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The Boys in the Boat (film)

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The Boys in the Boat
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGeorge Clooney
Screenplay byMark L. Smith
Based onThe Boys in the Boat
by Daniel James Brown
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMartin Ruhe
Edited byTanya M. Swerling
Music byAlexandre Desplat[1]
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon MGM Studios[2]
Release dates
  • December 7, 2023 (2023-12-07) (SIFF Cinema Downtown)
  • December 25, 2023 (2023-12-25) (United States)
Running time
124 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million[4]
Box office$55.5 million[5][6]

The Boys in the Boat is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film produced and directed by George Clooney from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith, based on the 2013 book by Daniel James Brown. The film follows the University of Washington rowing team, and their quest to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics. It stars Joel Edgerton as coach Al Ulbrickson Sr. and Callum Turner as rower Joe Rantz.

The Boys in the Boat had its world premiere in Los Angeles on December 11, 2023, and was theatrically released by Amazon MGM Studios in the United States on December 25. It grossed $55 million and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

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An elderly Joe Rantz watches his grandson rowing a fiberglass boat, thinking back to his glorious rowing days. In 1936, Joe Rantz is a poor engineering student at the University of Washington (UW), living in an abandoned car and eating canned food, with no job and tuition fees due in two weeks. Fellow struggling student Roger Morris tells Joe the 8+ rowing team comes with jobs and boarding. Despite not being rowers, they make the UW junior varsity (JV) team in a special year for coach Al Ulbrickson, who is under pressure to beat rival Cal and make the 1936 Olympics. Joe and Roger are just happy to have a dorm room and steady food, and gladly mop floors for tuition. Joe starts dating Joyce and admits to racing-shell builder George Pocock that he’s been on his own since his dad abandoned him at age fourteen.

The JV and varsity 8+ teams train together, trying to get their rowing "swing" in sync with fast pace. Coach Al worries that his varsity crew isn’t fast enough for the Olympics, and the JVs are strong but inexperienced. On George's suggestion, Al brings back Bobby Moch, the experienced but headstrong coxswain, warning him to follow orders on the JVs or he’s out. At the Pacific Coast Regatta on Lake Washington, UW and Cal race two miles in front of 100,000 fans. Coach Al wants the JV boat to maintain a steady pace, hoping the Cal JVs would screw up, but Bobby calls a fast pace and pulls off a course-record win, astonishing Al. The rowers become campus stars.

Ahead of the four-mile Poughkeepsie Regatta in New York, for a berth in the Olympics, Al risks his job by promoting the JVs above his experienced varsity boat. After Joe sees his long-lost dad in Seattle, he performs badly in New York practice and is benched. Joe packs up to leave, but George Pocock tells him not to quit like his father. Joe reconsiders and agrees with Al that it’s all about the boat, the only thing he has. On race day, Bobby is told by Al to start slowly and let the other boats tire, then kick mid-race to 35 strokes per minute. Bobby starts at 28 and holds it past mid-race, then coaxes 36, with a 40-stroke finish to lead ragtag UW to upset Navy, Cal, and the other privileged eastern schools.

The US Olympic Committee is short on funds, so UW needs to raise $5,000 (equivalent to $110,000 in 2023) to pay for their travel, otherwise a richer team will go. The team and community raise the money, and they sail for Berlin. In Nazi Germany, eighth-seat rower Don Hume falls sick. At the opening ceremony, Roger tells Jesse Owens to show the Germans that he's the fastest guy in the world. Owens replies, "not the Germans, the folks back home". The team then sets an Olympic record in the qualifier, but it takes a toll on Hume. Al protests about the lane assignments, but realizes he’ll have calm water at the end, so he calls for a fast start to stay close to the German team, with a big kick to finish. Hitler attends the finals expecting his team to complete a German gold-medal sweep of the rowing events. Bobby fails to hear the finals starting gun and starts badly, with Hume struggling early; nonetheless, Bobby coaxes Hume and the crew to 42 strokes per minute to get within reach, then calls for 46 with 300 meters to go. The US wins the gold in a photo finish over Italy and Germany. The elderly Joe comes out of his reverie and tells his grandson that his eight-man crew was always one.

Cast

[edit]
The film stars Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner as Al Ulbrickson and Joe Rantz.

