Transamerica Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Life is more than the sum of its parts.
Life is a journey. Bring an open mind.
One week before her sex-change operation, Bree receives a call from a 17-year-old identifying himself as her son from a college liaison. Bree's psychiatrist won't approve the surgery until Bree deals with this relationship, so Bree flies to New York City, bails the youth out of juvenile detention, and offers him a ride back to Los Angeles without disclosing that she is his father. Both her plans and his go awry, and as secrets will out, what might become a friendship (or more) founders. The lad's step-father, a sex-change support group, a peyote eater, a Navajo wrangler, and Bree's family all play their parts in this exploration of family, gender, and expectations.
| 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 |
| Duncan Tucker |
7.60 out of 10 (12002 votes)
Visitor Reviews
What a ride
posted on 28 Jul 2009Being 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!
transamerica
posted on 26 Jul 2009Great story line; showing the difficult life of a Transsexual woman which later leads to a wonderful metamorphosis and happiness. The writer shows a wide understanding of this medical condition affecting one out of 250 boys. Felicity Hauffman performed very well and deserves all the accolades bestowed on her; however one wonders how it would have been had a man played Bree. I wonder why the director decided to degrade the beautiful Felicity to look like a wretched creature. Perhaps to emphasize her good looks at the end but that was still short of Felicity's beauty. Compared to Normal, this is better as this shows the psychiatric, hospitalization also support group activity which were abbreviated in Normal.
Most Horrible Movie of the Century.
posted on 26 Jul 2009Transamerica: F*****G S**T (0/10) This is sincerely the most awful movie of the decade. You would rather watch a movie like Dumb and dumber again and again for 100 times in a row.This movie doesn't really make sense. It is horribly "slow", which means you can take your afternoon nap and yet get up with no ending. This movie is almost 2 hours long, but seems like forever. I really don't know what the director was thinking when he made this film. I rather thought of it to be more of a comedy.I really don't know how people have enjoyed this movie. Bottomline: I wouldn't advice any normal person to watch this movie!! Over and out.
Very touching and real
posted on 14 Jul 2009As a Transsexual woman, I found this movie to be very touching and very close to reality. Some elements of the plot are stronger than others and there is a good blend of drama and humor. I was extremely pleased to see the cameo appearances of at least two genuine TS women who, for all the audience knows, could just be any other female actress (and really, they are other than an unpleasant aspect of their past).I know that most people in this world do not remotely understand the Transsexual person and may have some gross misperceptions they got perhaps from too many episodes of Jerry Springer. This movie takes you into the world of a TS woman and puts you face to face with her reality; her trials and triumphs.Ultimately, her story is everyones' story, only the details are different. There is conflict, there is resolution, there is laughter and tears and there are some issues which remain unresolved. There is a profound question of destiny and being true to oneself with which the protagonist must wrestle and come to terms with. I think that is why this movie does and will continue to resonate with people of all backgrounds who can see beyond bigotry and accept that there is more to life than any of us fully understand, no matter which book we read from.
loved this movie--Huffman's performance is simply astonishing
posted on 06 Jul 2009What makes this movie so great is Felicity Huffman's incredible performance. The story is very sweet, and the entire cast is excellent, but she takes it to the highest possible level with a completely authentic, multi-layered and touching "becoming" of Bree. As far as the academy awards are concerned, she was robbed!!! Many people seem to want to compare this to Brokeback, which is a much more polished and grand, sweeping sort of movie, with music to match. Transamerica has a definite indie feel to it, seems very personal, is a little rougher, but possibly more realistic because of that. Great music and a fantastic song by Dolly Parton--a must-have sound track.I love this movie and am completely blown away by the astonishing Felicity Huffman--never seen anything to equal it. (for instance, this goes far beyond Phillip Seymore Hoffman's Capote.)
