In order to prepare for her role, Hilary Swank lived like a man for at least a month, including tying her chest with tight bandages and stuffing socks on the front of her pants, doing exactly the way Brandon Tiner did.
In more than three years, after hundreds of actresses had considered and rejected this role, Hilary Swank won the opportunity to play Brandon Tiner. She told director Kimberly Pierce that just like her character, she was 21 years old and came from Lincoln, Nebraska. In fact, she lied, and when Pierce questioned her later, she replied "But that's what Brandon wanted to do."
The film is based on the real life of Brandon Tina.
The name of the movie comes from a song by The Cure, and the cover poster of this song can also be seen in the movie.
Director Kimberly Pierce said that in the opening scene of skating, she used the same lens as the one used in The Wizard of Oz (1939) (that is, Dorothy left her house for the first time and walked into Oz. when).
Hilary Swank imitated Brandon Tiner during filming to achieve the effect of being fake. Her neighbor was convinced that this "young man" (Swank playing a male role) who often came to Swank's house was her brother who came to visit.
All the actresses in the film (Chloë Sevigny, Alicia Goranson and Alison Folland) have auditioned for the role of Brandon
.
