Story

Set in the Depression era of the 1930s, Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) is doing his best to complete a college education with no money to support himself. His mother died when he was young and his father left him, at the age of 14, to find work – leaving Joe to take care of himself. Living in an old car, Joe finds whatever work he can to pay his college fees. When his friend Roger (Sam Strike) suggests they try out for the junior rowing team, Joe decides to give it a go as a way of earning money.

Joe and Roger are picked, from a large group of applicants, along with 6 other young men. The coach, Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton), is firm but fair and drives the young men hard. But it’s George Pocock (Peter Guinness), the boatbuilder, who makes a connection with Joe and helps him through his difficult moments. When the team beats California and the other Ivy League teams, Coach Al decides to send them to the Olympics in Hitler’s Germany. The team doesn’t disappoint and goes on to win gold against all odds.

Themes

Sport; poverty

Violence

The Boys in the Boat has some violence. For example:

• The chairman of the rowing club yells at Coach Al because he doesn’t agree with his decision.
• One of the team calls Joe a ‘hobo’, which he finds insulting, causing him to hit out at his teammate. The rest of the team have to restrain Joe from an all-out fight.

Sexual references

The Boys in the Boat has some sexual references. For example:

• Joyce, a fellow student, flirts with Joe. There is a romance between them and they kiss. One time, Joe goes to Joyce’s accommodation and he turns his back while she changes her clothes.
• The coxswain says that he likes how his ‘nuts’ vibrate when the oars hit the water.
• Al’s wife is seen in bed, wearing a negligee. She gets up and finds Al sitting outside on the veranda. Al comments on the beautiful view, and she says that he should come and see if there’s another view he would enjoy, as she drops her dressing gown.
• Joyce lies down on a bed next to Joe.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

The Boys in the Boat has some substance use – for example, there is quite a lot of drinking and smoking throughout, including men drinking out of bottles, boys sitting around a campfire drinking, smoking and drinking at a show, and drinking at a bar.

Nudity and sexual activity

The Boys in the Boat has some nudity and sexual activity – for example, men are seen in the locker room, showering with bare tops.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in The Boys in the Boat.

Coarse language

The Boys in the Boat has some coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

The Boys in the Boat is based a book written by Daniel James Brown. It follows the true story of a disadvantaged rowing team from Washington University who not only beats the local Ivy League teams but goes on to eventually win a gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The movie is an inspirational sports drama about overcoming disadvantage, but while there is little that is violent or scary in the movie, it’s likely to lack interest for children under 8 years, and is best suited for older children, teens and adults.

These are the main messages from The Boys in the Boat:

• Anything is achievable if you put your mind to it.
• Anyone can achieve their dreams.
• Teamwork is an important skill in sport and in life.

Values in The Boys in the Boat that you could reinforce with your children include hard work, persistence, loyalty, tenacity, friendship and mentorship.

The Boys in the Boat could also give you the chance to talk with your children about how Joe overcame his personal difficulties and how hard that would have been for a 14-year-old.