Boys Don’t Cry: A Film Critique

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) written by Kimberly Pierce, was based on true life events about the life and death of Brandon Teena, a transgendered individual who lived in Nebraska as a male until it was discovered that he was biologically a female, and was killed in December of 1993. When evaluating the gender based behaviors displayed in this film, initially I made note of its title. This title could be descriptive of a consensus in society that not crying was equivalent to masculinity. Therefore, expression of feeling is a sign of vulnerability and men aren’t supposed to be weak. The over exaggerated masculine behaviors such as the brawls and aggression depicted in this film were clear statements representing the invincibility of a man. Along with the general idea the men are of a privileged class, are the specifics of male vs. female behavior, societal norms, and how much of it is still the same fourteen years later.

Gender-based observations

• The movie opened up with Teena cutting her hair short. A short haircut symbolizes maleness. She was now Brandon.
• Brandon, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at a bar (acceptable male behavior) approached Candace and asked her name. This is what men do when they are interested in a female. It is typical for a man to initiate conversation with a female.
• Candace giggled when approached by Brandon. She seemed soft and shy. Women are expected to be submissive to advances from a man.
• Wearing the male persona, Brandon asserted his respect when another man sat in his chair while he stepped away for a minute at the bar. Men are territorial. That was his space and his woman. He reacted as was expected with physical aggression for disrespecting his space. A brawl broke out at the bar.
• Lana wears long red hair with long red fingernails. This is representative of acceptable female behavior. This may be the clear boundary that represented her as the female in the relationship.
• Brandon doing push-ups while he’s in jail. Physical strength means power. Males are physically stronger than females.

Gender-based interactions

The interactions between men were somewhat verbally and physically aggressive and demeaning toward women. For example, there was a scene when John was talking to Brandon about Lana and within the same conversation he slapped Brandon across the backside of his head perhaps as a social gesture that meant men can take anything. Men also bragged about their brushes with the law. In fact, there was one scene when Tom was talking about a crime that he committed and Brandon responded by saying, “That’s cool.” It was cool to steal cars. This exaggerated masculinity as manifested by the criminal acts meant being fearless and showing this off amongst each other. In addition, there was a scene during Brandon’s birthday where John told him he was giving Lana to him as a birthday gift, as if she were a trophy, an object that can be tossed around between men. Women were prizes and John basically told Brandon he had earned Lana while also making a note that he could take her back when he said right after he gave the gift, “But remember, this is my house.”

Women were more passive and supportive of each other. It seemed as if they had each other’s back. There were no scenes that demonstrated aggression of women towards each other like some of the interactions between men. An example might be when, John took Candace’s car and left the rest of the group stranded, including Tom. Eventually, John came back and Lana told her friend to hop in the car because John was going to take them to work. There was no scene that showed what the conversation between Lana and John but one can guess that she convinced him to go back to at least pick up her friend so that they can make it to work.

When women and men interacted, the power that men felt they had over women was apparent throughout the movie. Men felt they could cross boundaries with women whenever they wanted. For instance, in one scene John just walking into Lana’s room without knocking and although Lana briefly asserted her discontent with this action she hugged him when he told her all he wants to do was to protect her, as if she couldn’t do it alone.

Sexual, political and societal tension

Societal tension was clearly depicted when almost everyone was having a difficult time consuming the idea that Brandon was biologically a girl, but behaved like a boy. When he was discovered, he was referred to as an “it.” He was asked by John, “What are you?” This was as if what he was doing was inhumane. People were disgusted by Brandon’s actions and even forced his femininity by calling him Teena and raping him. They rationalized there internalizations by saying it was because he was a liar, when it reality it had more to do with Brandon being “different.” The low tolerance to this difference was also demonstrated by the label of “lesbian” that Lana received as a result of dating Brandon. Labels of “faggot” and “dike” were also used throughout to film which is representative of a culture not ready to accept someone who didn’t meet the status quo.

When the two guys discovered Brandon was a women, their reactions were that the only possible path for gender identification was either as a woman or man therefore implying that other gender identities simply cannot exist.

Issues regarding race and class

The entire film represented Whites. There were times that people in the film would be referred to as “White trash.” Falls City seemed like they were low tolerant overall with diversity. If you are not White and heterosexual, you didn’t belong there. Mainstream heterosexual power was clearly demonstrated when Brandon was violated both when his genitalia was exposed to the world, and when he was raped.

In addition there is the question of color. If the rape had been carried out by people of a different color, would things have taken a different course? Would the men have been immediately arrested as opposed to being called to come into the police station in the morning?

Music in the film

The movie depicted a variety of songs that could be masculine, feminine and androgynous. I think as the movie evolved, the music became more feminine. For example, most of the music presented in the beginning of the film represented masculinity as Brandon took on the male role. The music early in the film was raw, thrilling, and hard core. There was something edgy and powerful about it as if it were saying, “here I am, a man and powerful.”

Midway through the film when it was noted that Lana and Brandon were in love and they grieved the fact that Brandon will have to leave for a few days, there was a song about a male and female who missed each other – the first song I had heard during the moving that actually had a female voice in it.

Interestingly the movie closed with the same song, and only song sung by a female, that Lana and her friends sang at the karaoke bar. I was unsure if the song they were singing was that of a female singer but I had the feeling that if was “girly” because they were singing it which such softness. As I listened to the words of the song during the films last scene, it was about a woman and her insecurities and vulnerabilities: the idea of being lonely and scared, which typically men are not supposed to feel. This was clearly a “girly” song.

Thoughts about then and now

What I think makes this movie interesting in terms of observing gender specifics is the fact that this woman was not a conventional “lesbian” Her role was that of a male so as to not cause chaos in the norms of gender roles. She wanted to leave each role (female and male) unbroken.

Also it is obvious that there are “cultural laws” that state and regulate what sexuality means and Brandon was treated as if he had broken the law. When he was reporting to the officer, instead of being treated like the victim, he was victimized and harassed because “she” hung out with boys and kissed girls. The real issue of rape was trivialized because her “difference” was too big to understand. This was quite evident in that John and Tom were not immediately arrested.

It is apparent today how male privilege is still active. The female body in this movie was depicted as something that was easily violated and true masculinity in power showed how Brandon, as a female, was weak and submissive. With this they wanted to show that they are “men” and they have power to do as they please because a female is supposed to conform. This was reassertion of male dominance over women. Although it is manifested differently today, women are still being violated sometimes covertly as in crimes against women, and sometimes discretely as when women make less money in the same type of employment as a man. This movie clearly depicts the oppression of women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals. It completely sensitized me to how cruel societal rules can be on people who are not privileged. Seeing it through the lens of Brandon help me understand how important it is for me to be a multicultural competent counselor.