I Have Fallen In Love...
posted on 30 Jun 2009... with one of the most wonderful, completely surprising, unforgettable films ever put on this entire Earth and it's name is none other than TRANSAMERICA. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started to watch this film. It had been on my "must see" list for awhile and when I heard my friend had bought it, I wanted him to let me borrow it ASAP. When I put the movie in, I was completely indulged right from the very beginning. It sucks you in and never let's you go and that's how you end up truly appreciating the heartwarming MASTERPIECE for what it is by the end. The acting was FLAWLESS; I couldn't have picked a better cast myself. The script was so touching and perfectly done that if the actual script was made into a book, I would read it every day, and EVERYTHING ELSE is just to absolutely die for, ESPECIALLY, Kevin Zegers!!!!! If you have no interest at all in watching this film, I suggest that you see it solely for him, because he is AMAZINGLY AMAZING and I wish him the best on his way to stardom. Well, enough said, this movie is 100% guaranteed satisfaction. Everything in it: characters, story, acting, directing ALL OF THE ABOVE AND ETC., is wonderfully fantastic and I am glad I finally viewed it for I Will be viewing this gem for many years to come...
Unusual trip trans America: funny, uplifting, fun...
posted on 18 Jun 2009Let me say from the outset that this film is a tour de force! Both Felicity Hufffman and Kevin Zeegers are excellent. This film, about a trans-gendered person bonding with a son (s)he didn't know (s)he had is excellent.There are moments of humour, but you never laugh AT people, you laugh with them, or because of the situations in which they find themselves. It's a film that avoids the stereotypes and, by so doing, imbues trans-gendered people with dignity.Felicity Huffman IS excellent in the title role and deserving of all the accolades she has received for the film; she captures so well the character of Bree that you think she IS Bree. Her research paid off.She gives a careful performance in a well-written film, that shows people 'as they are', but with compassion, too. Excellently written and directed, this film deserves (but probably won't get) a large audience.See it.
Beautiful Performance in a So-So Movie
posted on 18 Jun 2009'Transamerica' is a generic road movie with several prominent genre clichés firmly in place. What lifts it to a higher level is a script that manages to avoid maudlin sentimentality, pity and preaching along with a subtle and sensitive performance from Huffman.The movie is not without its flaws. Zegers' damaged teenage hustler, though well played, seems to be written with one too many clichés, and the mid-point revelation of his reasons for leaving home is too obvious. The charming crook of a hitchhiker, a genre staple, is similarly predictable. Bree's parents are so caricatured, all zany clothes and funny voices, that at times they seem as though they wandered in from a neighboring Australian comedy.Huffman, however, delivers a richly detailed and sensitive performance that is able to convey the pain and frustration of her condition with admirable restraint. It is Bree's genuinely heartfelt attempt, not to change minds or preach a cause, but to simply be accepted, that provides the emotional underpinning that manages to carry the entire movie.A great film that once again shows that if you want to meet interesting and thought-provoking characters in the cinema, you have to do so in the realm of low-budget independents.
Fantastic movie
posted on 06 Jun 2009This was an awesome movie because once again, this takes us to a place few if any of us have ever even imagined. Never in my life could I imagine the life of someone like this. I watch movies to be taken away, to be taken to a place I have never been before. Transamerica does just that. It takes us to a place we have never been and I can almost guarantee most of us will never see. Its beauty lies in its story. It is a beautiful story with beautiful actors. This is one of the best movies of the year. It is a truly moving movie. The acting is oustanding. The story is brilliant. Even the scenery is exciting. This movie has all of the elements for an outstanding movie, a brilliant unique story, excellent acting and direction, comedy, and its ability to move the viewer.
