George Clooney's 'The Boys in the Boat' provides a pleasant, inspirational cinematic experience

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Boys in the Boat
3 out of 5 Stars
Director: George Clooney
Writer: Mark L. Smith, Daniel James Brown
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner
Genre: Drama, Biography
Rated: PG-13 for language and smoking

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) – Synopsis: The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.

Review: The 1936 Olympic Games are famously remembered as the time that Jesse Owens silenced his doubters at home and abroad by winning four gold medals. It might be the greatest sports story of all time. Still, there are other stories from that year’s competition that can be told and “The Boys in the Boat” is one of those.

Whereas the Owens story is defined by perseverance and racism, this story is focused on class iniquity as the University of Washington’s rowing team look to rise above their social standing to compete for the opportunity to represent the United States of America at the Olympic Games in Berlin.

The story is primarily told through the eyes of Joe Rantz (Callum Turner), a young man who was abandoned at 14 who sees the rowing team as his only option to pay for a college degree. We also see a sliver of the world of Washington rowing coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton) as he tries to keep the rowing program afloat despite being at a great financial disadvantage when compared to more prestigious schools.

The film is a nostalgic slice of old Hollywood. It feels a touch romanticized, but the story told is fairly accurate. The only major difference being that the film presents the events as all happening within a year when, according to writer Daniel James Brown, it really took three years.

It’s a classic underdog story where the stakes are high, but the threat of failure feels a bit toothless. There’s a nice romantic subplot involving Rantz and Joyce Simdars (Hadley Robinson) that adds to the general pleasantness of the movie. For all that he has been through, Rantz feels remarkably balanced. It’s a little too simplistic, but I suspect that many audiences will see that as a positive quality.

The sharpest moment comes with a brief conversation between one of the Washington rowers and Jesse Owens. Owens wasn’t just fighting against the warped ideology of the Nazis, he was also pushing against the racism that existed back home (President Roosevelt didn’t invite any of the Black gold medalists to the White House).

I enjoyed “The Boys in the Boat.” It won’t start any revolutions. It’s anything but provocative. Still, you’ll feel that swelling of hope in your chest and feel a little more motivated to chase your own dreams.