Susan's Place Transgender Resources

1. What is your favorite movie or movies with a transgender/crossdresser/whatever theme? Might be even an imaginary theme that only opened to you  ;D!

Please feel free to give many examples, whatever comes to your mind!

2. What made this movie special to you?

---
Wow... the first one that comes to mind is that Mulan,  ;)! (check the Mulan thread):
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,231756.0.html

If I think really hard, the second one that comes to mind is Tootsie (the old Dustin Hoffman movie) - I thought it was entertaining! But don't really remember much about it - might suck just don't remember  :D!

Third one: Velvet Goldmine
It's not about transness whatsoever - but it has some special significance to me. I identified with the characters a lot. Note: they were guys,  ;).

Fourth one: Should I mention Mrs. Doubtfire  :D? I really liked that movie as a kid!

I don't see Mulan as a transsexual themed movie at all. It has cross-dressing in it but that's it.

The only movie (not series) out of that category I found watchable and worth giving it a go was actually 'Romeos'. I wouldn't be opposed to watching it again and that's more than I can say about most transsexual themed movies I have watched so far which were either boring, had worn out stories or were simply misrepresenting in my opinion.

What I liked about that one in particular is that the dude is actually played by a MAN and not by a freaking woman. I don't care about the whole "transpeople should only be played by transpeople" stuff at all and I disagree with that. But I think that a man should be played by a man not by a woman and in that movie a "cis" man plays the role.
The movies that feature "cis" women as men almost always suck because the women aren't able to transport the experiences of a man and apparently aren't able to think themselves into a man in the slightest. And since for whatever mentally challenged reason they have for this, they usually take women actors for transmale roles those movies usually suck and are rubbish.
That was different in this movie, I liked that.

Another thing that was refreshing about it was that the character was actually gay and not straight which is almost never the case as people don't seem to get that being a transsexual man doesn't mean you're automatically into chicks. So this might have made some people aware that gender and sexuality are two separate things.

Different for Girls. A well made & enjoyable film

Definitely Transamerica.  The lead was played by a cis woman (Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives fame) but she plays the character exceptionally well. For once a film shows a realistic portrayal of what being trans is like.

Second to that is the Danish Woman.  Really disliked how the lead was played by a cis man but Redmaye played the part very well. Despite possible historical inaccuracies; it shows to potentially unknowledgeable people how difficult it was being trans in the past; as well as how relationships with your partner can still be positive if the other comes out as trans

Boy meets girl

And the youtube short Her Story

Quote from: Corax on December 17, 2017, 03:56:15 AM
I don't see Mulan as a transsexual themed movie at all. It has cross-dressing in it but that's it.

I know,  ;). Me neither. But it hit me as a kid!

Quote from: Corax on December 17, 2017, 03:56:15 AM
The only movie (not series) out of that category I found watchable and worth giving it a go was actually 'Romeos'.

That sounds interesting! Might check that out,  ;)!

Quote from: Corax on December 17, 2017, 03:56:15 AM
I don't see Mulan as a transsexual themed movie at all. It has cross-dressing in it but that's it.

The only movie (not series) out of that category I found watchable and worth giving it a go was actually 'Romeos'. I wouldn't be opposed to watching it again and that's more than I can say about most transsexual themed movies I have watched so far which were either boring, had worn out stories or were simply misrepresenting in my opinion.

What I liked about that one in particular is that the dude is actually played by a MAN and not by a freaking woman. I don't care about the whole "transpeople should only be played by transpeople" stuff at all and I disagree with that. But I think that a man should be played by a man not by a woman and in that movie a "cis" man plays the role.
The movies that feature "cis" women as men almost always suck because the women aren't able to transport the experiences of a man and apparently aren't able to think themselves into a man in the slightest. And since for whatever mentally challenged reason they have for this, they usually take women actors for transmale roles those movies usually suck and are rubbish.
That was different in this movie, I liked that.

Another thing that was refreshing about it was that the character was actually gay and not straight which is almost never the case as people don't seem to get that being a transsexual man doesn't mean you're automatically into chicks. So this might have made some people aware that gender and sexuality are two separate things.

I took trans to mean transgender. Cross dressing is such a passé term. Transgender covers a lot more. It's like when a Co-worker used the term ->-bleeped-<- to describe someone that transitioned. He is a Christian conservative though. 


