Anything's Possible

Anything's Possible is a cute young adult film. I think that it has some strengths like the cinematography, the storyline, and the costume design yet the acting falls a little flat for the main characters. Sometimes the lines would be delivered too flat and sounded amateurish. Overall it doesn't distract from too much of the film. I like Billy Porter's direction with the film and thought he tried to show a new type of romance involving a trans teenager and her life. I think the conflict was somewhat realistic but was wrapped up too quickly. I think the movie wanted to be wholesome yet dramatic but it came off as rushed. Long story short, decent film for those who love young adult romance.

This isn't a great movie. It most certainly is a good movie. And as a first offering from Billy Porter there's some incredible material here. Is it fun? Cute? A nice RomCom? Yep.

It's also one of the more important topics we need to be talking about right now. Basic human decency, and the ability for people to live their truth. It's a movie, that happens to be about a trans youth. It deals with some difficult ideas, which is basically adolescence in a nutshell. If the movie offends you, the problem is not with the movie.

Recently I've seen the most disgusting violence I've ever seen in film and television... but someone falls in love with someone else and you're offended?? No. That's not the discussion we need to have. Evolution is hard, and it's going to happen no matter how much you don't want it to.

Kelsa is a modern woman, that just wants her moment to feel loved, and be seen in a world that is trying very hard to erase people like her. Khalid is a kind young man that just follows his heart, into the arms of a woman struggling for identity, a vision of her future, and the need to loved just for who she is. A love story.

If you get that, you'll get this delightful, light, and very needed little bit of comfort cinema. Keep it up, Billy.

IN A NUTSHELL: This modern Gen Z coming-of-age story shines a spotlight on Kelsa, a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through her senior year and romance. Two-time Tony Award winner Billy Porter directed the movie. He was most recently featured as a trans "Fabulous Godmother" in Amazon's Cinderella in 2021.

THINGS I LIKED: I had never seen Eva Reign in anything before. She definitely has charisma and does an outstanding job representing the trans world.

This is probably the first time we've ever seen a trans-girl in a high school romance being featured in a film, right? Can you think of others?

Others in the cast include Abubakr Ali, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Simon Joy Jones, and Kelly Lamor Wilson.

There is some humor but a lot of awkward moments.

Keep watching during the final credits for a little dance number by the cast.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: People argue about how woke they are.

The protagonist gets super upset that everyone puts so much emphasis on sex and gender, yet she wears super sexy clothing in every scene.

There's not a lot of depth to the characters in the sense that we don't get to learn that much about them, only offering surface-level discussions.

Similarly, the movie touches on various subjects like gender bathrooms and society's stereotypes but doesn't dive much deeper into the subjects.

All of the teenagers are super self-absorbed, but then again, that's how teenagers generally are.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Crude conversations Some profanity and F-bomb Teenage bullying A transvestite makes out with a guy many times We see a shirtless teenage boy Teens drink alcohol at a party Two teenage boys get into a fist fight

THEMES: Gender identity Teenage/high school life Identity Acceptance Friendship Social media Kindness Courage Romance Discrimination Single motherhood Seeing people for who and what they are Gen Z life and perspective Morally superiority and virtue signaling

I really admire Billy Porter, a super talented individual who is great at acting and singing. But given this offering, I think he should stick to acting and singing and perhaps stick to producing and finding the right director for his material. Although I was looking forward to a good movie featuring a real trans person and a good script, the whole affair was terribly derivative and so sticky sweet it bordered on nauseating. It reminded me of watching an episode of "Leave It To Beaver" or "Father Knows Best," for anyone out there old enough (and you'd have to be really old) to remember how artificial those episodes felt.

Still, it is groundbreaking in some aspects and I hope to see more movies like this, albeit more realistic and with characters a bit more believable and down-to-earth.

I smiled through this whole movie. I grew up watching most of the coming-of-age movies of my generation. We had Clueless, American Pie, Project X, Mean Girls, 21 and Over, and many more. They all have these hidden but beautiful messages about courage. These movies touched on themes such as love, friendship, the feeling of the unknown approaching fast, and the struggle each of us had with moving on to the next step. Anything's Possible touches on all these themes and does it well. It is an excellent story about self-awareness, identity, and acceptance. It tells us to look beyond the expectations of our society, parents, friends, and even ourselves. To be brave and take a leap to love, and believe that being loved and falling in love does not know any boundaries.

The lead actress and the supporting cast are incredibly talented. The actress playing the mom is fantastic. Eva Reign is not only gorgeous but a skilled actress not afraid to showcase her raw emotions and tell us about her generation's struggles.

The script does not to be too complex and Billy Porter masterfully tells the story of finding love in senior year and going through all the drama that comes with being different. My advice to my fellow movie lovers is to look at this movie unbiasedly and focus on its intended audience. This movie focuses on friendship, love, acceptance, and growth. It does not try to force any messages down our throats or pander, so even boomers may enjoy it.

My biggest struggle growing up was to be accepted. Growing up as a minority and not being represented in my community was very tough. It makes me so happy to see that a young black woman and a middle eastern boy are the lead in this movie. Things are changing for the better, and I pray for acceptance and love for all.