I liked the movie but since I had read the book a few times, I do wish there were some additional parts that had been highlighted. I don't think an older Joe Rantz reliving memories was necessary. I would have liked a little more backstory on all of the boys - almost all came from difficult circumstances. The whittling down of the boys trying out could have been more dramatic. I also wish at the end they had shown a comparison of the actor against the person he was portraying, with a little "what happened next". From this movie you get no sense of the rowing powerhouse that Washington has been for decades.
Overall well done but could have been better. Phenomenal acting.