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All these are more metaphorical in nature, vis-a-vis the thread's intention...

Gattaca
-- All about someone's physical transition to be the person their genetics said they couldn't be

Alien
-- Getting the alien out of the airlock is an important metaphor for transsexing

A History of Violence
-- Issues of unintended narrative disclosure and how it can bring the unwanted "past person" back to life

Suture
-- All about stepping into a new identity, plus plastic surgery

Blade Runner
-- Deals with "passing" and what it takes to go all the way

Ex Machina
-- Transsexing, escaping the box, and narrative privacy

My favorite transgender movie is Boy Meets Girl.

Pure quality/story wise: The Crying Game. While one of those often criticized retroactively, it's a gritty take on a topic that it was quite ahead of its time on, while combining it with a very interesting topical plot with the IRA stuff. While the treatment of Dill may be considered negative by many, the truth is she was a very strong and well developed character and the relationship, all things considered, was pretty reasonable, particularly for the time. Based on the interaction between Dill and the guy (whose name I can't remember), 20 years later I feel like it would have been a happily ever after for them without the baggage and social issues of the time. Or at least my romanticism always wished that would be the case. ;D

However, "To Wong Foo" holds a special place for me. Objectively it is a completely mediocre movie, and uses the men in dresses trope for pure comedic effect for the most part. But in my life it was one of my first real exposures to anything trans related (because of my age at the time, I didn't see other transgender topic movies until a few years later, since 99% are/were R). Mostly, it was John Leguizamo in the movie that made an impact. Swayze and Snipes, as completely cis male actors, were definitively just men in dresses. Leguizamo however was young, and is naturally on the slim/small side, and looked far more feminine than I'd ever seen a man look. The idea that it was possible for a guy to dress feminine (as they were in drag, not transsexual) and not just be that definitive man in a dress cliche was mind blowing. Any casual experience I had previously (RuPaul, Rocky Horror, random daytime talkshows, etc.) was all stage makeup drag queens or people who still looked entirely masculine no matter what they were wearing (as Swayze and Snipes did). It gave me a hope outside the world of magic or sci-fi(Dr. Jekyll/Ms. Hyde, anime like Ranma 1/2, etc.).

Having enjoyed reading I Want What I Want I would like to see the film. Last time it was on TV (1980s) I tried recording it but a combination of Thai sticks, Special Brew & Old Grandad meant I incorrectly set the video recorder!

Quote from: big kim on December 18, 2017, 01:03:22 AM
Having enjoyed reading I Want What I Want I would like to see the film. Last time it was on TV (1980s) I tried recording it but a combination of Thai sticks, Special Brew & Old Grandad meant I incorrectly set the video recorder!

youtube full movie

Thanks will give it a try.

I know it's considered problematic nowadays, but the movie that had the biggest impact on me had to be RHPS. I grew up in a small, ultra-conservative area where there were no gay bars and very few people who dared to be out of the closet at all. But the next town over had a movie theater that help monthly screenings, and that's the first contact I had with any kind of queer community. So even if it doesn't hold up all that well, nothing will ever have the same kind of personal meaning and nostalgia factor for me.

Well then there's "Rocky Horror Picture Show".  First time I wore women's clothes in public was at a midnight showing as a sweet ->-bleeped-<-.

The recent movie "Boy meets Girl" is my current favorite.

Ghost in the Shell (Oshii, 1995) always had a faint trans theme to me, being the main character had brain-body disconnect and some curiosity and gripes about her origins, plus she filled a traditionally masculine role as action protagonist and discoverer of new frontiers.

In the end she chooses to become a hybrid and leaves the constrains of her old physical self behind, becoming something new and unique; the motivation behind her choice seems to be in part pure curiosity and part driven by questioning of her own humanity and "realness". The movie shows her transformation from the constrained and controlled existence of being essentially a piece of high-tech government property, to being 'reborn', given the gift of anonymity and presented with infinite possibilities of where to go next in the world. 

Kusanagi (specifically the Kusanagi of this film) was one of the few female protagonists in films I've seen that made a lot of sense to me or that I could identify with.

My favorite 2 are I want what I want. Its a really old movie but it's really good. And ahead of it's time since it was made in the 60s. The other one was trans America.  The danish girl was ok but I didn't relate to the trans character in that one.

