In the new Amazon MGM Studios film “The Boys in the Boat,” releasing to theaters on Christmas Day, a rowing team from The University of Washington, strives to win gold at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The film, based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction book by Daniel James Brown, was directed by Academy Award-winning actor and producer George Clooney and stars Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, and Hadley Robinson.
Clooney, who previously directed “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Monuments Men” and “Good Night and Good Luck,” said the story of a team coming together to win was very relevant for modern times, which can be very “polarizing.”
“I think we’re all in sort of the same boat, literally, which is we’re all kind of beat up,” he said. “It is pretty polarizing times in the states and the country. And we’re all sort of tired of it, tired of being mad and being at each other’s throats.”
With that in mind, Clooney says by focusing on a team that comes together to win and shows unity, it can be an example for viewers who’ve lost sight of the humanity of their neighbors.
“We forget that we’re really good together. When things are important, we get our act together and we get along and we root for each other. And we want the best for one another and we want the best for our families.”
Since the book released, Clooney and producing partner Grant Heslov wanted the rights, but had to wait until they were released from another company. They quickly pounced, widening the scope of the book, which focused more on an individual, and more on a group of men who became a team “out of necessity.”
“They were rowing because it was the only way they could stay in college,” he said. “They were strong, tough kids, but they were poor. And that gave them an edge, because if they lost or didn’t make the cut, they weren’t going to get an education. They weren’t going to make a life for themselves or their families.”
The Christmas Day release is a perfect moment for a team reminder, Clooney said. It’s a feel-good, family film that celebrates unity, ambition and hope.
“What we felt like with this film and coming up on Christmas was that it’s also a film that talks about the idea that we’re all in this together,” he said.
“The Boys in the Boat,” directed by George Clooney and starring Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, and Hadley Robinson, releases Dec. 25 in theaters from Amazon MGM Studios.
Watch the exclusive interview with George Clooney, Joel Edgerton and DeWayne Hamby below:
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