It is easy to engage with the characters and politics of this film. You can get mad. You can yell at the screen. You can shake your head in dismay. You can stand up and cheer. But I guarantee you one thing: you cannot sit back and ignore what these Texan adolescents teach us. About our nation. About our politics. About ourselves. Steven Garza and his peers reminded me that politics don't have to define us, even if we let that happen far too often. I walked away momentarily hopeful that my kids could stand for something and that I could do the same...and also mindful that false binaries are super tempting for all of us. I wish every documentary managed this kind of storytelling and nuance.
Review of Boys State
