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Although it may be a mainstream film that holds both dramatic tension and an accurate portrayal in high regard, "Transamerica" is an effective picture that brings pain and joy to viewers through the eyes of a transsexual woman named Bree.
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Overall, this film is moving not because it tells the pain of someone so the audience can walk out of the theater and feel they have done something humanitarian. Of course, some people responded that way. However, if a different frame of mind is brought into this film, it can be very rewarding not only as a piece of excellent cinema but as a film that allows us to examine who we are and change - change not only to be more tolerant or accepting but change ourselves into what we really are.

I didn't like Transamerica. My main complaint with the film is it didn't ever explain Bree's reasons for tranitioning. Secondly, it gets so many of the details wrong.

1. Bree has FFS but has never gotten voice?
2. The therapist is holding up surgery? Hello, this is neither plausable or the way the system works.
3. Okay, so Bree is recovering from surgery and suddenly also gets more FFS? WTF?

Thirdly, the movie just sucks. It's boring. Transition is many things, but it is rarely boring.

For the record, here is my list of the top ten decent transsexual movies.
1. "A Girl like Me", Lifetime movie
2. "Soldier's Girl", Showtime movie
Uh...

What's that? Only two? Geez. That really sucks. All the rest are disrespectful / not representative.

Bree - man I hate that my name got stolen.

I have never seen the movie but unfortunately it was playing at an art house movie theater when a friend and I went to see "The Matador" (which rocked btw).  Listening to the people going in, many were attending because they were doing the hip thing by seeing it or showing how open minded they are about people like us.  LOL.  Then I got to see the impact after the movie let out.  the few poor Ts that attended had to go running out as people kept insisting on trying to talk to them because, you know, they understood what it is like for us after seeing the movie.     Very glad I pass well.

I did see Transamerica.  It was one of the motivating forces which eventually brought me here last summer.

I did like the film and I thought that the portrayal was very good.  I enjoyed the fact that the story line only dealt with a short snippet of time in this transsexual's life.  It was not a biography... it was a story of drama.

Aspects of the story line were a bit hard to imagine as real, yet I thought that the part was played admirably and honestly.  The principal character portrayed what it is like to be singled out and different. 

I believe that it is a remarkable achievement in portrayal of the problems we face. I gave the film two thumbs up and a "you go girl".

Cindi

Hmmmmm...I think that there were some stereotypes and innacuracies in the presentation of TS women....I agree with you there Bri....but let's look at the bright sight...at least it didn't portray us as child molesters, serial killers, freaks or anything of that nature.

"Different for girls" is a great movie IMO
"Boys don't cry"

...of course...

"a girl like me".......and
"soldier's girl"


tinkerbell

I haven't seen Transamerica yet.  It wasn't high on my list since many of the reviews were less than complimentary.  I can understand taking some liberties with fact in the cause of dramatic tension and pacing.  But I feel that our story can be told accurately without having to yield to such devices.  Really don't we all have enough drama in our life to fill a movie easily?

I may go and rent it now that it's out.

Not to hijack this thread, but Julie and I watched "Better than Chocolate" last night.  It was the first time I had seen it.  Julie hadn't seen it in about a year.

It's not a TS movie.  It's more of a girls movie.  One of the girls is a pre-op who is very close to surgery an the portrayal of her was touching, poignant, and accurate.  It was a three Kleenex movie for me.  I was taken by each of the stories told in the film, but I especially identified with Judy the transsexual.

Anyway, I loved it.

-Sandy

I really didn't care for Transamerica.  I didn't like the characters in this film.  I will also agree with Tinkerbell, "Different for Girls" is a very good movie. 

Hollywood doesn't make movies to portray life realistically, it makes movies to make money.  The liberties and stereotypes
in this movie were minor and to be honest, most of our stories--while very dramatic for us--are too mundane for any movie
plot.  I know a little about stormchasing and I can assure you the producers of "Twister" took huge liberties in that movie
compared to those in "Transamerica".

I liked the movie and I really liked Felicity Huffman's portrayal of Bree.  I feel they captured the essence of being trans
without pandering, resorting to stereotypes, or being overly sentimental.  The movie was about Bree and Toby, not about
being trans and in that regard, I liked how they probed that relationship.  In the end, gender was a side show, not the main
story.

Dawn

I haven't seen Transamerica and I probably never will.

Regardless on how good or bad the film is perceived by anyone, It raised the public profile of transsexualism and the effects it can have on relationships, globally across the world. The fact it also featured in the Oscar nominations and Felicity Huffman was featured in many magazines and TV interviews talking about the film / subject in general.

The media portrayal of TS in the past has invariably shown us as a community of sad, desperate individuals, any thing that dispells that perception is welcome.

Buffy