The impact on public views
A number of people have commented on the question “Do films such as this impact the public views on issues?� I agree that these types of films definitely impact public opinion on the issues they deal with. When a movie such as Boys Don’t Cry generate so much conversation and draw so much attention it is inevitable that they will influence public opinion. I found this film both incredibly difficult to watch and totally captivating.
I think that many people are unaware of the differences and difficulties faced by various “othered� groups, and this is why there is hatred and disapproval of such groups. By making Boys Don’t Cry, Kimberly Pierce provided a vein through which people can have some sort of contact with a person whom they might normally judge or look down upon. By viewing this two hour film, audience members can watch from a distance, see the whole story first, and then reflect on it afterward. Without some sort of contact, many people would hold to prejudices against these “othered� groups, but this contact the film provides helps dissolve prejudices because it is impossible not to connect on some level with Brandon. I think that films such as this provide a way for people to have some sort of experience with a person whom they might judge and whom they would normally not have any contact with. Hopefully at least some hatred, discrimination, or intolerance was avoided or broken because of this film. In any event, I think that films such as this are catalysts for important conversation.