Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny give amazing performances and hold the movie together. The film suffers possibly because it's being helmed by a first-time director, so the direction feels very flat and uninspired. However, when the last half-hour arrives, it's heartbreaking.

Powerful story but the movie itself was pretty boring...

Didn’t find this boring at all. First half hour is a real hang-out movie, with a joyous Brandon finally experiencing what most kids take for granted, which is the freedom and carelessness of youth. Lana is too disdainful of her two-mule town to appreciate what Brandon finds precious: belonging, having a makeshift family, endless nights. But alcoholism, violence and bigotry start to take their toll and finally tragedy strikes.

Lana’s complete acceptance of Brandon is really tender (I think her final doubting moments could’ve been handled a bit better) and Hillary Swank makes Brandon a being of pure light and optimism. The whole cast is amazing-- Sevigny and Sarsgaard are instant stars. Really not the sad-sack melodrama I was expecting, though the sexual violence is indeed very hard to take.