Review: Boys State
Growing up in the state of Texas, I’m no stranger to the reigning narratives in Texan politics, but Boys State, a new documentary from Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, was surprisingly well rounded in its representation of the myriad beliefs in Texas in particular and the United States as a whole. The documentary also acts as a lens through which to view the more troubling aspects of American politics.
The film follows the week-long mock gubernatorial race put on by the American Legion where boys from all over the state of Texas (the group has a presence in other states as well) come together, develop their platforms, hold debates, and reflect as closely as possible, the actual political process. Turns out when you get a group of adolescent boys together to reflect what they’ve internalized from their environment and the world of American politics at large, you get much of the same outcome as you see from our actual political parties: a big and beautiful mess of dissenting parties, corruption, solidarity, and hope for the future.
Despite what some critics have to say about the film, I do believe there is a throughline of hope in Boys State. Not because these kids have any unique power to upend the world of politics, but because this group of kids is representative of future leaders in this country who are invested in participating in a dialogue and in a process. And at the end of the day, that’s what this democratic country is founded on and on its best days, where it shines.