Borstal Boy

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Irish teenager political activist and future writer Brendan Behan is befriended in a British borstal (reformatory) by a liberal warden.Irish teenager political activist and future writer Brendan Behan is befriended in a British borstal (reformatory) by a liberal warden.Irish teenager political activist and future writer Brendan Behan is befriended in a British borstal (reformatory) by a liberal warden.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

2.6K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The Broadway production of "Borstal Boy" based on a book by Brendan Behan and adapted for the stage by Frank McMahon opened at the Lyceum Theater in New York on March 31, 1970, ran for 143 performances and won the 1970 Tony Award for Best play.

Goofs
When Brendan arrives in Liverpool (which is actually London in the movie) he is passed by a London Transport Routemaster bus, a type which did not appear until 1958, though the movie is set in 1942.

Quotes
[Repeated Line]
Brendan Behan: As a prisoner of war, it is my duty to escape.

Connections
Featured in Insight Into the Borstal Boy (2000)

User reviews30

Featured review

A unique and thought provoking film

I admit to not having yet read the book on which this film is based and I'm willing to concede that the book may well be far better than the film; as alluded to in other reviews. That being said, I found this film touching, funny, controversial, unique, all those adjectives and more.

The casting of Danny Dyer as a homosexual sailor in the 1940s really shows his versatility as an actor and I believe this must have been a challenging and rewarding part. The film deals with issues that are taboo even by today's standards and although the narrative can be at times overly sentimental, these scenes are strangely refreshing and poignant.

Danny Dyer has some great lines and one hilarious scene involving a football. "Borstal Boy" is unprecedented in its approach to controversial issues and makes for a film well worth watching.