team to secure a job and boarding. Rantz's difficult upbringing is showcased in the film, including the abandonment by his father at 14 years old. However, the film omits a significant moment from Rantz's life where he was also abandoned by his stepmother and left to fend for himself at 15 years old. This would have undoubtedly impacted his ability to trust people.

The film also portrays Rantz's relationship with his girlfriend, Joyce Simdars, whom he met in fourth grade and later married. Their dates are simple, often consisting of soda crackers and canned tomato soup. Rantz proposes to Joyce with an engagement ring, which he presents to her in a meadow while hunting for four-leaf clovers.

Another member of the rowing team, Don Hume, falls sick during the Olympic trip to Germany. Hume's illness is a true story, and his performance despite his sickness showcases the human strength and resilience of the boys. Hume's inclusion in the boat was also at the insistence of his teammates, who threatened not to row if he wasn't included.

The film also captures the human emotions of the boys before the Olympics, with Rantz struggling in practice due to the return of his father, which causes him to want to quit. Coach Ulbrickson also expresses doubts about sending the JV boat to the Olympics, with his wife pointing out that the boys are just nervous kids.

The boys' human qualities are further highlighted by their financial struggles. Rantz, like many of his teammates, is from a working-class background, and his ability to stay in school is dependent on his participation in the rowing team. The boys' working-class status contributes to their underdog status, as they are up against elite schools from the East Coast.

Overall, the film does a commendable job of portraying the boys as humans with relatable emotions, struggles, and tendencies, making their inspiring story even more meaningful and touching.

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