This is a mediocre film that tells a not so original story about a man becoming a woman. It's a story that sends a good message and provides some chuckles and heart-felt moments. The story itself lacks a lot of realism and a deeper approach to the complicated life a person can lead while transforming into another gender. The weak side of the movie though is immediately forgotten with the help of one incredible performance. One performance that was criminally robbed of the Oscar. That performance belongs to Felicity Huffman who plays Bree (or, previously Stanley). She wows us with an unforgettable posture and behavior, incredible ability to change her voice and of course her uncanny ability to act like a man who's acting like a woman.
The movie centers around Bree, a transsexual woman who finds out she/he has a son. To bail her son out of jail, Bree goes to New York City and pretends she's from a church. Kevin Zegers plays Bree's son, a troubled young man who lives all alone, getting his way around by being a hustler. He's rude, filthy, obnoxious and does drugs in front of a church lady. Bree and her son travel from New York to Los Angeles in hopes of finding him a nice place to live and getting there on time for her/his final male-to-female surgery.
There's not much depth in the movie itself to talk about, but a lot in the character. Bree gets knee-deep in complication by lying to her biological son and her psychiatrist, having people constantly ridicule her, and trying to forget any male part of her that ever existed. Her son, Toby's character is also very complex. We see that he's constantly getting himself into some sort of sexual danger because of his troubled past, his insecurity and his rebellious nature.
Felicity and Kevin have amazing chemistry. They are brilliant on screen and very believable as father/mother and son. They give a new meaning to the label 'dysfunctional family'. When Toby finally learns that the woman is really a man, their characters really grow and we can finally see that desperation they both were hiding.
With one of the worst Oscar snubs in the last couple of years, Felicity Huffman defines herself as one of the most talented and versatile actresses of today. The movie proves that even though you make a movie for nearly 1 million dollars, and even though you do it in only a couple of weeks, there is still a chance at incredible success.
The movie centers around Bree, a transsexual woman who finds out she/he has a son. To bail her son out of jail, Bree goes to New York City and pretends she's from a church. Kevin Zegers plays Bree's son, a troubled young man who lives all alone, getting his way around by being a hustler. He's rude, filthy, obnoxious and does drugs in front of a church lady. Bree and her son travel from New York to Los Angeles in hopes of finding him a nice place to live and getting there on time for her/his final male-to-female surgery.
There's not much depth in the movie itself to talk about, but a lot in the character. Bree gets knee-deep in complication by lying to her biological son and her psychiatrist, having people constantly ridicule her, and trying to forget any male part of her that ever existed. Her son, Toby's character is also very complex. We see that he's constantly getting himself into some sort of sexual danger because of his troubled past, his insecurity and his rebellious nature.
Felicity and Kevin have amazing chemistry. They are brilliant on screen and very believable as father/mother and son. They give a new meaning to the label 'dysfunctional family'. When Toby finally learns that the woman is really a man, their characters really grow and we can finally see that desperation they both were hiding.
With one of the worst Oscar snubs in the last couple of years, Felicity Huffman defines herself as one of the most talented and versatile actresses of today. The movie proves that even though you make a movie for nearly 1 million dollars, and even though you do it in only a couple of weeks, there is still a chance at incredible success.