New sports biopic film has Milwaukee-area connection

GREENDALE, Wis. - A new movie out in theaters follows the true story of a Milwaukee-area woman's father.

It's a tale of adversity and triumph.

"The Boys in the Boat" follows the University of Washington’s rowing team during the Great Depression.

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Despite the odds stacked against them, the team went on to represent the United States in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

Jenny Murdaugh lives in Greendale. The movie spotlights her father, Joe Rantz.

Jenny Murdaugh

"So my dad […] was the main character in it because his was the worst in the upbringing and the number of obstacles," Murdaugh said.

Abandoned and left to fend for himself in childhood, Murdaugh said her father felt "disposable" in the eyes of his dad and stepmother.

"She certainly didn’t want Joe, because he wasn’t hers, and she didn’t want to have to deal with kids – and especially one that wasn’t hers," she said.

It's a feeling many people of that era could relate to. The Great Depression loomed with uncertainty and no sense of control over life.

"Rowing was a means to an end," Murdaugh said. "Rowing was a place that he could get money or get survival."

Rantz went off to compete with his university's rowing team, not letting his struggles stand in the way of success.

"Everywhere along the way, there were obstacles to get to college," she said. "Their lives were hard to go through."

But this success story is measured in more ways than trying to win an Olympic gold medal.

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"This shows you that no matter what your obstacles are, you can overcome them," Murdaugh said.

"The Boys in the Boat" is in theaters now. You’ll have to find out for yourself if Rantz’s team won the medal.

Watch the trailer below.