Boys Town DVD

"Boys Town" is the sort of old Hollywood Catholicism, like "On the Waterfront" or "The Song of Bernadette," that simply glows with life on the screen regardless of the passage of time. Based on the true story of Father Edward Flanagan's founding of "Boys Town" for homeless and unwanted children in 1917 Nebraska, the movie won Academy Awards for its story and for Best Actor (Spencer Tracy as Flanagan) in 1938, when the real Father Flanagan was still alive to see it. But it still holds up well today as a timeless story of undisciplined boyhood getting refined by the love of one's fellow man. Its depiction of struggling children in an economically depressed United States (1917 in the film, 1938 when it was made) feels particularly topical in a post-Occupy Wall Street world. The film contains great child acting (particularly Mickey Rooney as a troubled youth at the story's centre) in addition to the strikingly compassionate performance by Spencer Tracy, who is so natural in this Oscar-winning role that he does not appear to be acting. Although he's playing a larger-than-life Catholic priest, Tracy's character is so subtle and understated (his eyes do much of the acting at times) that his few moments of action carry tremendous power, revealing a deeply rooted determination and dedication in Father Flanagan. It's one of the most amazing performances in the history of American cinema, made all the more remarkable by its effortless lack of flash. Tracy's quiet dignity and grace make a nice contrast with Rooney's frenetic insecurity, making their scenes together a real highlight.

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