I watched and enjoyed "Boy meets Girl" recently, the story is fairly formulaic, you always know how it's going to end, but most of the charm lies with the lovely trans girl actress playing the lead

Finally got to see I Want What I Want 36 years later. Well made & worth watching

It's been many years since I saw it but I seem to remember 'Just Like A Woman' with Julie Walters and Adrian Pasdar was pretty good.  It was a story of an American cross dresser falling in love with an accepting British woman

And of course, my favourite - 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' which pretty much covers the entire LGBT spectrum!  The story of a cross dresser, a drag queen and a transgender woman on a road trip across the Australian outback with Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp.  A very light hearted film with loads of great disco/80s/camp music and amazing outfits

 different for girls
Priscilla  Queen of the desert
boy meets girl
mrs Doubtfire
tootsie

last two may not be true trans movies.... but entertain

Quote from: Herts_Stephanie on December 23, 2017, 06:24:39 AM
I watched and enjoyed "Boy meets Girl" recently, the story is fairly formulaic, you always know how it's going to end, but most of the charm lies with the lovely trans girl actress playing the lead

The male actor is handsome and a pretty decent actor too :)

This is not a movie but a tv series, since it seems like all the movies has already been said.
"Transcendent" its about 4transgender women working their profession in a cabaret and addressing their daily struggles in life.

The Crying Game - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crying_Game
A Soldiers Girl - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier%27s_Girl

After reading some posts this morning, not sure if these qualify as "trans themed" ... I lost track of the current correct terminology.  I just know I related to these both as a trans woman, and will still revisit these two every now and again (yes, I do have them on DVD  lol ) .
J

oooops !!!!! I can NOT leave out Boys Don't Cry - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Don%27t_Cry_(film)

Sorry for the multiple posts, but it got me thinking about the subject .
J

Not trans movie per se, but I like

Just One of the Girls.


Guy pretends he is a girl because some other guy bullies him as a guy, but does not bully him as a girl.  Unfortunately for him, the bully is attracted to the pretend girl.  The guy who pretends to be a girl at school and elsewhere, even cheerleading, also likes this particular girl at his high school.

Starring Corey Haim.

boy meets girl

actually used a trans actress and its a beautiful story of discovery and vulnerability

Quote from: noitsbecky on March 29, 2018, 09:43:50 AM
boy meets girl

actually used a trans actress and its a beautiful story of discovery and vulnerability

I cried so hard the first time  I watched that movie. Its one of my top 3 favorite movies.

Romeos, definitely. It gave me hope that I too have a chance to find a love despite everything.

Quote from: big kim on December 18, 2017, 01:03:22 AM
Having enjoyed reading I Want What I Want I would like to see the film. Last time it was on TV (1980s) I tried recording it but a combination of Thai sticks, Special Brew & Old Grandad meant I incorrectly set the video recorder!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPoePTH_X3M

The Christine Jorgenson Story and I Want What I Want. 

I think I either saw the Christine Jorgenson story or read something about it somewhere.  I remember seeing the movie ads for I Want What I Want and it really hit home - never saw the movie until about 2 months ago on YouTube. 

Quote from: Cassi on March 30, 2018, 02:26:25 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPoePTH_X3M

I saw this movie a couple of years ago. I was very impressed with it considering it was made so long ago.

Quote from: Julia1996 on March 30, 2018, 02:29:03 PM
I saw this movie a couple of years ago. I was very impressed with it considering it was made so long ago.

Yeah like before you was borned and almost me, lol.

What I read was trans were upset because they used a woman actor playing a man who becomes a woman.

Quote from: Cassi on March 30, 2018, 02:28:31 PM
The Christine Jorgenson Story and I Want What I Want. 

I think I either saw the Christine Jorgenson story or read something about it somewhere.  I remember seeing the movie ads for I Want What I Want and it really hit home - never saw the movie until about 2 months ago on YouTube.

I saw the Christine Jogenson story too. It was ok but I thought it was kind of a disservice to Christine Jogenson. From the pictures of her I've seen she was feminine looking and pretty. The could have found a better person to play her in the movie. The guy who played her looked like a man in a dress which is what he was. I imagine their were no trans actresses back then but even a CIS woman playing the role would have been better than that guy.

