Boy Meets Girl

I had heard about this movie but until today did not have an opportunity to see it. Sadly, as an indie film it does not have the distribution it deserves, but now that we can stream it on vimeo the masses can finally watch.

My interest in the film was due to the transgender main character. Having a trans actress playing a trans character is not common today, so this was an exciting opportunity for the community. They pulled it off. Ricky, played by Michelle Hendley is charming and fun. While the character is transgender and the story focuses on that point, she is a fun, sarcastic small town girl and it is easy to forget her anatomy throughout most of the film. While Michelle has a bit of a newcomer feel to her acting, it plays well into the coming of age trans female character.

Sadly, her best friend Robby (Michael Welch) was quirky but really stiff. I was left wanting more from his character and kept hoping for a stronger dynamic between two.

Acting aside, it's a beautiful story. Somewhat predictable but still a winning formula for a romantic comedy. I cried, I laughed, and I developed a major crush on the Ricky. There's not much more I could have hoped for from an Indie release.

Well worth watching and sure to be a classic in the LGBT archives.

Saw this at the Louisville LGBT Film Festival. Being a trans woman myself probably makes my review slightly biased, but oh well. The fact that it is based in my home state of Kentucky doesn't really influence my opinion either. This film had it all as far as the triumphs and pit falls of a young trans relationship in today's times. The hetero / gay / trans relationship scene can be a jumbled mess....as this film shows. This was the lead character's first performance on screen and she did an amazing job!!! The male lead is a seasoned actor and it showed. They had great chemistry together. That also made the film flow really well and seem very believable. I give it a 9 for content and storyline, but a 7 for editing quality and overall filming quality. That really isn't a slam, just evidence of the lower budget, indie film that it is. I hope to see more from this director and from the two lead performers!

I think this film has the ability to capture the hearts of both the easy target of the LGBT community but also the more mainstream hetero community. Go see it if you can! You won't be sorry and will probably cry!

Conceptually, I really liked Boy Meets Girl. It managed to twist the conventional narrative of a transgender woman coming to terms with her identity, and the challenges that come along with it, on its head and have it so that it is the other characters who are unsure of themselves and are seeking clarity and the conviction to be who they are. Unfortunately, unlike the lead characters, the script never found this clarity and conviction to make good of its concept and finds itself train-tracking cardboard characters through stilted conversations and coming-of-gender conventions leaving the whole film feel to feel just a little bit flat at the end of the line.

It is a shame that we have to talk about casting and how it is commendable that an actual transgender actress was cast in the lead role. Michelle Hendley certainly looks the part as Ricky Jones; she is a beautiful transgender woman playing a beautiful transgender woman on screen. The problem is that, based on this performance, she is just not a very good actress. Her delivery never felt natural, regardless of whether she was trying make a snarky comment at an acquaintance or simply serve a customer some coffee. This is made even more noticeable by the performance of Michael Welch as her non-gay best-friend who manages to convey his conflicting feelings with passion and depth, which made it so disappointing that his character was so under-written.

The issue with the script itself is that all of the characters felt as if they existed to interact with Ricky and didn't have enough screen-time to get to really know them so you could understand the journeys that they were going on. This meant that when it was time for them to do the things they needed to do to make the story go forward it rarely felt like it was their choice. There were still moments of comedy and pathos that made the film enjoyable, and it is all very, very sweet, but there wasn't much to think about beyond the superficial once the credits kicked in.

Overall I would say that your enjoyment of this film will very much depend on how much you buy into the lead character. If you can relate to them and project your own personality and experiences onto them I suspect that you'll be left feeling very happy. If you are looking for a character to make you think about yourself, then this is not the film you are going to meet them.

Boy Meets Girl (2014) was directed by Eric Schaeffer. Rickie, played by Michelle Henry, has known she's a woman since childhood. The problem is that she was born in a man's body. She has been transgendered medically, but not surgically. The people of the small town in which she lives know all this, and they've accepted it. (I live in a small town, and this rings true. People may think transgendering, or being lesbian, or being gay, is a little strange, but Ricky is one of their own, and they accept her for what she is.)

Ricky's straight best friend Robby, played by Michael Welch, truly cares for Ricky. There are some funny scenes where Robby tries to answer questions about what heterosexuals do when they make love. Remember that Ricky has male genitalia. When she's attracted to a beautiful straight woman, she doesn't exactly know how it all works. The beautiful woman is Francesca, who is engaged to a Marine. He's stationed in Afghanistan. He's there, Ricky is here, and romance with Francesca develops.

I felt that the plot weakened at that point, and that the last portion of the film didn't live up to what we had seen before. Even so, I highly recommend Boy Meets Girl. It's charming and worth seeking out.

We saw this movie at the Little Theatre as part of the brilliant ImageOut Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work well on DVD.

The real value of this movie demonstrates how important it is to be honest in all of your relationships (family, friends, acquaintances, and committed relationships). The dialog, scripting, and acting--all wonderful, real, and warm. At first, I became clear that this movie does have aspects that are uncomfortable to watch, and so I really didn't want to finish watching the movie. But, my inner wisdom nudged me forward, and I'm so glad that I watched it to the end. The film really has some heartfelt moments, and there is a nice payoff...things do eventually take place in this story that make you feel good inside. On a higher level, this film challenges your beliefs, and how you view the particular 'national culture' that you have known throughout your life. I highly recommend giving this film a look.