The Big Picture

The Boys in the Boat shows that rowing is not just for the elite, but for those who are determined to overcome adversity. The film illustrates the toughness of the sport and the grueling training that the rowers had to endure. Against the backdrop of fascism’s rise in Germany, the University of Washington crew team’s victory at the Olympics was a triumph of will and determination.

After nearly a decade since the rights to the story were first sold, and thanks to George Clooney for directing and co-producing, The Boys in the Boat is becoming a well-deserved film adaptation. The film stars Callum Turner as Joe Rantz, a freshman at the University of Washington and a new recruit to their rowing program, as well as Joel Edgerton as the head coach of the rowing team, Al Ulbrickson.

Based on a book of the same name by Daniel James Brown, The Boys In The Boat is about the rise of the men’s eight-man rowing crew from the University of Washington that went on to compete and win in the Summer Olympics in Berlin of 1936. Guided by head coach Al Ulbrickson, and with the help of legendary boat maker George Pocock, the team had all the components for success, as long as they could become truly one with each other and the boat they were racing in. The true story is one of struggle, determination, and finding one’s swing in life.

The Boys in the Boat A 1930s-set story centered on the University of Washington’s rowing team, from their Depression-era beginnings to winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Release Date December 25, 2023 Genres Biography , Drama , Sports

The Boys in the Boat Shows Us Rowing Isn’t Just for the Elites
Depression-era America saw struggles the likes of which were unprecedented at the time. Many working-class and lower-income families lost everything and had to make tough choices to make ends meet. One family in particular, that of Joe Rantz, is in such desperate straights that his father and stepmother outright abandon him in his early teens. Rantz had to work several different odd jobs throughout high school just to support himself, and was still able to maintain good grades in school. According to the book, Rantz learns that The University of Washington offers those on the rowing team the ability to take a part-time job to pay for tuition. With this in mind, Rantz, along with roughly 180 other boys, show up to try out for a spot, despite the stigma that the sport is reserved for those from elite families.

The Boys in the Boat spends a good deal of time outlining what it was like to live and work back then as a young person trying to educate themselves. Rantz is no exception as he, along with several of his teammates, have to work labor-intensive jobs in between school years to feed themselves and afford tuition. This helps the team to feel more connected to each other and eventually allows Rantz to feel part of a whole—something his coaches proclaim is essential to develop a synchronization that is paramount to a competitive racing lineup. As the lineup for the varsity boat comes together, this increase in connection between the team helps develop their ability to row in perfect harmony, referred to by some in the sport as having ‘swing.’

‘The Boys in the Boat’ Illustrates How Tough the Sport Can Be

Just because one makes the team—which Joe Rantz along with eight other first-year students after nearly a year of trying out eventually did—doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing from there. Ulbrickson already had a reputation for being a tough coach, and was going to make sure these boys were ready for competition, no matter how many pass out in the process. There are grueling practice sessions that ultimately pay off, as the new freshman boat surpasses all expectations and crushes its rival from U.C. Berkley. They even defeat East Coast teams at the coveted Poughkeepsie Regatta in New York. Along with the mastercraft of George Pocock making the racing shells, it is at this point that Ulbrickson realizes he has a team that could be trained to compete at the international level.

Related ‘The Boys in the Boat’ Review: George Clooney Should Stick To Acting Those looking for a film worthy of this engaging true story will have to keep waiting.

Joe Rantz’s story takes a series of ups and downs following his freshman year at college. He is switched onto and off of the varsity boat several times as Ulbrickson attempts to figure out the perfect combination of rowers to make a boat that would be able to compete at an international level. Rantz’s family life continues to be one of isolation as his stepmother and father forbid him from seeing the rest of the family even though they lived not far from his school. By the fall of 1935, Rantz is working harder than ever to attempt to make the final lineup in his boat, and feels that connection to his team, and something bigger than himself, that he has wanted his whole life. By January 1936, after a summer of working alongside more of his team at the Grand Coulee Dam, Joe finally gets into ‘swing’ with his team and a competitive boat comes together. Joe Rantz officially made the boat to compete for an Olympic spot. The team ends up destroying the competition during their regular season and the boat goes on to win the Princeton Olympic trials. The University of Washington’s eight-man crew was officially headed to the Berlin Olympics.

‘Boys in the Boat’ is Set Against the Backdrop Fascism’s Rise
Image via Amazon MGM Studios

As Rantz and the rest of his team develop their skills as rowers, the story sets the stage for the importance of the Olympics of 1936. Hitler had been in power since ’33 and the world was watching with careful eyes the state of Germany as a big player on the world stage. The book details the lengths Hitler went to in order to show the world that Germany was a major power, throwing tons of government funds towards the Olympics to make Berlin a city that exemplified his vision of the country. This included removing antisemitic signs, and forcibly removing Romani families from the city. The Third Reich even commissioned new propaganda films to be made that glorified fascist ideals. This led to widespread unease among world nations that were slated to send athletes to the games.

By 1935, there was an all-out international movement calling for the boycott of the upcoming Olympics in Germany. Although many opposed, the Amateur Athletic Union committee ultimately decided that they would still send athletes to Berlin to compete. When the University of Washington’s Crew team did get to Berlin, they were in awe of the way the city presented itself as tolerant and modern. There was even a new Olympic stadium built just for the games. It is important to note that immediately following the Olympic Games, all antisemitic literature and signs were back in print and circulation. Even with all its self-perceived might and misplaced superiority, it was the Fascists that would end up on the losing end of the Olympic Games, at least where rowing was concerned.

The Odds Were Stacked Against ‘The Boys in the Boat’
Image via Amazon MGM Studios

Upon arriving for their ultimate race, several factors pointed to disadvantages for the boys. For one, their stroke seat, or rower that sits in front of all the others and sets the pace, falls sick on the journey over. This would carry into race day, but nonetheless, he would still compete. All members had gained weight due to the boat ride to Berlin offering a food buffet. The Washington crew team was placed in the outermost lane for the race. This was more exposed to the elements, impacting how the boat would perform. Spirits were low even after qualifying for the final race after beating the U.K. in the preliminary heat. When the starting gun went off, there was a delay in the U.S. boat as they didn’t hear the shot, putting them at a distance disadvantage as well.

When the University of Washington crew did finally get the boat moving, they were already behind. The sick stroke seat had his eyes closed and was barely holding a pace throughout much of the race. Thankfully, the coxswain kept calling to him and within the last six hundred meters, he snapped out of it. At this point, the U.S. is a boat length behind and had only the last quarter or so of the race left. Somehow, they were able to reach a stroke rate they had never hit before and achieve that ‘swing’ while doing so. It was a nail-biting finish but ultimately, they surpassed Germany and Italy, winning the race by just over half a second. A victory that perhaps foreshadowed the following war years in the boys’ eyes and one well-earned.

After the Olympics, the members of the Varsity Crew from the University of Washington would graduate and go on to live the rest of their lives. Joe Rantz passed away in 2007 and his story, as well as that of the crew that went to the 1936 Olympics, was largely left behind in the mainstream until “The Boys in the Boat” book came out. Now with the film adaptation, more people will be aware of the story of Joe Rantz and the rest of the crew. Hard beginnings and odds stacked, the story behind The Boys in the Boat is one of triumphs of will and determination.

The Boys in the Boat is now in theaters in the U.S.

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