Great Character, Weak Story
posted on 02 Jun 2009Though it may indeed be worth watching for Felicity Huffman's Oscar-worthy performance, the film as a whole, falls flat. The main characters ring true, even if most of the circumstances in the setup do not. The movie is at it's strongest when focused on our main character's intense yearning to become more completely who he/she feels he already is, and dealing with the ghosts and humiliations in his/her past. However, the potentially compelling subject matter of trans-genders struggling for identity and acceptance feels awkward when crammed into this road movie formula. It goes from ultra-serious, to comical farce in quick succession, and hits upon almost every cliché you've ever seen in a road movie. Don't expect any surprises here in either plot or dialogue.
hilarious and different
posted on 02 Jun 2009For some reason (the Oscar/golden globe attention given to Felicity Huffman?), I was under the impression that this was a serious drama. About 40 minutes into the movie I came to terms with the fact that, no, it wasn't a serious drama, it was a dramatic/comedy/road/buddy movie...it's just the buddies on the road are a stealth MTF and her hustler teenage son that doesn't know he's her son. And it is funny as hell! Great performances, witty writing, and when it goes for drama it doesn't overdo it. Kevin Zegers ("Wrong Turn", "Dawn of the Dead") proves that he can rise above child stardom and throwaway supporting roles in horror flicks...the kid is brilliant here. I loved this movie and recommend it to anyone who likes quirky road trip films and has an open mind. Brilliant use of Lucinda Williams' "Like a Rose."
Transamerica is a stroke of pure genius.
posted on 31 May 2009Transamerica is a road trip through life and across American culture. Stanley Osbourne is about to achieve his ambition, gender reassignment surgery to become a woman, Bree. One evening shortly before the surgery Bree receives a call from a 17-year-old in a New York City lockup asking for his father Stanley, Bree denies his / her identity. Bree shares the call with her therapist, who until now has been told she has no family, 'they're all dead' was her standard response. The therapist informs her the surgery can't proceed until she comes to terms with her emotional issues. Bree travels to NYC and posing as a religious social worker bails the boy, Toby, out of jail. Alarmed at what might become of Toby, Bree convinces him to ride with her to California, without yet revealing her true identity. Thus, a voyage of discovery begins with two strangers, lost souls in the sea of life. Bree easily slips into the roll of mother, she corrects Toby' grammar, makes him eat vegetables, and discusses career choices. Heading west they confront a father who sexually abuses his stepson in rural Kentucky, an underage girl in the Ozarks that propositions Toby, a Mary-Kay party for trans-gender 'converts' in Dallas, and an Indian horse trader in the Arizona desert who becomes infatuated with Bree. Finally, with nowhere to turn after their car is stolen Bree is left to call upon a truly dysfunctional family in Phoenix.Transamerica is a stroke of pure genius. The storyline uses humor, tragedy, grief, love, suspense, adventure and deceit. The film is neither too serious nor too frivolous. It simultaneously hits multiple bull's eyes with subplots addressing youthful indiscretion and denial, pain and suffering inflicted upon others, family conflicts, and social values. The film reaches a crescendo defined by truth and humor in Phoenix, as it approaches the conclusion. Following these scenes, closure to the main subplots is developed.Transamerica's cast and their performances are perfect. Felicity Huffman, as Bree, delivers an astounding characterization unmatched in recent history. Only Charlize Theron, as the female serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003), comes close. Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress. We see Bree struggle to confront her past life, yet never waver about her future. Always composed and in her 'Bree character', she plays the young lady her operation will create. Bree encounters Graham Green, an Indian horse trader in Arizona, and he validates her trans-gender reassignment quest. Kevin Zegers, as the wayward son Toby, is a subtle combination of youthful innocence and adult decadence. Zegers, present in most scenes, carefully plays his role as the supporting actor, not stealing the spotlight from Huffman. In the finale, Bree must return briefly to her origins where she confronts Fionnula Flanagan, as her mother Elizabeth, a destructive person whose work will be complete only when she's destroyed each family member. Burt Young, as her father Murray, passively stands aside as the sister (played by Carrie Preston) is under fire, knowing he will survive only until Stanley' sister Sydney is destroyed.