Production

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Development

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Director and co-producer George Clooney (left) and co-producer Grant Heslov

In March 2011, The Weinstein Company preemptively acquired the film adaptation rights to the book by Daniel James Brown with Kenneth Branagh set to direct and Donna Gigliotti and Judy Hofflund producing.[14][15] In October 2018, Lantern Entertainment, which acquired The Weinstein Company's assets, contracted with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures to distribute the film worldwide.[16] In March 2020, it was announced that George Clooney would direct and produce with Grant Heslov and Mark L. Smith would write the script.[17]

Casting

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In November 2021, it was announced that Callum Turner would portray Joe Rantz.[8] In February 2022, additional casting was announced, including Joel Edgerton and Hadley Robinson.[10] Courtney Henggeler and James Wolk joined in March,[7][11] and Chris Diamantopoulos joined in April.[12]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography began in March 2022,[18] and was due to take place at Winnersh Film Studios in Berkshire, as well as in Los Angeles and Berlin.[19] The 1936 Summer Olympics and scenes around the University of Washington boathouse were filmed on the Cleveland Lakes in the Cotswold Water Park near Swindon (UK), with additional scenes filmed at Molesey Boat Club,[20][21] and at Pinewood Studios.[22] Members of various boat clubs in the area, such as St Hugh's Boat Club, Merton College Boat Club, The Queen's College Boat Club, Walbrook Rowing Club and Oriel College Boat Club from the University of Oxford, were recruited as rowers for various national teams in the Olympics.[citation needed] Additional filming was done at Ashlyns School for many of the scenes set inside the University of Washington.[23]

Music

[edit]
Main article: The Boys in the Boat (soundtrack)

The film score was composed by Alexandre Desplat. The soundtrack was released digitally by Sony Classical on December 22, 2023.

Release

[edit]

The Boys in the Boat was first screened at the reopened SIFF Cinerama Downtown in Seattle on December 7, 2023.[24] The screening was attended by a number of students from Sequim, Washington, where Joe Rantz was from.[25] This was followed by the film's official world premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles on December 11, 2023.[26]

It was released by Amazon MGM Studios on December 25, 2023.[27] In the United Kingdom, it was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on January 12, 2024.[3]

Home media

[edit]

The Boys in the Boat was released for digital platforms on January 16, 2024[28] and on Blu-Ray on June 25, 2024.[29]

Reception

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Box office

[edit]

In the United States and Canada, The Boys in the Boat was released alongside Ferrari and The Color Purple, and was projected to gross $2–3 million from 2,557 theaters on its first day.[30] It ended up making $5.7 million, finishing in eighth at the box office.[31] The following weekend the film made $8.3 million, finishing in sixth at the box office and totaling $21.9 million over its first week of release.[4] In the film's second weekend it made $6 million, remaining in sixth.[32]

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 156 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Boys in the Boat tells its inspirational true story with heart and solid craftsmanship, but director George Clooney's solidly traditional approach prevents it from leaving much of an impact."[33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[34] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 86% filmgoers gave it a positive score.[31]

Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "At times The Boys in the Boat could have used more of an edge. But like the Huskies, it gets the job done, stumbling sometimes but mostly assured."[35] Bilge Ebiri of Vulture called the film "an unshowy but slick underdog sports picture, fluidly told and elegantly mounted."[36] The Messenger's Jordan Hoffman gave the film a score of 6.2/10, writing, "'It's a bit old fashioned' is the primary takeaway most have from The Boys in the Boat, and what that really means is low-stakes, relaxing and predictable, but also basically good."[37]

CNN's Brian Lowry wrote, "the movie can't really escape the whirlpool-like drag of its earnest familiarity, paddling around in a middle lane that doesn't rival the most stirring practitioners of this well-worn genre."[38] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave the film 2/5 stars, writing, "Clooney is capable of putting much more on the scoreboard; this feels like an animatronic museum display."[39]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Credited in the main film