Quote from: Julia1996 on March 30, 2018, 02:35:13 PM
I saw the Christine Jogenson story too. It was ok but I thought it was kind of a disservice to Christine Jogenson. From the pictures of her I've seen she was feminine looking and pretty. The could have found a better person to play her in the movie. The guy who played her looked like a man in a dress which is what he was. I imagine their were no trans actresses back then but even a CIS woman playing the role would have been better than that guy.

If it ain't one thang, it's another.  I'm going to take a nap and then get up and watch the second epi of Siren.  Also got the first three episodes of Badass Bitches of History.

Soldier's Girl.  Not light entertainment, though. The story of Calpernia Adams and Barry Winchell.  Winchell was a soldier who was brutally murdered by a homophobic and transphobic barracks mate.

Better Than Chocolate.  Really a lesbian movie but it does have a major character who is transgender. This is on my "100 Favorite Movies" list.  It has humor, drama, and romance.  What more could you want?

Another Woman.  French with English subtitles.  A trans woman leaves her family (after providing for them) and transitions in Switzerland.  When she has to visit Paris for work she cannot resist checking out her old family.  Well written and acted. 

Its not a movie but a Netflix series but Sense8 deserves to be on any list of trans-related videos.  One of the eight main characters is Nomi Marks (played by Jamie Clayton).  Nomi is a transsexual woman.  Her story is woven into the plot -but she is not the subject of the film.  Transition does come up because her mother hates Nomi and would rather see her child die than transition. 

Nomi is how a transsexual person should be shown.  She is an important member of the cast.  Watch the series.  Its worth the time.

Got to be ORLANDO.
Tilda Swinton is awsome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_(film)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUmTvO9KHHU

"Same person.... different sex"

That was a trippy movie.

I will second  Sense8.

I don't think this movie was mentioned but it was important in my childhood, Good Bye Charlie. Debbie Reynolds starts as a guy (a womanizer) who gets bumped off, but comes back and washes ashore as a female. His mind is in her body, but through the movie starts to enjoy being a girl. I so wanted to be her.  Makes me want to watch it again. I think Tony Curtis was in it as well.
Moni

Not a movie but the love scene with Tig & Venus in Sons of Anarchy was awesome.

Not a movie but Sense8 with Nomi (played by Jamie Clayton) rocks!

I don't watch shows specifically for trans/LGBT characters but if the content is good, then it's good. Sense8 had an amazing and artistic and philosophical flair, not to mention being directed by the Wachowski sisters.



Not to mention an anime tv series, which features a more nonbinary character (ftm or ftNB; I read they actually heavily alluded to them being trans but the series leaned toward NB to make it more acceptable to TV viewership), it's called Ouran High School Host Club, and it was right around the same time or before I discovered transgender people, and I heavily related to the main character, Haruhi, on a personal level

Oh which one to choose? I have roughly 15 or so transgender and lgbt dvd's. To pick my best 2:

Transman story = Boys don't cry. (very emotional and dramatic at end)
Transwoman story = Boy meets girl. (I can so relate to her in this movie)

Quote from: HappyMoni on March 31, 2018, 06:27:38 PM
I will second  Sense8.

I don't think this movie was mentioned but it was important in my childhood, Good Bye Charlie. Debbie Reynolds starts as a guy (a womanizer) who gets bumped off, but comes back and washes ashore as a female. His mind is in her body, but through the movie starts to enjoy being a girl. I so wanted to be her.  Makes me want to watch it again. I think Tony Curtis was in it as well.
Moni

I remember seeing that one on tv when I was young.  Couldn't have been older than 12 or and don't remember watching the end.  Pretty sure the only reason I watched as much as I did was the turning into a girl part.  I also remember not liking the way she got her hair done when she started exploring her femininity. 

Now that we've finished our binge of Stranger Things, might have to give Sense8 a look.  Had not heard of that before.

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I'll go with a film that is fairly new and isn't well known. Just Charlie... The trailer will come up via google.

The movie really impacted me. There are a couple of lines in it that felt like they were literally plucked out of my head. If anyone watches it, I would love to hear what you thought.  :)

Looks interesting.

How about XXY


F

How is it that no one has yet mentioned Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil???
It was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood in 1997.
It features a transgender woman named Lady Chablis who stars in the film as herself.
That's right!! A transgender actress portraying a transgender woman!!!
She plays a central role in the film.
It is a VERY positive portrayal of an intelligent, classy, sassy and funny transgender woman.
IN 1997!! MIND YOU!!
Must see for any transgender film buff.

