Bleak documentary of teens turning on each other to win
“Boys State” is the most depressing film about boys since “Lord of the Flies.” If anything, it’s even more bleak, because it’s not fiction and it’s not allegory. No, this is a documentary about actual boys.
Seriously, if these kids are the future, now would be a good time to buy property in a foreign country.
Directed by San Francisco husbandandwife filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine with notable restraint — it had to be difficult, at times, to resist stepping into the frame to scream at these little monsters — the documentary is about a gathering of hundreds of boys across Texas, who came together for the annual Boys State convention. There the boys were tasked with electing, from within their ranks, a slate of officers, including the highestranking position: governor.
Since nothing can come of the election besides the honor of being elected, the gubernatorial election is essentially a popularity contest. Still, in order to win, the candidates make speeches and express political opinions, which they hope will gain them traction with the voters.
There are Boys State conventions in all the contiguous 48 states, and they’re sponsored by the American Legion. That’s a pretty conservative organization, and Texas, at least traditionally, is a conservative state, so it
“Boys State”: Documentary. Directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss. (PG-13. 109 minutes.) Available on Apple TV Plus starting Friday, Aug. 14.
should come as no surprise that the fastest way to get an audience cheering in this crowd is to express social views slightly to the right of Savonarola. You know, things like, “If you are a rape victim, we do not punish the child!” Or any sentence that contains the phrase, “Second Amendment.” Or the occasional bizarre comment such as: “Our masculinity shall not be infringed!”
Yet even in this gathering, some kids are promising. Steven Garza, from a Mexican immigrant family, seems like a long shot for any office. Then he opens his mouth and shows a gift for speaking from the heart and connecting with audiences. Other boys, including a few that start off seeming shallow and opportunistic, show a growth in conscience and selfknowledge over the course of the week.
Still others reveal their character, not only to the camera but to themselves, in ways that are not flattering. Young Ben Feinstein starts off the film with considerable audience sympathy, by virtue of his being a double amputee. But though he comes across as intelligent and focused, with a winning sense of humor, he compromises his morals without apparent regret. Yet who knows? He may regret it in the future: For him, this documentary is hardly a good resume item.
“Boys State” shows us the worst of American politics, in miniature. By removing all possible political motives besides ego gratification, the documentary shows how hard and how viciously human beings are willing to fight for selfaggrandizement alone.
There’s a lesson in this.
In our national political life, we often see politicians sacrificing their deeply held principles for the sake of maintaining power and prestige. We wonder how they can bring themselves to do it. “Boys State” shows that it’s easy. After all, some of these teenage politicians sacrifice their integrity for absolutely nothing — to accomplish nothing and to gain nothing except a title or the distinction of having been the power behind an empty throne.
This is all quite grim, but consider further that these boys are only 17 years old. This is where they’ve arrived morally, ethically and spiritually after just that little time on the planet. The worst of them don’t go home chastened by this experience, just further skilled at selfdeception and selfjustification.
In this way, “Boys State” is revealed as a scary intensifier. Yes, the good kids presented here do become better, and some of the inbetween kids realize the error of their ways. But the bad kids come away, not only worse than before, but practiced in the art of doing damage.
These revelations qualify “Boys State” as a quality documentary. Make sure to see it if you’re lacking in things to feel bad about.