The Boys in the Boat is an accessible, handsome sports drama about the University of Washington crew team’s pursuit of Olympic gold in 1936. It delivers the teamwork, clear stakes and hopeful payoff of a classic underdog story, though its familiar storytelling leaves the history and emotional premise with less impact than they might have had.
What is The Boys in the Boat about?
Directed by George Clooney and written by Mark L. Smith, the 2023 film adapts Daniel James Brown’s nonfiction book about the University of Washington rowing team. The story follows the crew through the Great Depression and toward the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where the team is competing for gold. Joe Rantz, played by Callum Turner, is the principal individual viewpoint, but the achievement belongs to the crew as a whole.
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![Boys in the Boat, The (BD) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41yCETaHzuL._SL160_.jpg)
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Boys in the Boat, The (BD) [Blu-ray] | $21.42 | Buy on Amazon |
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The boat gives the film its central idea: individual strength matters, but success depends on people coordinating their effort and trusting one another. That focus makes the story easy to follow even for viewers unfamiliar with rowing. The sport supplies visual momentum and a concrete goal; the team supplies the emotional center.
Does the underdog story work?
Where the film succeeds
The movie is strongest when it makes the crew’s shared work legible. The races offer a clear measure of progress, while the rowers’ pursuit of a place on the Olympic team gives the drama a satisfying destination. The polished period setting and direct emotional appeal make it an approachable, broadly enjoyable sports film.
#1 Best Overall
Why it can feel conventional
Its strengths come with a tradeoff: the film follows familiar sports-drama rhythms and signals its emotional turns plainly. The result can be stirring and handsome without feeling especially surprising. Viewers looking for a less predictable story or a deeper examination of its characters and history may find it too pat to make a lasting impression. That is a judgment about the film’s style, not a verdict on the worth of the team’s achievement.
What does the historical setting add?
The rowers’ lives are shaped by the Great Depression, and their Olympic bid leads to Berlin under Nazi rule. Those circumstances make the triumph more than a simple sporting victory: the event takes place in a politically charged setting, and the team’s story belongs to a period with racial realities that a feel-good finish cannot erase.
Rank #2
A 2023 Associated Press report gives some context for rowing’s present-day participation, while its figures should be read as dated snapshots rather than current totals. AP reported that USRowing had about 74,000 members. It also reported that a 2021 study found Black athletes accounted for 2% of women competing in NCAA rowing; the study did not include men’s rowing, which is not sanctioned by the NCAA. Those figures do not measure the 1936 team or establish the film’s historical accuracy, but they underline why the sport’s wider context matters.
How does the movie compare with the book?
Brown’s book offers more room for personal and historical detail than a feature film can. The publisher describes it as the source for the major motion picture and says Brown interviewed surviving rowers, especially Rantz. Its catalog lists paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook editions; the paperback is listed at 432 pages and published May 27, 2014, while the hardcover is listed at 416 pages and published June 4, 2013. Publisher catalog details can change.
Rank #3
| Choose | Best for | What it emphasizes |
|---|---|---|
| The Boys in the Boat (film) | A 124-minute visual sports drama | Joe Rantz as the main individual viewpoint within the crew’s collective story |
| Brown’s book | A longer nonfiction account in print or audio | Surviving rowers’ memories and more personal and historical detail |
For a polished, straightforward underdog story, the film is a good fit. For a fuller account of the rowers and the history surrounding their achievement, start with the book.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is The Boys in the Boat worth watching?
Yes, if you want an uplifting team sports drama with a clear Olympic goal and an accessible emotional arc. Its conventional approach may disappoint viewers seeking greater complexity, but it delivers the hopeful payoff its premise promises. Rotten Tomatoes lists the film as PG-13 for language and smoking, with a runtime of 2 hours 4 minutes; ratings and availability can vary by region or change over time.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
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