Um Garoto como Jake

Good subject, but just didn't learn much or feel much of a connection to the issue and especially to Jake who maybe occupied five minutes of an 89 minute movie. Seemed to be more about the parents personal issues so maybe should have been titled "The Parents of Jake". Seems many other 5 star & lower viewer's comments had similar thoughts.

Alex (Claire Danes) and Greg Wheeler (Jim Parsons) are loving parents of their son Jake in New York. He's a psychiatrist who avoids confrontation. She's a former lawyer staying home to care for Jake despite shade from her mother (Ann Dowd). They send Jake to kindergarten run by Judy (Octavia Spencer). Judy reports some difficulties with Jake wearing dresses as the loving parents struggle with this gender issue.

This is a story about Jake. Jake should be the lead. Jake holds the more compelling drama. Jake is rarely seen and even less heard from. This is a story about Jake without Jake. The major dramatic event comes in the second half. The first half is mostly the parents tippy toeing the issue and the movie is infected with the tippy toeing. Instead of immersing in the drama, it walks around it and avoids it. This could be a great movie if it's about the kid and not the parents.

SPOILER: Given that this was originally written as a play, it may be unavoidable that most of the story is of the adults. Jake's father is a Freudian-style psychologist, and there is a fair degree of filler as he repeatedly meets with a client. Jake's mother has had ballet training, had worked as a lawyer, but dropped out to be a full-time mother, to the disapproval of HER mother.

Filled with fairy tales read by his mother, there is little attempt by either parent to "correct" Jake's non-gender-conforming behavior - wearing dresses, playing the role of princess. Even at a queer-friendly pre-school, there are signs of trouble. Things get worse when the parents try to place Jake in a private kindergarten, where trial placements often end up with verbal abuse and fights.

The entire story happens over maybe 8 months, so there is no answer to the question as to whether Jake grows out non-conforming behavior, or actually identifies as a girl. I did note that Jake's last scene had him wearing not a dress but a tutu. Was it all simply his mother's influence?

To me, this movie portrayed parents so worried about their child being a victim of gender "expansion", that they missed the point that he was exhibiting aggressive behavior and stubbornness issues. Also, I love and adore Jim Parsons, but it was painful watching him attempt to portray a straight man....just as it is painful to watch the straight Eric McCormack attempt to portray a gay man. It just doesn't work.

Greetings again from the darkness. Hot societal topics often become fodder for new movies, and this usually results in a slew of similar stories - some good, others not so good. Currently, discussions of gender identity is second only to Trump-bashing in terms of media attention, and so we can expect Hollywood to rush-to-production in order to capitalize. This latest from director Silas Howard had a timing advantage as it was adapted by writer Daniel Pearle from his own play.

The titular Jake is a 4 year old (his 5th birthday party plays a role) who enjoys fairy tales and dressing like a princess. His stay-at-home mom (Claire Danes as Alex Wheeler) and psychologist father (Jim Parsons as Greg Wheeler) are aware of Jake's preferences, but as with most things in their marriage, what minimal conversation occurs is of the over-the-top arguing type. The "issue" is painfully and awkwardly brought to the forefront as the parenting couple subject themselves to the Private Pre-School application process.

The challenges of parenthood, including judgmental friends and relatives, and the competitive nature of comparisons, are beyond obvious in most every scene of Act 1. Even Alex's (probably not coincidental that her name is gender-neutral) mother (Ann Dowd) is passive-aggressive in her judgments of Alex quitting her job as a lawyer to stay home with her son. Octavia Spencer co-stars as Jake's teacher and counselor to the Wheelers during the application process, and even her role has a twist designed to elicit more judgment and discrimination.

There is really nothing convincing throughout the film. It's barely Lifetime Channel material, with a simplified emphasis on the difficulties of raising a non-conforming child. The incessant arguing amongst parents, family members, and friends makes each successive scene more annoying than the previous. The film should have been entitled "Parents Like Jake's" because Jake has almost no screen time, while Ms. Danes flashes her "Carrie cry-face" (for "Homeland" fans) incessantly.

Certainly the topic of gender identity and non-conformity is worthy of discussion and analysis, as it has entered mainstream conscience in less than one generation. Anxiety and confusion exists, and even well-meaning conversation can take a wrong turn quickly. We just need - and deserve - better guidance than this film provides.