By Afshan Farooqui, December 28, 2005

The greatest strength of Transamerica (TRNAM), the quirky little movie from writer-director Duncan Tucker is by far its leading actress Felicity Huffman. Oscar buzz has been swarming this performer since the first screenings of this film hit theatres. Huffman achieved her current level of fame with her role as Lynette Scavo on the hit TV series Desperate Housewives, but some may remember her from the sitcom Sports Night. With this performance, Huffman has set herself far above her TV peers.

Transamerica tells the story of a determined pre-op transsexual who is a week away from undergoing the operation to become a woman. The film starts out with Bree, formerly known as Stanley, working diligently to meet the requirements for the surgery. The opening scenes give a good synopsis of Bree’s state of mind. When asked whether she is happy by one of the doctors, Bree says, “I’m not now, but I will be.” Indeed she is waiting to complete herself and muses how a physical procedure can cure what is considered by our society to be a mental illness. The audience quickly gets a sense of the transformation Huffman had to put herself though. She is a woman, playing a man who is about to become a woman struggling with a world that considers people like her a freak. Huffman’s stiff posture and adherence to feminine mannerisms shows what detail goes into getting a sex change and that indeed one could overdo the behavior in hopes of appearing authentic. Speaking in a hushed tone to disguise her manly vocals, you can see through facial expressions that Bree constantly manages her behavior to be seen as a middle aged woman.

But this pre-op transsexual is about to have her life turned upside down when she learns that she might have a teenage son, fathered after a brief and awkward encounter with his now deceased mother. Bree's initial reflex is to dismiss the boy but the damage has been done, and the nagging fear that he could be telling the truth takes over. Bree’s therapist threatens not to sign the consent form needed for the surgery unless she goes and investigates the young man. Reluctantly, Bree emerges out of her Los Angeles shell and sets out to New York to meet this alleged son of her past life, yet also apprehensive that he does not sidetrack her from her plans.


17-year-old Toby is played by the DiCaprio-esque Kevin Zegers. Toby is a street prostitute who does any and every sexual favor to survive. Bree walks into his life claiming to be a member of a church and someone who wants to help him get back to his family. As Bree realizes that this is indeed the son she sired in her days as Stanley, she is even more determined to keep the truth from the boy. After bailing him out of juvenile detention for alleged drug dealing, Bree realizes Toby has nowhere to go and agrees to take him to Los Angeles where he hopes to get into a film career, porn films that is. She however, plans on taking a detour to Kentucky where the boy's stepfather lives in hopes of reuniting them and depositing Toby without him finding anything out. As typical of a road trip movie, it is evident that the meeting of these two minds is sure to open them both up and Bree’s reluctance to let him in is only offset by the knowledge that that is probably the one thing that could complete her, besides the surgery.

Once in Kentucky, Bree sees that the stepfather is an abusive molester and has no choice but to take Toby with her, but in time to get back for her surgery. As Bree and Toby interact, it is evident how conflicted Bree is with her life, wanting to become a woman but determined not to let the truth be known to her son. Toby on the other hand uses sex as a means to get anything he needs, never once questioning the things he needs to do. The film’s writing and pacing allow the adequate amount of comedy and drama to seep through. But once again, the show belongs to Huffman as she expertly maintains Bree’s feminine composure but her eyes and frozen smile convey her struggle with getting close to her son yet needing to keep the truth of her sexuality from him. But that doesn't happen in her favor as Toby accidentally spots her manly parts while Bree is taking a bathroom break. From here, he gets antagonistic, making fun of her and accusing her of lying. He in essence acts like a souless 17-year-old and you almost want Bree to lose him somehow. They also get their car stolen after Toby accepts a charming hitch hiker who tells Bree that "Transsexuals are highly evolved individuals."


The comic highlight of the film comes when Bree and Toby arrive on the doorsteps of her parents house in Arizona after having to hitchhike themselves. Bree’s control freak and prudish mother, played by Fionnula Flanagan, gives a hilarious turn as a woman repelled by her son’s choice to become a woman but overjoyed about her long lost grandson. Bree has to come to terms that her family may never respect or accept her. In a touching scene when asked how she would raise her son, she answers, "I would show him that he is accepted and respected, no matter what." Perhaps at this point the film passes from being about a pre-op transsexual to being about people who want to be comfortable in their own skin while being accepted by those who claim to love them. In essence, the film is much more universal and transsexuality and especially Huffman’s performance is only a tool to deftly portray the bigger themes of isolation and the need for acceptance, no matter who you are.

Writer-director Duncan Tucker treats every character like a person exposing their potential for hypocrisy but at the same time showing that their motivations are merely human. Each character struggles with moral issues in relation to his or her sense of identity, yet somewhere in there they do accept each other. The supporting talent besides Flanagun is Burt Young as Bree's father and Graham Greene as a possible love interest for Bree. Elizabeth Pena delivers an engaging performance as Bree's therapist and the woman who perhaps knows her the best. She probes and bates in just the right way so the soon-to-be woman can confront the foremost issues of her life. The audience feels almost relieved that Bree has someone like Margaret at her side. But in the end it is Bree's determination and passion to become complete that shines through the most. This is probably the most uplifting part of the film, that even though a vast amount of people may try to make you an outcast, it is still possible to find meaning and worth in your own life.