I only saw this movie because I've really grown to like Felicity Huffman in Desperate Housewives and because of the Oscar buzz surrounding it. I was expecting a strange, crazy movie about characters I could never relate to, filled with sex and stereotypes, as are most movies I've seen/heard about relating to either gay or transsexual people. Instead, this movie was just amazing. Really thought-provoking, wonderfully acted by Felicity and by Kevin Zegers. This movie was about 2 characters who most people would not relate to in theory, but as the movie develops, you see that they are just like every one of us, going through the exact same things. The movie went into deep fundamental issues that are really part of what everyone goes through in life. Growing up, finding out who you really are, trying to be happy, and making a ton of mistakes along the way.
In the end, Bree just wants to feel comfortable in her own skin and she wants the respect of her parents. I really forgot that I was watching an actress playing a man playing a woman. You just get sucked into this movie. When it ended, I actually stared at the screen for a few seconds, thinking oh man is this it? I wanted more! I found Toby to be a very interesting character. You have a 17 year old boy, whose mother committed suicide, whose step-father molested him, who is a junkie, a male prostitute, but is also interested in girls and walks around with a stuffed animal from his childhood. He seems like a very very confused teenager - confused about who he is and about what he wants. He just does what people want him to. That seems to be how he gets by in life. But then you see another side of him. He seems like a good person, intelligent, who wants to have a good life but has never had any real support to do that. If you met him, you wouldn't even imagine the kind of background he has had and how he makes a living. He's a very attractive guy, who unfortunately seems to think that sex is all he has to offer.
I think some of the big lessons to learn from this movie are that you can't judge people based on physical appearances or based on things you really aren't familiar with (such as trans-gendered people). We are all just human in the end, and we all have the same emotions, we all just want to be happy, to love someone, and to be loved. I was very happy and pleasantly surprised to see in this movie that Bree's changes are not related at all to sex. And the love she is looking for is from her family. Her only sexual experience was in college with Toby's mom. She has never been with a man. And I thought it was good and refreshing to see that her surgery and everything she goes through has nothing to do with any of that. It's just about her. Like she told her mom, "you never had a son." I'm honestly not extremely familiar with trans-gendered people, but I have heard that people like Bree say that they have always been a woman, just in the wrong body. And when you hear something like that, your natural reaction is to think that that person is crazy. But this movie made me feel differently about the whole thing. Because I felt like what was really emphasized was that this person is unhappy as they are. Bree thinks that a surgery will cure all of her problems. But it really doesn't. You can tell that she's more comfortable in her skin after the surgery. She even dresses much better. But she still has a long way to go to feel good about herself, gain confidence, and figure out what she wants to do in life. It's really a coming of age story for both Bree and Toby. Bree goes through similar emotions that teenagers go through. And she is now in her 40's, but her life is only now really kicking into gear.
In this movie, you have two lost souls who are used to being independent but also unhappy. They end up finding out that they are father and son, and they realize how much a bond like that is missing from their lives. I really with there were a sequel to this movie because I really care about these characters now.
I hope Felicity wins the Oscar. She definitely deserves it! Sorry for rambling so much, but I just saw the movie, and it really gets your brain working :) I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. You will relate to it, and you will enjoy it.
In the end, Bree just wants to feel comfortable in her own skin and she wants the respect of her parents. I really forgot that I was watching an actress playing a man playing a woman. You just get sucked into this movie. When it ended, I actually stared at the screen for a few seconds, thinking oh man is this it? I wanted more! I found Toby to be a very interesting character. You have a 17 year old boy, whose mother committed suicide, whose step-father molested him, who is a junkie, a male prostitute, but is also interested in girls and walks around with a stuffed animal from his childhood. He seems like a very very confused teenager - confused about who he is and about what he wants. He just does what people want him to. That seems to be how he gets by in life. But then you see another side of him. He seems like a good person, intelligent, who wants to have a good life but has never had any real support to do that. If you met him, you wouldn't even imagine the kind of background he has had and how he makes a living. He's a very attractive guy, who unfortunately seems to think that sex is all he has to offer.
I think some of the big lessons to learn from this movie are that you can't judge people based on physical appearances or based on things you really aren't familiar with (such as trans-gendered people). We are all just human in the end, and we all have the same emotions, we all just want to be happy, to love someone, and to be loved. I was very happy and pleasantly surprised to see in this movie that Bree's changes are not related at all to sex. And the love she is looking for is from her family. Her only sexual experience was in college with Toby's mom. She has never been with a man. And I thought it was good and refreshing to see that her surgery and everything she goes through has nothing to do with any of that. It's just about her. Like she told her mom, "you never had a son." I'm honestly not extremely familiar with trans-gendered people, but I have heard that people like Bree say that they have always been a woman, just in the wrong body. And when you hear something like that, your natural reaction is to think that that person is crazy. But this movie made me feel differently about the whole thing. Because I felt like what was really emphasized was that this person is unhappy as they are. Bree thinks that a surgery will cure all of her problems. But it really doesn't. You can tell that she's more comfortable in her skin after the surgery. She even dresses much better. But she still has a long way to go to feel good about herself, gain confidence, and figure out what she wants to do in life. It's really a coming of age story for both Bree and Toby. Bree goes through similar emotions that teenagers go through. And she is now in her 40's, but her life is only now really kicking into gear.
In this movie, you have two lost souls who are used to being independent but also unhappy. They end up finding out that they are father and son, and they realize how much a bond like that is missing from their lives. I really with there were a sequel to this movie because I really care about these characters now.
I hope Felicity wins the Oscar. She definitely deserves it! Sorry for rambling so much, but I just saw the movie, and it really gets your brain working :) I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. You will relate to it, and you will enjoy it.