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Alexandre Desplat Scoring George Clooney's 'The Boys in the Boat'". Film Music Reporter. October 2, 2023. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Whittock, Jesse (May 8, 2023). "Amazon MGM Studios Distribution To Launch At LA Screenings". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "The Boys in the Boat (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. November 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  4. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 30, 2023). "'Aquaman 2', 'Wonka' & More Propel Christmas Week Box Office To $281M, +14% Over 2022". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  5. ^ "The Boys in the Boat (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "The Boys in the Boat — Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (March 2, 2022). "George Clooney's The Boys In The Boat Adds 'Cobra Kai' Star Courtney Henggeler". Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (November 1, 2021). "Callum Turner To Star In George Clooney And Grant Heslov's Boys In The Boat Adaptation For MGM". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  9. ^ McArdle, Tommy (October 4, 2023). "George Clooney Directs 'The Boys in the Boat' in First Look Photos and Behind-the-Scenes Video (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kroll, Justin (February 10, 2022). "George Clooney's Boys In The Boat Adaptation With MGM, Spyglass And Smokehouse Sets Top Tier Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (March 7, 2022). "James Wolk Joins George Clooney's Adaptation Of The Boys In The Boat For MGM". Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  12. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 4, 2022). "George Clooney Movie 'The Boys In The Boat' Adds Chris Diamantopoulos". Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  13. ^ Vlessing, Etan (October 18, 2023). "Callum Turner Grabs Olympic Glory in George Clooney's Boys in the Boat Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  14. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 3, 2011). "Weinstein Company Captures Book Proposal On 1936 U.S. Olympics Crew Team". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  15. ^ Abrams, Rachel (March 3, 2011). "Weinsteins acquire Olympic rowing tale". Variety. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  16. ^ McNary, Dave (October 30, 2018). "Weinstein Film 'Boys in the Boat' Saved by MGM, Lantern Entertainment". Variety. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  17. ^ "Clooney set to direct Berlin Olympics true life drama". RTÉ. March 10, 2020. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  18. ^ Daniels, Nia (March 28, 2022). "George Clooney begins UK shoot on The Boys in the Boat". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  19. ^ Kasule, Melissa (January 26, 2022). "George Clooney's The Boys in the Boat to shoot at new UK studio". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  20. ^ "George Clooney filming: Photos reveal his Wiltshire set". April 28, 2022. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  21. ^ "George Clooney spotted filming latest movie at Molesey Boat Club". May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  22. ^ "The Boys in the Boat". Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  23. ^ Wood, Charlotte (January 25, 2024). "Behind the Scenes of The Boys in the Boat: Set Builds, Doubles and the English Regions". Filming in England.
  24. ^ "'The Boys in the Boat' premieres in Seattle at SIFF Cinema Downtown". KING 5 News. December 7, 2023. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  25. ^ Simms, Ryan (December 8, 2023). "George Clooney-directed film about historic UW rowing team makes US debut in Seattle". KOMO 4 News (Seattle). Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  26. ^ "George and Amal Clooney Have Glam Red Carpet Date Night at L.A. Premiere of 'The Boys in the Boat'". Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  27. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 2, 2023). "George Clooney MGM Movie The Boys In The Boat Sets Christmas Day Voyage". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  28. ^ "The Boys in the Boat (2023)". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  29. ^ "The Boys in the Boat DVD Release Date June 25, 2024".
  30. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 19, 2023). "'Aquaman 2' The Big Fish In Warner Bros Christmas Troika With 'Wonka' & 'Color Purple', But Holiday Box Office Not Looking Bright – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  31. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 26, 2023). "'The Color Purple' Wins Christmas Day With $18M+ & A CinemaScore As Warner Bros Dominates Holiday Box Office – Tuesday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  32. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 7, 2024). "First Weekend Of 2024 Down 16%, As 'Wonka' Leads, 'Night Swim' Paddles To $12M+, 'Aquaman 2' Nears $100M – Saturday AM Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  33. ^ "The Boys in the Boat". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 25, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  34. ^ "The Boys in the Boat". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  35. ^ Linden, Sheri (December 15, 2023). "'The Boys in the Boat' Review: Joel Edgerton in George Clooney's Tribute to Old-Fashioned Can-Do Spirit". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  36. ^ Ebiri, Bilge (December 26, 2023). "The Boys in the Boat Is Better Than You've Heard". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  37. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (December 19, 2023). "'The Boys in the Boat' Review: George Clooney's Perfect Little Boring Movie". The Messenger. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  38. ^ Lowry, Brian (December 24, 2023). "'The Boys in the Boat' gets stuck in the shallow end of the sports-movie pool". CNN. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  39. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (December 15, 2023). "The Boys in the Boat review – George Clooney sports drama goes for patriotic boosterism". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
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