Transamerica (2005)

Being a PRE op transsexual myself this movie was so true to form I felt as if I were reading OR watching rather excerpt's from my own Diary! How freakishly weird it was to see Huffman doing such a great job, NOT only did she have the look down but the walk and all as well...I only wish she was better looking but I guess for main stream America to be able to deal with the whole "Transexual" thing they couldn't exactly make her look like Jessica Rabbit now could they. Society is far more accepting of things that aren't' as beautiful as they could be or so I've noticed.

The only thing that truly bothered me was "Toby" being a male prostitute drug addict. But Kevin played it wonderfully bringing full texture to a less then perfect "persona" As well the mother was true to form. That is exactly how my mother reacted with pity for me.

The cast did such a fantastic movie I'm not only buying it but I'm recommending it to all of my friends My favorite quote which I will be using in my daily life now is this "MY body may be a work in progress but there is nothing wrong with my soul" MY hat's off to Duncan YOU wrote a wonderful true to life movie and it's bout time someone did just that!

Fmovies: This was my favorite film of the Tribeca festival. Felicity Huffman's performance is incredible and grabs you from the first scene. It was a smart, poignant and funny film. Some of the characters are too thinly drawn, some of the humor too inappropriately broad but those were minor issues for me. Though rooted in some ways in standard plot devices, the transgender protagonist makes all the difference in the world. Which, in a way, is kind of the point -- how we view people's differences (with acceptance or disdain) says a lot about who we are. Of course, it played well here in New York City. But what about the rest of Bush's America? By the way, I was told that Lions Gate picked up the film for distribution.

'Transamerica' is mainly a road movie about a pre-operative transsexual Bree (Huffman), her unknowing son (Zegers) and their complex yet developing relationship. There are some brilliant shots of the vast American landscapes throughout the film. This is not a predominant social rights movie. It focuses more on the relationship between the two protagonists. It's about about individual acceptance rather than social approval. It's not a tragic piece either. In spite of involving a risky subject, Tucker cleverly gives a comic touch to his writing by balancing it with the drama without making any of it even slightly melodramatic.

Bree is just a couple of days away from fulfilling her dream of becoming a women when suddenly she receives an unexpected phone call saying that her son's in jail. Bree is reluctant and not too happy about facing her past but after taking her therapist Margaret she goes to New York and bails her son out of jail and decides to drive with him to L.A. During this trip they tell each other about their lives (the use of flashbacks has been cleverly avoided).

Felicity Huffman delivers a brave and fantastic performance of what she herself described as the role of a lifetime. She displays Bree with insecurity, pathos, fear, humour and growth which really makes one forget that they're actually looking at an actress act. Her use of non-verbal language is remarkable. While in the beginning the audience may feel that they're looking at an ugly freak, one can't help but love the character after the end credits have rolled. Kevin Zegers intensely underplays his part as Bree's son Toby and does a fine job. Elizabeth Pena, Graham Greene and Fionulla Flanagan stand out in smaller roles.

'Transamerica' is a wonderful sincere film about very real people. It's about a woman and her son surviving in a difficult world. Though many have described Huffman's performance to be of Oscar calibre, the Oscars have rewarded many non-deserving performances. It is definitely one of the most challenging performances and one that will be remembered in the history of cinema. A fine piece of cinema.

Transamerica fmovies. The journey Ms. Huffman takes in TRANSAMERICA is one in which many will identify with in needing to become the person you really should be. Ms. Huffman's performance as a "man into a woman" played by a woman is a miracle and a triumphant film performance that an audience should see to fully understand the brilliance of what an actor can transform on film, as well as for the warm, intelligent character, Bree, becomes on the screen.

Please, give Felicity Huffman the Oscar NOW!!! And, The young, brilliant actor, Kevin Zegers, as Toby, commands the role as Bree's son in TRANSAMERICA with just as painful a journey as Bree in wanting to have a better life for himself. Toby and Bree are two soul mates waiting to discover one another, ironically as father and son,as this film brings to a wonderful conclusion.

TRANSAMERICA is a film that should be seen to be understood; a film that presents two characters, father and son, who take a journey together that will change their lives forever. When the Award season commences, Felicity Huffman and Kevin Zegers should be on the stage to receive awards for characters that warm your heart and take you back in time with questions on your own life's directions.

Huffman did a terrific job of making me forget a "star" was doing the title role. Her performance was incredibly authentic. You could just feel the uncomfortableness of Bree as we see her start her journey (both figuratively and literally) and gets to know the son she never knew she had.

Moments of this movie had me laughing out loud. Others brought me near tears. If you see one movie this year, this should be it. It is movies like this that give me hope that some people still care about quality film-making.

A little gossip: the director said that Huffman enthusiastically agreed to do this film and then when it was almost time to start shooting, he found out she had to go to Hollywood in 3 months to shoot "some stupid pilot." Yes, THAT stupid pilot.

I saw Transamerica last night at the Tribeca Film Festival and absolutely loved it. I was concerned beforehand that I would not be able to relate to the characters, but that turned out not to be a problem. The acting of Felicity Huffman and Kevin Zegers is done with so much sincerity that I quickly came to care about their characters. Ms. Huffman's performance is one of the best I have seen. Having not seen any of her television or movies, I did not know anything about her. In fact, I thought that she was truly a man playing the part of the transsexual woman. The script was always believable and allowed Ms. Huffman to show some wry humor. The writer/director Duncan Tucker was there to make a few comments answer questions. The only problem is that the film has not yet been picked up by a distributor so if you want to see it (and you should) you may have to find a film festival somewhere.