Quote from: Janes Groove on April 01, 2018, 11:26:28 PM
How is it that no one has yet mentioned Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil???
It was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood in 1997.
It features a transgender woman named Lady Chablis who stars in the film as herself.
That's right!! A transgender actress portraying a transgender woman!!!
She plays a central role in the film.
It is a VERY positive portrayal of an intelligent, classy, sassy and funny transgender woman.
IN 1997!! MIND YOU!!
Must see for any transgender film buff.

While it's beside the point, you just reminded me of something. I'm in SE Georgia and when that movie came out everyone here couldn't stop talking about how they "know that house!" or "their grandparents live on that street!" (while a bit over 90 minutes away, Savannah is the closest decent city to me, lot of people do day trips there for shopping and stuff). Big deal back in the 90's for anything to be filmed remotely in the area. Now everyone is completely jaded since every thing is filmed in Georgia or Vancouver now.

Quote from: Janes Groove on April 01, 2018, 11:26:28 PM
How is it that no one has yet mentioned Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil???
It was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood in 1997.
It features a transgender woman named Lady Chablis who stars in the film as herself.
That's right!! A transgender actress portraying a transgender woman!!!
She plays a central role in the film.
It is a VERY positive portrayal of an intelligent, classy, sassy and funny transgender woman.
IN 1997!! MIND YOU!!
Must see for any transgender film buff.

Bammm... just ordered at eBay. I love anything trans related. Thx.

I'm enjoying Sense 8 directed by the Wachowski sisters (Both trans siblings and directors of the Matrix) It's a sci-fi type drama, a bit raw in places as it doesn't shy away from real world issues. I've only seen the first five episodes so no spoilers please. :)

Peace and love and all that good stuff,

Sadie

I'll second @Laurie K 's vote for Different for Girls. I thought it was written realistically and sensitively.

I'll also mention one I haven't seen here yet: Ma Vie En Rose. I identified with little Ludovic so strongly, though the character was much stronger than I ever was. The end was disappointing, though, as it devolved into almost incoherent fantasy.

I also liked The Crying Game. The movie itself had its ups and downs, but I admired Dil's strength and self-confidence.

Nobody's mentioned Second Serve yet. It's the story of Rene Richards, and is kind of spotty, but it was the first movie featuring a transgender character I'd ever seen, so it has a prominent place in my life.

In both The Crying Game and Ma Vie En Rose the main character gets her hair cut. When little Ludo was forced into the barber's chair and her hair was shown falling to the floor, I had to pause the movie while I cried for the next half hour. I'm leaking again now just remembering it...


- Stephanie

I have a bunch of favourites and had to mention some spoilers to be able to explain why those movies feel special to me. So, a little spoiler warning first!

Boys Don't Cry - That one from the 90's about Teena Brandon's true story. I think it's a very well made movie with great actors/actresses, and that the lead character was raped but not believed cause of being trans, that was a little too familiar and made me really connect with that character.

The Crying Game - Was the first trans-themed movie I ever saw, and I felt a connection to Dil's character, before I realised I'm trans as well, and I just love that song she sings in it, titled same as the movie.

Romeos - German movie (I saw with subtitles). Lead character who's ftm and kind of mid-transition, is played by an actual trans guy. That he hits off with a cis guy in the movie as well are both two strong reasons why I really like that movie.

Southern Comfort - Docummentary, but still. About Robert Eads' last year or so in life as he's dying from ovarian cancer. I think it was beutifully put together and made me think a lot, about both love and death.

Breakfast on Pluto - About what I only really can assume is a young trans woman, cause it's never said but quite clearly hinted at (well, an amab person, is at least clear), who lives in England and travels to London to try to find their biological mother that gave them up or took off in the lead character's early childhood. I like that it's a very poetic and kinda abstract movie, and that the main character looks more and more feminine/female the further into the movie, like to me it at least symbolises a transition, whether that's the actual intent of it or not.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch - I just really like the lead character's intensity, passion and creativity a lot, and also their inner struggle with who they are. That song "The origin of love" really struck a cord in me too.

I'll also say "Rocky Horror Picture Show" if not else so for the song in the end "don't dream it, be it", and because it was great for its time. The original version from -73, then.