"Broken Flowers" with a sex change; Huffman gives an Academy Award worthy performance
posted on 27 May 2009TRANSAMERICA (2005) *** Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, Fionnula Flanagan, Graham Greene, Burt Young, Elizabeth Pena. Huffman gives an Academy Award worthy performance as a transsexual man about to get his/her dreamed of operation but first must make a journey from her LA environs to NY to bail out a long-lost son (Zegers) from jail she never new existed and in the process reluctantly finds herself bonding with him in spite of their logger-heads relationship en route. Huffman truly gives a chamelonesque turn and is uncannily realistic as a man trying desperately to shed his sex for another and is at equal lengths comic and poignant. Newbie indie filmmaker Duncan Tucker's storyline feels like well-worn patchwork of numerous road films (including "Broken Flowers" which has many overtones it shares in its dad/son quest) yet the ride is sublimely wonderful and eccentric in the process.
Holy S**T... What a GREAT MOVIE
posted on 09 May 2009Man I must be bored two movies, two nights, One a 2 hour Trailer and one Amazing flick (and a great date). Transamerica is a awesome movie, I haven't seen a movie this enthralling in very long time (and a real cutie for a date). I have a confession I think I'm falling in love with Felicity Huffman, even as a man this woman controls the audience like Hopkins or Welles, but with humor and pizazz (even with that Rita Crosby voice).She delivers what could easily be called the best performance of the year in this flick (save George Clooney & Damon w/ Syriana) by simply stunning the audience with acting bravery and panache we haven't seen in a really long time. Even Zegers (I think he's a newcomer) does a great job of the hustling son /bad case. Burt Young, Carrie Preston, and Fionnula Flanagan even if they are only on screen for 10 to 20 minutes they light up the entire theater. I'm amazed how Duncan Tucker was able to milk such wonderful performances from such amazing actors, but then it occurred to me, he probably did very little because of the fact that he had such amazing performers on his side. The Movie makes you laugh, it makes you sulk, it makes you wheeze. It takes you on a cross-country ride that by the time the credits roll you feel like want to see more of Bree and Toby and how life treats them from then on. So in ending screw the CWA and their agenda, Transamerica is one of the best movies Hollywood has brought to the fray in a long time. Can I get some kudos for the Weinstein Brothers?
i didn't like it!
posted on 01 May 2009I didn't think too much of this film, i found it pointless... (the son was a gay prostitute dressed like that, bullshit). Don't get me wrong i enjoyed her acting, she was great! But i found it at times a little unrealistic and the story was just to predictable.These quirky comedies where done a lot better in the 80's, for a 10th of the price this film would have cost. These days people's standards of good scripts and directing, is starting to scare me. She got an academy award for this crap, you're killing me.It wasn't even funny, but found myself trying to laugh only because other people were, then realized that i wasn't actually laughing at the comedy, but more at the crap people fall for.You didn't get me... i give it a 5 out of 10
One word: amazing.
posted on 25 Apr 2009I must admit I wasn't all too excited to see this movie but I'm really glad I did. I thought it would be another movie that's about homosexuality and transsexuals and how harsh society is and the usual hullabaloo.But this isn't about accepting gays or transsexuals at all. It's about accepting yourself, accepting who you are and where you've come from. And most of all accepting who you're becoming. This movie really, honestly, touched my heart. Not many movies do that.The journey these two people take together, the bond they share is amazing. I love how the fact that Bree's a man isn't the focal point of the plot. Rather, the focal point is the bond between human beings. That love should never discriminate and that sometimes what we think we want isn't necessarily what we want at all. It's about discovery. Discovery about yourself, finding things in yourself you never knew you had. Finding things in others you never thought you would. And most of all discovering that with the love and support of someone you can get through anything.I highly recommend this to everyone. Trust me, none of your friends can call you 'gay' for watching this one because the beauty overpowers the evil.
A trip you won't regret
posted on 23 Apr 2009I'm glad to see Transamerica getting some of the attention it deserves.When I saw it a couple of months ago, it was playing at a single theater in West Hollywood, about 35-40 minutes from where I live. Now, undoubtedly because of the critical praise and awards it has garnered, including a well-deserved Golden Globe for Felicity Huffman, it's playing in my home town and at several other theaters in the L.A. area.Felicity Huffman does a wonderful job as a male-to-female transgendered person, as does Kevin Zegers as her newly discovered son. All the actors are good, but I particularly like Graham Greene, whose role is all too short. He implicitly convinces me that the Native American tradition of honoring two-spirit people is alive and well.Without minimizing the very real, often extremely harsh struggles transgendered people experience, the movie is both warm-hearted and funny. In short, a delight. It's one of the best road movies I've seen.
