Boys Don't Cry is a 1999 American independent drama film based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was raped and murdered on December 31, 1993 by his male friends after they found out he had female genitalia. The film features Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena and Chloë Sevigny as Brandon's girlfriend, Lana Tisdel. Boys Don t Cry received overwhelmingly positive acclaim from critics, especially the two lead performances from Swank and Sevigny, and considering its reasonably low budget, and independent production, it was a box office success, with most of the success coming from word of mouth and critical views. Swank was awarded the 1999 Academy Award for Best Actress, and Sevigny was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress. The film is set in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Falls City, Nebraska, but was mainly filmed in Greenville, Texas, a small town about 45 miles northeast of Dallas. Its release was concurrent with the murder of a young gay man, Matthew Shepard, which sparked additional public interest in the film.