Quote from: Janes Groove on April 01, 2018, 11:26:28 PM
How is it that no one has yet mentioned Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil???
It was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood in 1997.
It features a transgender woman named Lady Chablis who stars in the film as herself.
That's right!! A transgender actress portraying a transgender woman!!!
She plays a central role in the film.
It is a VERY positive portrayal of an intelligent, classy, sassy and funny transgender woman.
IN 1997!! MIND YOU!!
Must see for any transgender film buff.

Quote from: Roll on April 01, 2018, 11:37:52 PM
While it's beside the point, you just reminded me of something. I'm in SE Georgia and when that movie came out everyone here couldn't stop talking about how they "know that house!" or "their grandparents live on that street!" (while a bit over 90 minutes away, Savannah is the closest decent city to me, lot of people do day trips there for shopping and stuff). Big deal back in the 90's for anything to be filmed remotely in the area. Now everyone is completely jaded since every thing is filmed in Georgia or Vancouver now.

Hate to tell you this but the book is based on a real life event that happened in the 1980's. While I have never seen the movie or the book, I think the transgender woman played her real life role in the story.

Quote from: PurpleWolf on December 16, 2017, 05:16:53 PM
1. What is your favorite movie or movies with a transgender/crossdresser/whatever theme? Might be even an imaginary theme that only opened to you  ;D!

Please feel free to give many examples, whatever comes to your mind!

2. What made this movie special to you?

---
Wow... the first one that comes to mind is that Mulan,  ;)! (check the Mulan thread):
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,231756.0.html

If I think really hard, the second one that comes to mind is Tootsie (the old Dustin Hoffman movie) - I thought it was entertaining! But don't really remember much about it - might suck just don't remember  :D!

Third one: Velvet Goldmine
It's not about transness whatsoever - but it has some special significance to me. I identified with the characters a lot. Note: they were guys,  ;).

Fourth one: Should I mention Mrs. Doubtfire  :D? I really liked that movie as a kid!

I hope im not butting in im new here but years ago when i was going to a group they had all these movies and one has a variety  of things in it is called cone back to the five and dime jimmy dean jimmy dean one of tge characters is trans

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Quote from: deannabirdwell06 on April 09, 2018, 10:39:02 PM
I hope im not butting in im new here but years ago when i was going to a group they had all these movies and one has a variety  of things in it is called cone back to the five and dime jimmy dean jimmy dean one of tge characters is trans

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Thats come back not cone oops

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Quote from: deannabirdwell06 on April 09, 2018, 10:40:06 PM
Thats come back not cone oops

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjN31G9KXJA

I loved Sandy Dennis, a very very talented woman.  One movie that would make the "Dude" cry was "Sweet November", both the original with Sandy Dennis and Anthony Newley and the remake with Keanu Reeves.

Quote from: Cassi on April 10, 2018, 12:15:09 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjN31G9KXJA

I loved Sandy Dennis, a very very talented woman.  One movie that would make the "Dude" cry was "Sweet November", both the original with Sandy Dennis and Anthony Newley and the remake with Keanu Reeves.

I liked it myself the movie touches base with a lot of life topics and for a lot  of trans women dealing with former aspects of thier lives

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I just finished watching Freak Show.  It is a fairly recent release (2017).  There is a cameo appearance by Laverne Cox.   It is a heartwarming, coming of age story of a delightfully flamboyant,  transgender person who finds themselves in a high school in the American south.  The character is a AMAB who identifies as queer but is obviously transfeminine.  Very entertaining.

Boy Meets Girl or The Danish Girl.
Honestly I can cry through the last twenty minutes or so of either of them.

Quote from: HappyMoni on March 31, 2018, 06:27:38 PM
I will second  Sense8.

I don't think this movie was mentioned but it was important in my childhood, Good Bye Charlie. Debbie Reynolds starts as a guy (a womanizer) who gets bumped off, but comes back and washes ashore as a female. His mind is in her body, but through the movie starts to enjoy being a girl. I so wanted to be her.  Makes me want to watch it again. I think Tony Curtis was in it as well.
Moni

I won't leave you hanging out by yourself Moni LOL.  Goodbye Charlie was just a 'B' comedy movie with no substance but it had a big impact on me.  I think I watched it around age 12.  I so wanted that to happen to me.  It really stuck with me over the years.  One of the those things from my childhood that told me I was trans - before that was a word.

