Kimo Lyness

I read the book a fourth time before seeing the movie today. I watched the American Experience: 1936 Boys in the Boat on YouTube with my wife last night so she could understand their story. She had not read the book. I grew up in the Great PNW in a logging and dairy farm town during the 60’s and 70’s. Worked in the Seattle Shipyards for two years right out of high school. I also worked in the Lake Union Shipyards on a Coast Guard boat. I watched the UW crew train in Lake Union. I had high hopes that Clooney would do the boys story justice. No bueno! When I saw the opening scene dated Seattle 1936, showing Joe living in Hooterville I knew the movie was going to be bad. George, you blew it! You totally misrepresented Joe and his teammates story. Al Ulbertson discovered Joe at Roosevelt HS. He invited Joe to try out for the UW crew team. His freshman team beat Cal and the Ivy League schools at the Poughkeepsie Regatta. The male actors didn’t even resemble the boys in the boat. They didn’t have that hard edge of growing up in the depression and working in the woods, milking cows at 4 am , digging ditches, hauling hay, working on the Grand Coulee dam to help pay their tuition. The actors looked like present day actors. Joe wore a crew cut. He played the guitar and banjo. He loved to sing. There was no photo finish in Berlin. The Jesé Owen’s science was out of context and awkward. What about the two Jewish sprinters, especially, Marty Glickman that were not allowed to run by Avery Brundage? Or Lou Zamporini ? George, you blew it! It was terrible and you blew telling an incredible story of the American experience of overcoming life’s great obstacles to achieve Olympic gold against all odds. I challenge you to do the right thing and redo the movie for the boys in the boat….