Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heartwarming, historical sports drama; smoking, language.
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The Boys in the Boat
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 17 parent reviews
Based on 19 kid reviews
Kids say this film is an inspiring and educational portrayal of rowing and the importance of perseverance, hard work, and teamwork. Many viewers appreciated its motivational messages and the depiction of historical challenges, although some noted that younger audiences might struggle to grasp certain themes due to their complexity.
- inspiring story
- motivational messages
- age-appropriate
- teamwork emphasis
- historical context
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
THE BOYS IN THE BOAT 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. Directed by George Clooney, the historical sports drama chronicles how the Pacific Northwest team of mostly poor, rural, blue-collar rowers beat firsts their rivals from Cal Berkeley and then the elitist teams from the Ivy League and East Coast to win a spot in the infamous Berlin Olympics held in Nazi Germany. The movie, like the book, focuses primarily on one of the rowers, brawny Joe Rantz (Callum Turner), who tries out for the rowing team in part for its guarantee of a work-study job and place to board. Joe is one of the lucky young men to make the team, which is coached by Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton). The movie compresses the true story's timing into the year leading up to the Olympics, as Joe and his teammates (seven other rowers plus a coxswain) practice and prepare for every competition while also dealing with the unrelenting difficulties of being young and poor during the Great Depression.
Is It Any Good?
This heartwarming historical sports drama is a conventional but inspiring tale of how the have-nots beat the haves not only on a regional and national scale, but on a global one. Clooney doesn't reinvent the wheel with this traditional "triumph of the underdog" story. In fact, he has to accelerate the timeline to make both parts of Brown's nonfiction book (countless descriptions of rowing practices and competitions and the story of the infamous 1936 Olympics) work. And, yes, the athletes look much older than 18-22, but these young men weren't pampered, blue-blooded prep school graduates -- they were the sons of lumberjacks and fishermen. Joe was actually abandoned by his father and left to fend for himself at age 14, so it makes sense that he'd look a little more rugged than the average Junior Varsity crew member. Turner gives a nuanced performance of controlled emotions as the film's central character. It's a little disappointing that The Boys in the Boat doesn't allow for a deeper dive into some of the other boys of the title, though it does offer a nice introduction to Joe's then-girlfriend and later-wife, Joyce (Hadley Robinson), who's unfailingly supportive.
There's a touching subplot about Joe's blossoming friendship with the wise, comforting English boatbuilder George Pocock (Peter Guinness), who proves to be more of a father figure to Joe than his own, absent dad. Luke Slattery gives a small but explosive (like his character!) performance as coxswain Bobby Moch. He, even more than Joe, serves as an anchor to focus on as he yells out motivational instructions to the rowers. Alexandre Desplat's rousing score is particularly effective, and Martin Ruhe's cinematography captures the immediacy of the races and the beauty of the rivers. Even audiences who think they're indifferent to rowing will likely feel a thrill as Washington team beats the odds and rows as one. Yes, that's a race-day cliche, but it's also a slogan that the individuals involved believed in and championed their entire lives.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the historical setting of The Boys in the Boat. How did the Great Depression impact the characters in the movie? How were the state school, Western rowers different than the men on the Ivy League teams?
How do Joe and his teammates demonstrate perseverance? Why is that an important character strength? What does the movie teach about continuing to try even when you're the underdog?
Do you think the filmmakers portray Joe and the team accurately? Do you think Jesse Owens really spoke to the rowers? Why do history-based films sometimes change certain facts for the sake of artistic vision?
If you've read the original book (or the young readers' adaptation of it): What aspects of the true story does the movie change? What, if anything, do you wish it had included or kept?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 25, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : January 16, 2024
- Cast : Callum Turner , Joel Edgerton , Peter Guinness , Hadley Robinson
- Director : George Clooney
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Amazon MGM Studios
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 124 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and smoking
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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