Then of course when I was married I dragged my ex to see 'Switch' - Ellen Barkin and 'Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde". 
All of the above were stupid movies but I was fantasizing.  Way before I ever thought I would transition someday.

The Real Thing

Neverending Story - Sebastian's fantasy world becomes real and is threatened by their lack of belief in themselves. You are led to believe that Atreyu is the character who Sebastian identifies with but in reality, their fantasy world is only threatened when the Princess is threatened. The heart of Sebastian is the Princess. She is what creates Sebastian's fantasy world. Atreyu is merely his masculinity fighting for understanding but Atreyu is eventually defeated through Sebastian's denial of themselves... and Atreyu leads Sebastian to their true self, the princess. Plus, the film starts with Sebastian fitting into some stereotypical transgender themes... bullied for being effeminate, drawing unicorns, day dreaming a lot, finding it difficult to relate to the masculinity of his father and the death of the femininity of his mother, and finding escape from masculine reality in books.   

Oh man... none of you have mentioned SAM (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B01LXZH7TO/ref=atv_hover_title). Sam is amazing. Like everything I wanted Switch with Ellen Barkin and Jimmy Smits to be (they have very similar plots but without the murder y stuff and much sweeter). It's not the most professional production but it gets so much of the emotional journey of blossoming womanhood right. I don't want to spoil it but it even nails the ending.

Also the first season of Ranma 1/2 (a Japanese anime TV show about a boy martial artist who turns into a girl when splashed with water) that has a lot of fun with the concept and is also CRAZY.

Quote from: Alice (nym) on February 02, 2019, 05:22:49 AM
The Real Thing

Neverending Story - Sebastian's fantasy world becomes real and is threatened by their lack of belief in themselves. You are led to believe that Atreyu is the character who Sebastian identifies with but in reality, their fantasy world is only threatened when the Princess is threatened. The heart of Sebastian is the Princess. She is what creates Sebastian's fantasy world. Atreyu is merely his masculinity fighting for understanding but Atreyu is eventually defeated through Sebastian's denial of themselves... and Atreyu leads Sebastian to their true self, the princess. Plus, the film starts with Sebastian fitting into some stereotypical transgender themes... bullied for being effeminate, drawing unicorns, day dreaming a lot, finding it difficult to relate to the masculinity of his father and the death of the femininity of his mother, and finding escape from masculine reality in books.   

I never knew

Well I have already said my favorite trans themed movie, Boy Meets Girl. Movie about a trans girl, played by a trans girl and it is a love story. Movies are about personal preference though aren't they. It is not even close to the trans themed movie that most influenced my life, maybe even the one movie period that influenced my life.

1983-84 was just a never ending repetition of "you are a boy, you will never be a girl", an endless stream of psychiatrists to tell me how wrong it was and going to church after church to have them try to get rid of the sickness and evil that caused me to believe I was a girl. It was kind of winding down, they had run out of people to try and fix me, when I watched the movie Sleepaway Camp with the neighbors. It destroyed me completely, I don't think I spoke for two weeks, I know that I didn't go to school for a few days and didn't work at either of my jobs. I wanted it so bad but how could I want to be a monster like that? Am I sick like everyone is saying? Anyway, self hatred set in and I gave up. I know, kind of pathetic right?

Sam looks like a fun fantasy based on the trailers I've watched but is seems more of a cisgender movie than a transgender movie. That was my impression of What Women Want starring Mel Gibson as well.

Everyone have come up with great movies so far.  As mentioned earlier I enjoyed recent the movies "Sam" and "Boy Meets Girl" as well.

Like Kim I loved the ones where the guy is transformed into a girl.  There was a Twilight Zone episode "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" were everyone is surgically transformed at age 16 to whatever model body they wanted.  Of course I wanted to be transformed into the girl...surprise!

I also loved "Some Like It Hot".  I loved the last scene when Jack Lemon reveals that he's a guy and Joe E Brown says "no body is perfect".

Recently I enjoyed a BBC series "Boy Meets Girl" that actually stars a trans actress Rebecca Root as a trans woman who develops a normal. honest relationship with a cis guy.

OMG Emma - too funny.  I haven't watched The twilight zone in years and just a week ago I was channel surfing and saw that episode - watched the entire thing.  And yeah of course I was thinking that too.

