Transamerica

Last week a family getting ready to move gave my wife and I a bag of books and a few films. One of the films was Transamerica. I glanced at the front and back and through "Hmmm, I didn't I know Mrs. H. was into weird movies". A few nights later my wife and I decided to give the film a try. The film was great, we're so tired of the same old Hollywood stuff, action, special effects, top dollar actors who could care less about the characters. The film captured us in the very beginning, we both empathized with Bree, understood her struggle, pain, and basic desire to be herself. The road trip was a great part of the film. I enjoyed the Calvin Manygoats and the meeting with her parents (the mom was great). I grew uncomfortable with Toby's desire to have sex with his biological father, as well as the tryst with the trucker, but this was an intergral part of the story and the film was very realistic. I learned a lot about the struggle and pain that these people have in life, it made me more accepting of their lives. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good story, exceptional acting, and good dialog. It's a very good film.

This was my favorite film of the Tribeca festival. Felicity Huffman's performance is incredible and grabs you from the first scene. It was a smart, poignant and funny film. Some of the characters are too thinly drawn, some of the humor too inappropriately broad but those were minor issues for me. Though rooted in some ways in standard plot devices, the transgender protagonist makes all the difference in the world. Which, in a way, is kind of the point -- how we view people's differences (with acceptance or disdain) says a lot about who we are. Of course, it played well here in New York City. But what about the rest of Bush's America? By the way, I was told that Lions Gate picked up the film for distribution.

'Transamerica' is mainly a road movie about a pre-operative transsexual Bree (Huffman), her unknowing son (Zegers) and their complex yet developing relationship. There are some brilliant shots of the vast American landscapes throughout the film. This is not a predominant social rights movie. It focuses more on the relationship between the two protagonists. It's about about individual acceptance rather than social approval. It's not a tragic piece either. In spite of involving a risky subject, Tucker cleverly gives a comic touch to his writing by balancing it with the drama without making any of it even slightly melodramatic.

Bree is just a couple of days away from fulfilling her dream of becoming a women when suddenly she receives an unexpected phone call saying that her son's in jail. Bree is reluctant and not too happy about facing her past but after taking her therapist Margaret she goes to New York and bails her son out of jail and decides to drive with him to L.A. During this trip they tell each other about their lives (the use of flashbacks has been cleverly avoided).

Felicity Huffman delivers a brave and fantastic performance of what she herself described as the role of a lifetime. She displays Bree with insecurity, pathos, fear, humour and growth which really makes one forget that they're actually looking at an actress act. Her use of non-verbal language is remarkable. While in the beginning the audience may feel that they're looking at an ugly freak, one can't help but love the character after the end credits have rolled. Kevin Zegers intensely underplays his part as Bree's son Toby and does a fine job. Elizabeth Pena, Graham Greene and Fionulla Flanagan stand out in smaller roles.

'Transamerica' is a wonderful sincere film about very real people. It's about a woman and her son surviving in a difficult world. Though many have described Huffman's performance to be of Oscar calibre, the Oscars have rewarded many non-deserving performances. It is definitely one of the most challenging performances and one that will be remembered in the history of cinema. A fine piece of cinema.

I first saw Transamerica as the closing film for the Frameline film festival in San Francisco where it won the "The Frameline Audience Award for Best Feature". The film was obviously a labor of love. Duncan Tucker wrote, directed and wisely cast Felicity Huffman as Bree (before she had been cast as a "desperate housewife"). Huffman's husband William Macy was executive producer.

The plot line is certainly the tried and true formula of the transformational road trip, yet the irony of Bree's concurrent sexual transformation freshens a story that could easily have been cliché. Kevin Zegers and the rest of the supporting cast are superb, but Huffman's characterization of Bree is Oscar caliber.

See Transamerica! It's not tragic like "Boys Don't Cry". It's not about sexuality, fetish, or camp. It's a movie about otherness, transformation, family, and ultimately acceptance. Felicity Huffman's Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated performance is absolutely astounding. Her acting skill fills Bree with insecurity, pathos, warmth, humor, and growth which ultimately transforms the audience's involvement from freak show curiosity to empathy and identification.

Thankfully the Weinstein brothers recognized just how outstandingly strong this performance is and decided that Transamerica would be one of the first films they would choose to distribute after their great success at Miramax.

I saw this movie again during it's limited distribution, again in general distribution and now own the DVD. Each time I've watched it I find even more to like. Transamerica is an indie classic.

I saw Transamerica last night at the Tribeca Film Festival and absolutely loved it. I was concerned beforehand that I would not be able to relate to the characters, but that turned out not to be a problem. The acting of Felicity Huffman and Kevin Zegers is done with so much sincerity that I quickly came to care about their characters. Ms. Huffman's performance is one of the best I have seen. Having not seen any of her television or movies, I did not know anything about her. In fact, I thought that she was truly a man playing the part of the transsexual woman. The script was always believable and allowed Ms. Huffman to show some wry humor. The writer/director Duncan Tucker was there to make a few comments answer questions. The only problem is that the film has not yet been picked up by a distributor so if you want to see it (and you should) you may have to find a film festival somewhere.