‘Boys State’: Sundance 2020 Doc Winner Makes A Case For Mutual Understanding in Politics [Review]

Hilary Clinton may have been at Sundance to promote a doc about her life, but it’s “Boys State” that turned out to be the better political documentary at this past January’s Park City festival.

The critics fell hard for directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s feel-good politico doc which tackles the annual mock gubernatorial race in Austin involving 1,100 boys. Bought by A24 and Apple TV+ for $12 million, the doc takes place at a seven-day program in Texas where more than 500 male teenagers arrive to form their own fake two-party government, run campaigns, and hold elections. It’s better than it sounds.

The Boys State program has existed since 1937 and happens annually in every state in the US (except for Hawaii). Some of the famous alumni who have attended in the past as teenage boys include Samuel Alito, Cory Booker, Dick Cheney, and Bill Clinton. Despite the dry political courtship, the drama which unfolds in co-directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ doc can rival any reality TV series. Today’s greedy politicians, most of which are three, four times the age of these boys, could also learn a thing or two from these high-schoolers.

Encouraging civil discourse is the key here, partisanship is the last option, as the ultimate question asked by these kids is should I stick to my beliefs or have them compromised just for the sake of winning? As the boys find ways to form their arguments and strategize, we meet Steven, Ben, Robert, and Rene — filled with charisma, but still trying to form their ideological platform. Despite the sluggish start, the film builds up momentum for us to fully inhabit this politico world and care for the stakes at hand.

Contrary to today’s toxic and divisive Red vs Blue rhetoric, “Boys State” highlights the need for mutual respect, reciprocity, and understanding in politics. Something, I feel, even many critics who love the film don’t quite get. These critics may watch “Boys State”, rave about it, write about how the boys in the doc are so courteous to one another and then go off on Twitter calling for the blood of the current opposition party they so despise. Talk about hypocrisy.

“Boys State” will be available on Apple TV+ on August 14th.