Hilary Swank is often asked to play people who refuse to give up. We value her most when she lets their eagerness and pleasure show through the effort; Boys Don't Cry remains the clearest reason to watch her.
Fi1m perspective
In Boys Don't Cry (1999), Hilary Swank lets Brandon Teena take chances and enjoy himself. His wish for a welcome is clear, but she does not play every moment as a plea for one. There is eagerness in her acting, and enough pleasure to keep the film from becoming only an account of suffering. We rate her most highly when she gives someone this much life without asking us to admire how hard she has worked.
Kimberly Peirce's film also gives her a convincing romance with Chloë Sevigny. We were moved by the need for acceptance that Swank lets show beneath Brandon's bravado. The tenderness matters in a drama whose supporting characters can be thin and whose pacing sometimes slips. Her performance gives us a reason to stay with a film that is often painful to watch.
The route to that breakthrough ran through television and early films such as The Next Karate Kid (1994). Her next major success was Million Dollar Baby (2004), working with director and co-star Clint Eastwood. Determined women facing exceptional difficulties became a recurring assignment, with the real-life teacher Erin Gruwell in Freedom Writers (2007) another example. Her later work has moved between studio films, independent drama and television, including Alaska Daily (2022–23).
The difficulty comes when determination is all a part supplies. P.S. I Love You (2007) leaves her looking miscast, while Amelia (2009) offers a portrayal too safe to make much impression. Weaker writing can leave her repeating the resolve without finding much else to play.
Steven Soderbergh gave her a comic part in Logan Lucky (2017). That is a useful direction to leave open, though we would still send a newcomer to Peirce first. Watch Boys Don't Cry for the moments when Brandon is enjoying himself. We would welcome more roles that allow Swank that much.
Biography
Hilary Swank is an American actress. She was born on 30 July 1974 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Swank first appeared on television in Camp Wilder (1992) and made her film debut in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). Her breakthrough came with the role of Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid (1994) and as Carly Reynolds in Beverly Hills, 90210 (1997–1998).
She received international recognition for her performances as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry (1999) and as Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby (2004), winning Academy Awards for both. Other notable films include Insomnia (2002), Freedom Writers (2007), Logan Lucky (2017) and The Hunt (2020). She has also produced several of the films in which she has starred.
