I recently enjoyed a great movie. It’s called The Boys
in the Boat and is based on the University of Washington’s rowing team’s
struggles and sacrifices to put together a winning team that might have a shot
at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
My wife and daughters had already read and loved the book
which was published in 2013. For some reason I resisted reading it and resisted
going to the movie when it was released last year. I suppose I thought it was
going to be “just another sports story.” I was surprised to find that it
wasn’t.
The movie revolves around Joe Rantz, a poor engineering
student at the University of Washington, living in an abandoned car and eating at
soup kitchens. This was during the Great Depression. His tuition is due. He
doesn’t have the money, and if he doesn’t come up with it, he will be booted
out of school. That’s how it was in the good old days.
He tries to get a job, but this is during The Depression,
where a hundred of guys will show up hoping to get one position. Then a friend
tells him that they might be able to get their tuition paid if they make the
rowing team. Of course, many others are thinking the exact same thing, and there
are only eight slots.
The movie had many parts that put me on the edge of my seat,
others that made me laugh, others that got my dander up, and some that made me
think long after the movie was over. A few days after Nellie and I watched it,
one of my daughters wanted to watch it with us. I enjoyed it as much the second
time as I did the first.
If you’re looking for a great movie, a good date night or
family night, give The Boys in the Boat a try. I think you’ll enjoy the
heck out of it long after the final credits roll.
*
John D. Brown is a local, award-winning novelist who
writes action-packed thrillers and epic fantasies. Find his latest at johndbrown.com
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