All of our experiences differ in some ways but it is so telling that there are certain commonalities.

I think my favorite film on the topic was Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
1. It's a musical. Musicals are always fun. Rock musicals are even better.
2. It's philosophically interesting, incorporating philosophy on the topic as far back as Plato.
3. It's a great dysfunctional love story. I love how gloriously messed up everyone in it is. The characters are built well and feel like people I would hang out with.
4. It's pretty, and sad, and tragic, and funny.

Quote from: KimOct on February 10, 2019, 01:35:23 AM
OMG Emma - too funny.  I haven't watched The twilight zone in years and just a week ago I was channel surfing and saw that episode - watched the entire thing.  And yeah of course I was thinking that too.

What I found disturbing about that episode was the little twist that the twilight zone is so noted for which is fact they change the way she thought about herself. Before the procedure she wanted to be unique where as after the procedure she was content being one of the crowd. There is another thread running that asks if you would take a pill that would make you content with your birth gender. I find the thought disturbing because so much of what I am today is the result of me being different. I wouldn't be the person I am today hand I not had the adversity to shape my personality. Yes, the body change would be nice but never to the personality change.

I agree with you Dena. 

I hated the homogenization of the society in that Twilight Zone episode.  But when I saw it when I was eight it resonated with all of my fantasies.  All I wanted was to be magically changed into that girl.  That wish has been a constant in my life.

I had a similar conversation with my therapist about the "magic" pill that could make me cis in whatever gender I wanted.

I realized that I would never surrender my life and all of those experiences, good and bad, to start over.  I have chosen to change my future and keep the best of me as I go forward.

You are right.  The trials and challenges of being trans has made us all very special in the most important ways. 

"Open up to me" is the story of a post-op Finnish woman who faced challenges with her daughter and a male relationship. It's on Amazon Prime. I thought it dealt realistic with the challenges of being post-op.


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Ma Vie En Rose/My Life In Pink French with English Subs. It is about a transgender girl and came out in 1997. Great movie!

Wow Sophia I will definitely look that movie up.  Thanks, Emma

My favorite trans-themed film would have to be 'Tangerine'. It's hilarious and heart-warming and it was so well-made...even though it was filmed on an IPhone! It opened my eyes to the reality of how there are trans-women who are sex workers and how they live their lives. It also allowed me to recognize my own privilege as a young trans-woman who has familial support and access to good healthcare.

This is the synopsis:

After hearing that her boyfriend/pimp cheated on her while she was in jail, a hooker and her best friend set out to find him and teach him and his new lover a lesson.

Definitely worth the watch!

A Fantastic Woman.

It had such an impact on me that I decided and got GCS!  I understood what real crippling dysphoria was after watching it.

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Different for girls


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Boy Meets Girl
Sense8
Ma Vie En Rose

Lo' and behold there's a new Belgian film (simply titled 'GIRL') set to hit Netflix (US) on March 15th! It was featured in the Cannes film festival and is about a transgender ballerina who is on the cusp of beginning her hormone treatment and her struggles with dysphoria, etc. I was so excited when I was the trailer and I really can't wait to see this movie.

https://youtu.be/k3I6H4ag8QE (https://youtu.be/k3I6H4ag8QE)

Well, I almost said "To Wong Foo...", but that's technically drag, so I guess I'll say "Transamerica".

None, they are all rubbish!

Don't go out of my way to purposely watch a movie because it happens to have a trans person in it either.

"Transamerica" "Boy meets Girl" "52 Tuesdays" and "A girl like me".

TransAmerica and close 2nd Priscilla Queen of the desert

C -

Quote from: CynthiaAnn on April 18, 2019, 01:39:54 PM
Priscilla Queen of the desert

Isn't that the one with Hugo Weaving? I've been meaning to see that.


Also, speaking of Weaving, does Cloud Atlas count? Because if so, that would be my choice.

Quote from: LaRae on April 18, 2019, 02:59:32 PM
Isn't that the one with Hugo Weaving? I've been meaning to see that.


Also, speaking of Weaving, does Cloud Atlas count? Because if so, that would be my choice.

Yeah, Hugo was in it, he's great ! Love Cloud Atlas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Priscilla,_Queen_of_the_Desert

It's a classic (funny)....

Ow, I loved Priscilla!  I laughed and cried.