Transamerica (2005)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Duncan Tucker

Writer:

Duncan Tucker (writer)

Release Date:

10 February 2006 (Denmark)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Life is more than the sum of its parts.

Plot:

A pre-operative male-to-female transsexual takes an unexpected journey when she learns that she fathered a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York.

Plot Keywords:

Sex Change | Transsexual | Bail | Psychiatrist | Therapist

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Andrea James	...	Voice Coach
Felicity Huffman	...	Bree
Danny Burstein	...	Dr. Spikowsky
Maurice Orozco	...	Fernando
Elizabeth Peña	...	Margaret
Craig Bockhorn	...	Sergeant
Paul Borghese	...	New York City Cop
Kevin Zegers	...	Toby
Jon Budinoff	...	Alex
Venida Evans	...	Arletty
Raynor Scheine	...	Bobby Jensen
Kate Bayley	...	Tennessee Waitress
Stella Maeve	...	Taylor
Teala Dunn	...	Little Girl
Jim Frangione	...	Taylor's Father

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and drug use.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | UK:15 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | Netherlands:MG6 | Malaysia:18PL | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:R21 | Portugal:M/16 | Germany:12 | Canada:18A | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:16 | China:(Banned) | Japan:R-15 | Brazil:14 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | France:U (with warning) | South Korea:18 | Chile:14 | Ireland:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Belladonna Productions

Trivia:

Felicity Huffman had to finish shooting her scenes earlier than scheduled when she secured a role on "Desperate Housewives" (2004).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the wigwam scene, crew members and the white screen reflector are visible in Bree's sunglasses.

Quotes:

Bree Osbourne: Fasten your seatbelt.
Toby: I don't like wearing them.
Bree Osbourne: Well I don't like the idea of seeing your internal organs splattered all over the dashboard if we get into a wreck, God forbid, so put it on.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Natalie Portman/Fall Out Boy (#31.13)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Take 'Em Away

Felicity Huffman's wry performance is Oscar quality

I first saw Transamerica as the closing film for the Frameline film festival in San Francisco where it won the "The Frameline Audience Award for Best Feature". The film was obviously a labor of love. Duncan Tucker wrote, directed and wisely cast Felicity Huffman as Bree (before she had been cast as a "desperate housewife"). Huffman's husband William Macy was executive producer.

The plot line is certainly the tried and true formula of the transformational road trip, yet the irony of Bree's concurrent sexual transformation freshens a story that could easily have been cliché. Kevin Zegers and the rest of the supporting cast are superb, but Huffman's characterization of Bree is Oscar caliber.

See Transamerica! It's not tragic like "Boys Don't Cry". It's not about sexuality, fetish, or camp. It's a movie about otherness, transformation, family, and ultimately acceptance. Felicity Huffman's Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated performance is absolutely astounding. Her acting skill fills Bree with insecurity, pathos, warmth, humor, and growth which ultimately transforms the audience's involvement from freak show curiosity to empathy and identification.

Thankfully the Weinstein brothers recognized just how outstandingly strong this performance is and decided that Transamerica would be one of the first films they would choose to distribute after their great success at Miramax.

I saw this movie again during it's limited distribution, again in general distribution and now own the DVD. Each time I've watched it I find even more to like. Transamerica is an indie classic.