Most overrated film of the year
posted on 17 Apr 2009Hate to say it, though. This film is so earnest and so desirous of improving the lives of the marginalized. What a pity it was written and directed by a social worker.Overall, there are few moments in the film that aren't contrived, telegraphed, clichéd, or overwrought. The story is a case study and a conceit without artistic merit. Neither the acting nor the direction has any credibility.Ms Huffman's acting is an extended vaudeville routine. You have to have a reason for doing what you do in film. The depiction of a man who is becoming a woman is already a notion, perhaps an interesting one, given a truly creative treatment. The idea of choosing a woman to play a man who's becoming a woman, however, is a trick -- sophomoric at best. Go to any downtown in any large city; you'll see more convincing transsexuals and they're real. Heck, Tim Curry was more authentic. The deepening of Ms Huffman's voice works for a few minutes. Some of her gestures are masculine, but so what? Exactly what is the film saying by asking a female to pretend she's a male pretending to be a female?On a theatrical stage -- not on film -- given a very spare, intimate script, this conceit might work. On a stage, this sort of layering plays within the imagination : it's imaginary, not "photographic." In the world of film, however, the camera's eye is primary. Ms Huffman's routine is doomed because it's trying to cover "reality" with 2 meaningless coats of falsity.Everything rings wrong about the movie. The scenes at the parents' house are bad TV sit-com -- dumb farce. The Noble Indian who gives the characters a ride is an embarrassment. He has all the depth of a figure on a coin. Why would a Native be more interested in this he-she-wee-wee than us Dumb White People? If there's a reason, you'd better show it to the audience. The role of the hustler is a throw-away: what sort of teenager would put up with such condescension? This unhappy film should just go quietly into the can, back to the Department of Social Work.
Austin Movie Show review -- brilliant and courageous
posted on 13 Apr 2009I know that everyone loves Reese Witherspoon, and she sang, danced, and had a cute southern accent for her Oscar-nominated role as June Carter in Walk the Line, but there is NO WAY she deserves that Best-Actress award over Felicity Huffman!!! Huffman is spectacular and profound as Bree (short for Sabrina), a transsexual who is just days away from the sex-change operation that will make her a fully-fledged female. Before the operation, Bree learns that she fathered a son when she was in college. Her therapist won't sign the surgery consent form until Bree meets her son and faces her past. Transamerica is simply the greatest American film ever made transexuality. With compassion and courage, Huffman tells the story of a woman who has to confront her past life as a man before she can truly be happy as a woman in the future. One guest at a "transsexuals-only" dinner party tells Bree's son, "We're not gender challenged. We're gender gifted. I've been both man and woman, and I know more than single-sex people ever will." For more movie reviews, visit www.austinmovieshow.com.
Not quite there
posted on 27 Aug 2009The kid (Kevin Zegers) was great - a real natural - so much so that I was always conscious of Felicity Huffman's ACTING in juxtaposition. Two thirds of the way through, I turned to my friend with whom I was watching the movie and said: This would've made a great Johnny Depp movie. I agree with another reviewer who found fault with casting a woman as Stanly/Bree. Huffman's inadequacy is particularly glaring in the scene where there is a gathering of trannies, and many of the other former males are played by males (or former males). Their awkwardness, behavioral and physical idiosyncrasies seem so much more believable in comparison, and really shows up Huffman's very transparent devices and mannerisms. I still think it's a courageous performance and the film is mildly enjoyable as a road movie (doesn't hold a candle to 70s classics like HARRY AND TONTO though), but the main problem is I never for a moment bought the fact that this actress could ever have been a man, even an effeminate one.