Bottom: Kevin Zegers and Felicity Huffman in "Trans America".
A movie that treads in hard subject and dark territory that it still finds a sense of humor throughout the whole ordeal. Not talking about being a transexual and trying to get an operation, not that whole factor. But discovering you have a son whose mother you had a long time fling with back in college who died and left a boy out on the streets and ended up tricking for a living. Then you're gender confused and realize you want to a woman and suddenly find out you have a son and not tell him you're his actual father until the time was right. As a concept that could have played out as a melo-drama or serious dram for that matter instead Duncan plays with it and makes sweet road comedy. He doesn't tiptoe around those facts but finds some sort of laid back humor that is found in a road comedy. It's road movie with re-awakening characters that you find in a Wim Wenders movie except without the minimalism.
I have nothing against transexual, let alone their culture related to cinema. Regularly I'm use to them as cliche's in an after school special type movie about the favored that wants to be a woman. That's pretty sad, but I don't go out and check out a lot of movies relating transexuals. As serious this movie gets with harsh subject matter, that isn't all that bad, but for the characters because you end up liking them. You don't pity them, but want them to get better. That's the trapping for a road movie and it consist of running into trouble and crazy characters and finding oneself. This whole is not just a road comedy, but can be looked at that way. Instead it's just pure character study.
Felicity Huffman gives a great performance, being a human playing man who wants to be a woman. A lot actresses wouldn't touch this role, let alone an actor who wants to play a man trying to be woman. Well actually, their would be some male actors to take that challenge, but instead they went a woman. Who cares of the actual gender of the actor, Felicity Huffman fills this persons shoes. It is a daring role and she gives it with great detail that it looks real.
The story of transexual of Bree who is undergoing psychiatry to get a finalize okay on a operation to turn him into a woman. He gets the okay(it's funny I'm calling Bree "he") but then a egg drops on him and discovers through social services that he has a son. Bree later takes the boy and tries to get some answers out of him and leaves out the fact that he is the father and a transexual. Bree discovers that his son is living under a rut and is tricking out on the street and wants to be an aspiring gay porn actor. Kevin Zegers plays Toby, and gives straight forward performance that isn't outlandish and exploitive given the facts of Toby. He literally does a good job. He gives Toby more realism than a trite cliche, given his background some would know how his character was going to play out. Duncan Tucker doesn't go that way and instead let's Toby make his choices that doesn't give him pity but reason.
The movie goes from Bree taking a cross country from New York to Los Angelos to get her operation and to find a place for Toby. Possibly his old town, since he learns Toby has a step father. That doesn't go as planned and they go all over the country when Toby discovers the truth about Bree. He doesn't discover Bree is his father, but that he is man.
Through their cross country adventure I like when they stop by so-called "stealth" transexual's house referred by Bree's psychiatrist. They happen to stop by when their having indoor transexual party celebrating peers' operations. Toby stops and talks to a couple of transexuals(still under the impression that Bree is a nun), real transexuals that had complete operations and look like the real deal. They even fooled me! Nah, I'm joking I could tell. Actually I didn't! One of the transexuals he was talking to was woman who became a man giving his philosophy of trans gender and how it is praised in many cultures and could be the stepping evolution to mankind. Toby stops and ask"You use to be a woman. I thought you were a real guy". He actually did look like a real, he was probably an actor, but if he was they did good job. The guy had more facial hair than I did. Hurt my manhood! Nah, just kidding. I like his reply to Toby's comment, he looks at him and just says"We walk among you!" That's some scary stuff, and kind of cool!
That philosophy isn't expanded throughout the whole movie because it tackles more quaint subjects and gives a whose new aspect to a father and son relationship. Toy doesn't fully accept Bree as a father, but still does not look her/him...Whatever. It's not a sugar coated happy ending, but one with almost sick twist that still as a resolution. The other thing about this growing road movie is on the characters they meet on their journey. Bree falls in love with a man and doesn't tell him her secret but by the looks of it he wouldn't mind. After their car is stole they are invited and greeted by a Native American Calvin played by the type-cast underrated Native American actor Graham Greene("Christmas in the Clouds","ThunderHeart"). I love that actor, but in this one he gets to display more of his acting chops than the usual cliche Native American character he plays. He is a good actor and Duncan Tucker allows him to expand Calvin than just a crazy character Bree meets on this adventure. He turns up being the real deal and nice man.
I really liked this movie and just know that Huffman will be passed on a Oscar nod, then again who cares. She deserves at least a little recognition for a good performance. That may sound cliche, as I have been using that word as a cliche, but as you watch the movie you'll believe me! A concept that could have turn dark and into a serious drama was road movie that didn't fall prey to the trappings of a road movie and played with it's concepts to literally have a good time no matter what your opinion stands on transexuals! This is Aliye Nyoka saying 'Catch Y'all On the Flip Side!"
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