Different for Girls (1996)

Karl Foyle and Paul Prentice were best mates at school in the Seventies. But when they meet again in present-day London things are definitely not the same. Karl is now Kim, a transsexual, ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Spence

Writer:

Tony Marchant

Stars:

Steven Mackintosh, Rupert Graves, Miriam Margolyes

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steven Mackintosh	...	Karl / Kim Foyle
Rupert Graves	...	Paul Prentice
Miriam Margolyes	...	Pamela
Saskia Reeves	...	Jean
Charlotte Coleman	...	Alison
Neil Dudgeon	...	Neil Payne
Nisha Nayar	...	Angela (as Nisha K. Nayar)
Lia Williams	...	Defence Solicitor
Ian Dury	...	Recovery Agent
Robert Pugh	...	DS Cole
Philip Davis	...	Taxi Driver
Rick Warden	...	PC Ken
Kevin Allen	...	PC Alan
Gerard Horan	...	Sergeant Harry
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Prosecuting Solicitor

Storyline

Karl Foyle and Paul Prentice were best mates at school in the Seventies. But when they meet again in present-day London things are definitely not the same. Karl is now Kim, a transsexual, and she has no desire to stir up the past while she's busy forging a neat and orderly new life. Prentice, on the other hand, has charm but is a social disaster stuck in a dead-end job. His main talent is for getting them both into trouble. Amid the squabbles, they start to fall in love. One night, Kim invites Prentice to a romantic dinner at her flat. Prentice, finding the seduction unexpectedly effective, freaks out. He proceeds to make a public display of both of them and winds up in court. Humiliated and angry, Kim runs away. Only she can save Prentice now, but will true love triumph for a new made woman and an aging punk?

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Plot Keywords:

transsexual | police brutality | gay | indecent exposure | sex change | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for nudity, brief graphic sexuality and strong language

Details

Official Sites:

First Look Pictures

Country:

UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crossing the Border

Filming Locations:

Exchange House, Primrose Street, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$52,816 (USA) (12 September 1997)

Gross:

$211,048 (USA) (10 October 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), CiBy 2000

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sat on the shelf for three years before being released.

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Quotes

Paul Prentice: [while making love to Kim] It fits! It bloody fits!

User Reviews

Well worth viewing. Quite moving in parts, with slightly uneven mix of Comedy, Drama and Tragedy

Missed this first time round, but unintentionally caught a late night/early hours TV airing in the UK. Steve Mackintosh sustains a serious dramatic presence and role as Kim against the heavily scripted comedic/stereotype 'unreformed male' buffoonery of the friend/partner Paul Prentice played by Rupert Graves. Although at times the dynamic of the two styles gives an uneven feel to the whole narrative, the underlying point of apparent complete contrasts, but underlying and overlapping commonality of involvement and feeling is well made. Some of the scenes are intensely moving, particularly those in the police station when Kim is facing arrest and conviction and is placed alone in a cell, uncertain of whether she will face the immediate unwelcome company of another unknown male cellmate, and/or eventual consignment to a male prison. This is hardly comedy, certainly real life drama, and contains the essence of real tragedy. Other scenes in the film evoke similar high tensions in emotional colour and reading.

Overall delivery was a little uneven, but well worth viewing again. Would be worth a full 'in-line drama' remake of the theme, as other commentators have also hinted. A good attempt at a very difficult subject which manages to hit the right emotional responses without actually falling off the tightrope between banality and exploitation.