Site Meter Darkside Rainbow » Blog Archive » Thursday’s Transgender Tales #4: TransAmerica

Thursday’s Transgender Tales #4: TransAmerica

by Adrien-Luc Sanders

That’s right, today I’m choosing to spotlight a film and not a person. Why? Because if you haven’t seen this, you should.

Image taken from IMDBTransAmerica stars Felicity Huffman as Bree, a pre-operative MtF transwoman, and the chronicles the adventure she faces in reconciling both her past life as a man and the inclusion of a son into her life. It covers a difficult cross-country journey in which Bree first appears to her son, Toby, as a stranger with a yen for helping troubled individuals - only for Toby to eventually discover, over the course of the trip, that not only is Bree M2F…but also his father.

The film does a very good job of covering complex issues that face the trans population of the world when dealing with society, family, and life in general, while handling them in a humorous-but-not-indelicate fashion. Beyond Huffman’s stellar performance, the film also offers a chance to combine education with entertainment and broaden the scope of those unfamiliar with trans issues in a way that makes it easier for them to accept and understand.

What I love the most about it is that it feels very real. There may be humor, but it’s real humor at the drollness of life rather than a slapstick attempt at comedy that would undermine the message underneath an evocative tale of companionship and self-discovery - not just for Bree, but for her son as well, and anyone who can identify with the search to be comfortable with one’s own life and one’s own choices.

Though don’t get me wrong, it is damned funny. And heartwarming, and tearjerking, and…

Oh, just go watch it. You won’t regret it.

My favorite quote from the film: “My body may be a work in progress, but there is nothing wrong with my soul.”

Amen.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Posted in Opinion, sex and sexuality, transgender on May 31st, 2007

Link to this Entry

Recent Posts

Related Posts

One Response to “Thursday’s Transgender Tales #4: TransAmerica”

  1. Lessa Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 1:56 pm

    Oh how I adored this movie! I agree! If you haven’t seen it - go! watch it now!

Leave a Reply


About Darkside Rainbow

DarksideRainbow.net is 451 Press's look at the darker side of the rainbow - where gay life takes a decided turn away from the happy, the shiny, and the pink, complete with news, gossip, and a healthy dose of caffeine-fueled cynicism from gay blogger Adrien-Luc Sanders. Check in Monday through Friday for a decidedly tongue-in-cheek slant on current events in the GLBTQ world, spiced with a few fun rants.

Darkside Rainbow Author(s)
    » Adrien-Luc-Sanders

NAVIGATE

LINKS

CATEGORIES

TOP COMMENTERS

RECENT COMMENTS

SUBSCRIBE

ARCHIVES

Blogging Flair

You're listening to Adrien's Mix #1 - Extended
on Darkside Rainbow Radio.
Choose a track and press Play.




Take the Diva Quiz

 

Gay & Lesbian Channel Posts

  • The Trevor Project Gives Hope to Suicidal LGBT Youth
    One thing that readers of Pride and Opinions may not know about me is that I once founded and ran a nonprofit organization dedicated to teen suicide prevention.  It is a subject about which I am [...]
  • A Street by Any Other Name...
    Apparently the streets are too gay in San Antonio, Texas.  So says the Second Street Baptist Church, who petitioned the city council to change the name of a street that runs adjacent to the [...]
  • The Leather Community Mourns the Loss of Larry Townsend
    Pride and Opinions joins with the worldwide leather community in mourning the loss of Larry Townsend, author of the groundbreaking 1970's book "The Leatherman's Handbook" and dozens of [...]
  • God Hates Fags and Canada Hates Phelps
    Our old buddy Fred Phelps and his inbred Westboro Baptist Church congregation seem to be up to their old tricks again. This time the family business attempted to travel to Canada but were turned [...]
  • Michael's Hot Men - Olympic Edition
    Trey Hardee is a all around athlete who originally hails from Birmingham, Alabama though he now calls Texas home.  His 2008 Olympic dreams were assured when he placed as runner up in the [...]
  • Huntsville, AL Tranny Gets Busted
    According to a report in the Huntsville Times, a serial transgender criminal has been found guilty of robbing a bank. It took a jury only 36 minutes to return a verdict of guilty against Jimmy [...]
  • Fabulous Friday - Annoyed at the News Edition
    It has been a long time since I have screamed such a heartfelt and barbaric "TGIF!" as I did this morning when I sprung from the bed and reached for my first cup of coffee.  It isn't [...]
  • The Politics of Desperation
    So it is that a certain presumed Republican nominee for the November Presidential race has deemed it necessary to resort to petty juvenile cracks directed at a certain presumed Democratic nominee’s [...]
  • What have you done today?
    Pride isn’t just about the sultry summer months full of white parties and parades, it is – or at least it should be – an every day thing. Every day is Pride Day. I don’t care whether you [...]
  • Pride and Opinions – Spreading the Love around the Web Wide World
    It occurred to me a few days ago that this site is nowhere near where it should be.  Having just taken it over a few weeks ago, the content is evolving on a daily basis and I have tons of [...]

 

Hot Off The Press

  • TV on DVD Review of Week: Handy Manny - Manny's Pet Roundup
    Handy Manny's Pet Roundup is the latest DVD release with episodes of the Handy Manny Playhouse Disney show for preschoolers. This is a decent release of the show for a three main reasons. One [...]
  • ‘Veronica Mars’ Movie in the Works?
    Well, not officially…yet.  But it seems that Veronica Mars creator, Rob Thomas, did meet with star Kristen Bell to talk about a possible VM movie. According to EW’s Michael Ausiello, [...]
  • Slow News Day
    Rescue Me's mini-episode last night was funny, also a different kind of sarcastic humor for them (one in which the characters might not see it but the viewer does), with them anxiously patronizing [...]
  • Custom Nursery Prints
    New baby announcements and birthday invitations for kids have become so much more original and cute. Five years ago when we searched for announcements for our twins, photo cards were so [...]
  • Breaking Down the Kingsolver Formula
    I have read two books by Barbara Kingsolver recently: I just finished Animal Dreams (1990), and two books before that, Prodigal Summer (2001). I would still call Kingsolver one of my favorite [...]
  • Pushing Daisies Season 2 Episode 1-10 Guide
    Warning: I'm keeping the guides right after the cut, in case some of this blog's visitors don't want to be spoiled of the story... These are what we have so far and we're going to update [...]
  • Quotes to Help You Follow Your Dreams
    I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. W.B. Yeats Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. Henry [...]
  • didyouhearthat?
    That sound . . . that slightest of whispers . . . no, that loudest of gleeful yells . . . do you hear what I hear? A song, a song, (etc.) Yup - it's the first day of school on the Kenai [...]
  • Paris Hilton to choose a British BFF
    Well her latest MTV reality show, Paris Hilton’s My New BFF may not have hit the televisions yet until this fall, but Paris Hilton seems to be enjoying already the fame of someone in search for [...]
  • Alot of Beer and Cherry Poppin' Daddies in Chattanooga this Saturday
    Are you ready for a road trip? Big River Grille & Brewing Works, a sister restaurant of Rock Bottom, is proud to present the 14th Annual Southern Brewers Festival... Twenty-one microbreweries [...]