The Boys In The Boat

Growing up in the Roanoke/Portage Bay neighborhood of Seattle across from the University of Washington, the sight of early morning crew practice on Lake Union was common.  My brother was part of Greenlake Crew in high school and one of his best friends had a single shell.  Every year, on opening day at the Montlake Cut, we’d trek over to the bridge, pack a picnic lunch, to watch the crew races and the boat parade.  I wasn’t around in 1936 when this group of kids earned their way to the Summer Olympics in Berlin and captured the gold medal, but my parents were and I’m pretty sure that the level of excitement at that time matched or exceeded what I saw in this little film of hope and inspiration.  Like “Sleepless In Seattle”, there are few scenes that didn’t jive with the landscape, but the story was engaging and the races were adrenaline inducing.  Rating:  3.5 stars - paddles up, shove off, stroke, all are one.