The Boys in the Boat (2023) is about as feel good as they get these days, which actually was a nice surprise considering the pile of depressing films I have waiting to be reviewed. Directed by George Clooney, the film is based on true events as told in a 2013 book of the same name by Daniel James Brown, surrounding the University of Washington’s men’s rowing team and their quest to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
As there are no spoilers in history, let me just get it out of the way: they win the 1936 men’s eight-man rowing Olympic medal and the main guy gets the girl. And I’m absolutely cool with this uncomplicated story of nine guys who managed to overcome some major odds in order to even get to the Olympics in the first place, and then they showed Hitler how much his team sucked. Like, just inject this shit into my veins because I desperately need to not feel weighed-down by everything, including my entertainment choices right now.
In terms of the costumes, there’s not a lot to really talk about outside of the women’s clothing. The boys spend most of their screentime in their rowing outfits, and the older men surrounding them all mostly wear standard suits which aren’t too terribly different than what you’d expect to see today except for small details like trouser waistlines being higher and lapels being slightly different shapes.
The college girls, especially Hadley Robinson as Rantz’s love interest Joyce Simdars, wear a number of cute sweaters paired with midi-length skirts. The 1930s are definitely one of those eras that enjoyed fun knits, but it’s also the era of the Great Depression so there’s a stark difference between Joyce’s neat and tidy clothing and Rantz’s threadbare and patched-up clothing that highlights their different economic backgrounds and circumstances.
Even though this film isn’t what I’d suggest watching if you want loads of flashy clothing, it’s definitely something I would suggest watching if you just want a tidy little feel-good story where everything works out in the end.
Have you watched The Boys in the Boat (2023)? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
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As a former rower and coxswain, “The Boys in the Boat” made me understand why movies about sports are so popular. And the fact the working-class boys make the East Coast rowing elite and Adolf Hitler look bad doesn’t hurt, either.
I know some critics found it a bit hamfisted but I loved the moment where the some of the boys meet Jesse Owens in advance of the opening ceremony and one of them tells Owens he’s going to prove to Hitler and the Germans he’s the fastest man in the world and Owens rejoins with “not the Germans, the folks back home.” Nice reminder for all he’s celebrated now, Owens and other Black athletes faced a lot of hardships and discrimination in the US at the time.
Sarah, I’m with you. With all that is happening in the world I find it so hard to watch the dark, dystopian dreck that floods the cinema and television at the moment. I watched this movie and enjoyed it for what it is…a feel good film of underdogs proving their worth. It seemed slow in some places but that didn’t bother me. Keep up the good work of flock flicking.