I’m sure most of us in the Northwest know that The Boys in the Boat is coming out Christmas day. I’m also sure many of us have read the book since the events happened almost in our own backyard.
My mom and I both read the book years ago, and I think she has since read it again multiple times. It’s a great story of overcoming adversity and working so hard to have even a chance at achieving success. It’s the kind of story writers try to dream up.
There’s an article in yesterday’s Seattle Times by Moira Macdonald about George Clooney, the director of the movie, visiting with Daniel James Brown, the book’s author, in the University of Washington rowing shellhouse (thank you, Toby Cooper, for drawing my attention to it).
A few months ago, I went online looking to see if they had filmed the movie right there where the story took place, but it was instead filmed on the Cleveland Lakes in the Cotswold Water Park near Swindon in the UK. Seattle’s a little too big these days to resemble the 1930s.
I’m a visual person who loves maps, so for those of you who are interested, here’s where that is…
Other scenes were filmed at the Molesey Boat Club, a rowing club on the River Thames in England.
Here are some other videos about the film that I found interesting…
But…if you haven’t read the book, I would suggest doing so, either before or after the movie. There are so many stories within the story that were most likely left out, and the connection you get as a reader to the characters is something worth a read.
