Wonderful character development!

What a waste of my time!!!

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

The Boy in Blue may not have had the sexiest tag line: Hanlan was one of the first scullers to successfully utilize the "sliding seat." But hey, there are a lot of movies that don't sound great on paper but in execution, they're something special.This film is special. You can feel the intensity in Nic Cage's eyes. He takes you on a journey you will not soon forget.And who can forget such classic lines such as 'This is making me sick wearing these monkey suits', and 'Get up, Harvard man!'It's impossible to see anybody else in this role. 10/10

It isn't Hollywood, thank goodness. Cage is just a baby and still fresh looking incredibly fit. Not quite so today! Some great talent for sure. The story is basically true and Ned Hanlan was an arrogant hot head who proved to the world what a professional champion could do. He was undefeated and took on the world. Reports of the time did say, the more clothes he took off, the bigger he looked. He was a rascal who sometimes toyed with his competition. I love the local color, including the Segwun, the oldest operating commercial screw steamship in North America. Book your tickets today! I loved the scene showing the scull. A beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Some of the race scenes are definitely a bit lame. The pace of the rowing is like a walk in the park and it certainly feels staged. Hanlan's Point in Toronto is famous and infamous! Rowing is a magnificent sport. It combines incredible fitness, cutting edge technology and a fierce will to win.

I am actually IN this movie (I was an extra in the racing scenes - that's me in a tan dress with a parasol, listening to the band play, and again up on a lock gate, watching the racers - and my father and brother were extras in it too, my dad played a nineteenth-century bookie!), so I would really like to be able to give it an excellent review. I have to be honest, though - the script is pretty bad, Nicolas Cage had very little to work with here, Christopher Plummer is wasted, and even the racing scenes are cut badly so they're not very exciting. It was much more fun to film than it is to watch - I'd say only seek out this one if you're a big Nicolas Cage fan and are intent on seeing every film in which he's acted.

Warning - Spoilers The Boy in Blue is a representation of the life of Ned Hanlen - a rowing champion during the late 19th century. Learning his craft as a whiskey runner Ned moves into the world of high stakes rowing (popular during the era) and through love and emotional growth becomes a champion.While well done for a period piece the life of Ned Hanlen, as told in The Boy in Blue, does not represent a story compelling enough to carry an entire movie. Interesting in it's technical details (I've done a small amount of rowing and thought the sport was well captured) the amount of drama in Mr. Hanlen's life just does not rise to the level needed to make the movie consistently interesting.David Naughton plays the sleazy manager/promoter (with the requisite Heart of Gold); Christopher Plummer plays the sleazy backer/gambler (no Heart of Gold) and Cynthia Dale plays the love interest. While mildly interesting the attempts at sabotage, thuggery and skulduggery just don't add up to a "movies worth" of a story.