Here's a thought for the guys: imagine having your penis removed. Most people wouldn't consider it, but "Transamerica" explores the possibility with subtle humor and honesty.
"Transamerica" is the story of a male-to-female transsexual's transcontinental trip back to California for sex re-assignment surgery. Bree (Felicity Huffman) has already had a number of facial surgeries and hormone supplements, and is already passable for a female.
When someone alleges that she has a son, Bree goes to bail the boy out of jail. Her 17-year-old son, Toby (Kevin Zegers), is a prostitute from the streets, and struggling with poverty and addiction. He has dreams of working in the movie business, and Bree convinces him to ride with her back to California.
Felicity Huffman's standout performance as a preoperative transsexual male is likely to have critics buzzing about an Oscar nomination. Even the way she contorts her facial muscles gives the suggestion of cosmetic surgery. She speaks in a hesitant, deepened voice, bringing to life her ambiguous transgender mannerisms. The script even allows her some wry humor to which she takes full advantage.
The coming-of-age road trip plot has been seen before, but it's the gender identity subject matter that makes it unique. The story is as much about Toby as it is about Bree. He was apparently sexually abused as a child, and received insufficient parenting. At one point, he trades sexual favors with an older man to get money for a hotel.
Toby tells Bree, however, that he sold drugs for the money. Later, he holds a dress up to himself in front of the mirror, only to be walked in on by Bree. The two characters find out that they have much in common.
Kevin Zegers is a great mirror to Huffman. Though over 21 in real life, he has no trouble reverting to a confused 17-year-old. As the down-and-out Toby, Zegers does well with being righteous in some situations and sinister in others.
Some of the characters fall a little flat, but the film avoids over-dramatization through humor, balancing the more depressing aspects. Bree's mother Elizabeth (Fionnula Flanagan) shuts the door on their first encounter and maintains a standoffish attitude for the remainder of their squabble, while her father is aloof and subservient.
Newbie director and writer Duncan Tucker is the brain behind the project. His only other work is a short film called "The Mountain King," which received tremendous audience response at film festivals. Tucker wrote the film as well, allowing him to employ his full creative vision (and an interesting one it is).
It is hard to get an audience to identify with characters like Bree, but the script portrays her as human, not just a self-loathing abnormality. The film is almost entirely dialogue, and one might think it was adapted from a stage play. The lines are written in a realistic but revealing style. Tucker doesn't waste many words, but advances the plot and entertains with witticisms.
The film is somewhat daring in that it takes a close and candid look at subdivisions of society not normally exhibited on the big screen. Films like "Boys Don't Cry" and Pedro Almodovar's "All About My Mother" have centered their storyline on the taboo subject of transgendered individuals. "Transamerica" follows suit, adding a comical, yet poignant account to the mix. It would not be surprising to see future films introduce similar content.
This is an optimistic film that preaches humanity, kinship, and the right of every individual to be happy with himself or herself.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
