At the height of the Great Depression, Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) is a would-be engineer used to fending for himself, having been abandoned by his family long ago. To cover his tuition at the University of Washington, Joe joins their scrappy rowing team, led by taciturn coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton). When the chance arises to represent the United States at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the team of nine young men – all blue-collar rowers – must learn to work as one to find their place on the world stage.

Solidly directed by George Clooney, and based on the book by Daniel James Brown, this is a good, old-fashioned underdog sports story. It may not break any new ground, but The Boys in the Boat is unapologetic in its telling of an inspirational, crowd-pleasing tale.