What happens when you put 1,200 teenage boys inside the Texas capitol complex and ask them to play politics with the same rules that the state is governed by? They debate abortion rights and gun control. You may hope they would have some interest in debating education, affordable housing, job opportunities, or other issues that are also close to the realities of their soon to come adult life, or their male bodies for that matter, but nah. For the most part, they tend to imitate adult role models in ultra-conservative Texas politics, both in rhetoric and in tactics. 

After all, these young men are technically not adults yet, though at least one of the main subjects turns 18 during the film. And don’t get me wrong, these young men are vetted before they can participate in this event, and many of them show a level of maturity that I wish I had had when I was their age. So, it also makes sense that some of these youngbloods will go down the path of imitation, hopefully on their way to independent thinking.

The event in question is Texas Boys State, a political coming of age for boys in this case (there is also Girls State, which after seeing this I hope the filmmakers are on their way to documenting too), where kids from all over the state spend a week forming a State government from scratch. Sponsored by The American Legion since 1935, Boys State is a tradition in many states, but as someone says in the film, “Texas is like a mini-version of the United States,” with its ethnic and cultural diversity, mix of urban and rural populations, and sheer geographical size. And we do get to see some of the tactics, divisions, issues, problems, accomplishments, and frivolities of our current national politics on display. 

Boys State the film is directed with acute sensibility by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, just before we were all confined to watching films strictly online. It must be a treat to see this on the big screen, the film has great cinematography by Thorsten Thielow, and superb editing by Jeff Gilbert and  

Michael Vollmann. But it is the work of the directors in choosing their main subjects that allows the film to touch on some of the most important aspects of our current political landscape.

The filmmakers choose to focus on a diverse group that includes Steven Garza, the son of Mexican immigrants who was born in Mission, Texas, grew up in Houston, and is the first to graduate high school in his family; Robert MacDougall, a charismatic leader from a well to do family in Austin; Ben Feinstein, an ultra-driven self-described politics junkie from San Antonio with a deep admiration for Ronald Reagan; and René Otero, who is Latino and black and a complete outsider to Texas politics, having recently relocated from Chicago.

Judging by this group, you would think the future of political representation in Texas is quite diverse, but nothing speaks of the realities of the event as when René Otero says, “I’ve never seen so many white people in my life.” And there it is, a sea of white boys speckled by a few Latino, African American and Asian boys, competing to take the most powerful positions in State politics in one of the most culturally diverse states in the nation. Any similarity to the world of real adult politics at the Texas capitol is a mere coincidence. Or is it?

The dynamics of the event divide the 1,200 boys randomly into two parties. Otero quickly becomes chair of his party, and just as quickly there is a minority concerted effort to vote him out and impeach him, which may or may not have to do with his race and demeanor, but ultimately allows him to show his political savvy. He quickly forms an alliance with fellow partyman Steven Garza, who decides to run for Governor, the highest office available, and does so with surprising steadiness steering away from hardcore ideological rhetoric, opting for a conciliatory approach, a rare sight in today’s polarized political discourse.

Ben Feinstein also becomes party chair after quickly realigning his priorities, showing a natural talent for politics while displaying a gist for dirty tactics, which he can also fully justify in his “in politics, you play to win” attitude. Next to him, Robert McDougall seems to be in just for the fun, but it is these two characters who embody some of the most troublesome aspects of politics, fully exposing their willingness to make people believe they support a cause when they in private do not, and their need for victory above all else.

Boys State is an exhilarating film to watch. The filmmakers succeed in transmitting the intensity of these young boys, both as a group and in more intimate moments and interviews. Needless to say, the film exudes masculinity, and you can almost smell the crowded rooms at times. In this sense, the film is also an important document about the dynamics of race and gender in the political theatre. The filmmakers smartly avoid going into a racial debate, yet the film speaks volumes about the lack of cultural, ethnic and ideological diversity in political representation, especially at the highest levels, and about the differing approaches that a more diverse group of individuals could have towards what is important in today’s politics.

Of course, the game these boys are playing lacks many of the stronger aspects of real politics, like dealing with taxes, a budget, a police force, natural disasters, and in the case of Texas, an international border, just to name a few. But this does not stop them from fully displaying their character and ambition. There are moments of real, raw emotion that give the film a transcendental quality. This encapsulated political experience is an important milestone in the lives of these boys, one that happens at a crucial time in their development as men in the United States,  who will potentially be in charge of the destiny of cities, states and nations, if not corporations, organizations and schools, or at the very least, families and their own civic selves. 

In 2017, the year before the film was shot, Texas Boys State voted in favor of seceding from the United States. In quick montages, the film shows similar outrageous attempts at politics, like a motion to exile all Prius drivers to Oklahoma. Then there is a moment when a young man attempts to call the assembly to order and stop the frivolous motions, only to be met with resounding boos in the house chamber.

There is also a moment in the film when Steven Garza, in one of his campaign speeches, talks about the founders of Boys State being veterans of the armed forces, expressing how dishonorable it is for the body politic of the Texas Boys State to even consider a motion to secede when the sponsors of the event have fought for the freedom of the entire Union.

The late British filmmaker Alan Parker, who shot part of his last film, The Life of David Gale (2003) at the Texas capitol, made his directorial debut in 1976 with Bugsy Malone, a tale of 1920’s gangster life entirely acted by children, including a 13-year old Jodie Foster. An alarming premise indeed, yet one that was entirely fictional. In contrast, the realities portrayed in Boys State should be a true call for action for young women and men of all different backgrounds to listen to the call that the kids in Boys State heard: go and get involved in the politics of wherever it is that you live, because one way or another, “someone will run your state.”

Boys State opens virtually on August 14, 2020 on Apple TV+

BOYS STATE

Directed by: Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine

Produced by: Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss

Cinematography by: Thorsten Thielow

Editing by: Jeff Gilbert and Michael Vollmann

Music by: T. Griffin

Running Time: 109 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Eugenio del Bosque is an independent filmmaker and film programmer working in the United States and Mexico.