Boys State
There’s a moment an hour into “Boys State” that will likely blindside a lot of viewers. It’s a moment of honesty in politics, but that’s not why it’s a stunning moment. What makes it stunning is because it throws our entire idea about the person who says it for a loop. There are plenty of moments that throw us off guard in this documentary, but this is the one that people will remember.
I think I had heard of Boys State (now, sometimes, Boys/Girls State) programs, led by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary for high school juniors, but I put it out of my mind. We follow as thousands of high schoolers from Texas go for a week of political boot camp. The students are split into two parties, they elect party leaders, and work their way towards a full state government election at the end of the week. They build party platforms, they electioneer, they try to make bills to be voted on, and they try to build coalitions. Within a party system, however, they sometimes have to compromise on ideas to get votes, or not get impeached. Seeing how that gets done is a fascinating look at the political process in action, and seeing how people adapt to it.
There are a handful of students directors Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss end up following, and one of the most compelling aspects of “Boys State” is seeing how some of our pre-conceptions about the students get blown up as the week goes through. The students are largely white, and largely conservative, but it’s interesting how two of the main students in the film- Steven Garza, who will be one of the Nationalist Party’s nominees for Governer, and Rene Otero, who will be the Nationalist Committee Chair- are people of color, and seeing how they have to navigate being party leaders in a party where a great many people don’t agree with their issues is riveting to watch. Part of the idea behind Boys State, both the group and the documentary, is to promote honest and productive debate on issues, rather than just yelling at the other person. What is interesting is seeing how that breaks down in some moments, especially when it comes to elections (where our notions of running campaigns tend to go to the worst case scenario) vs. governing. That said, when all is said and done, these students find themselves realizing that unity is more important than division. Even if I don’t agree with all of these students, I think I would feel better having them be involved in the process moving forward.
