Beautiful Boxer (2004)

Bio-pic of transgender Muay Thai boxer Parinya Charoenphol who pursued the sport to pay for her sex change operation.

Director:

Ekachai Uekrongtham

Writers:

Ekachai Uekrongtham (screenplay by), Desmond Sim (screenplay by)

Stars:

Asanee Suwan, Sorapong Chatree, Orn-Anong Panyawong

6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Asanee Suwan	...	Nong Toom / Parinya Charoenphol
Sorapong Chatree	...	Pi Chart
Orn-Anong Panyawong	...	Nong Toom's Mother
Nukkid Boonthong	...	Nong Toom's Father
Sitiporn Niyom	...	Nat
Somsak Tuangmkuda	...	Pi Moo (as Somsak Tuangmuka)
Kyôko Inoue	...	Herself (Female Wrestler) (as Kyoko Inoue)
Keagan Kang	...	Jack (the Reporter)
Yuka Hyodo	...	Japanese fan (as Hyouda Yuka)
Tanyabuth Songsakul	...	Tam
Sarawuth Tangchit	...	Young Toom
Natee Pongsopol	...	Novice Monk Toom
Nattama Narkpo	...	Pi Nam
Chayaporn Tometh	...	Pi Nid
Panuwath Kongsamuth	...	Jate

Storyline

Based on the real life story of Parinya Charoenphol, a Muay Thai boxer who underwent a sex change operation to become a woman. The movie chronicles her life from a young boy who likes to wear lipstick and flowers to her sensational career as a kickboxer - whose specialty is ancient Muay Thai boxing (moves which she can execute expertly with grace) - to finally confronting her own sexual identity, which leads to her sex change op.

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Plot Keywords:

muay thai | transgender | thai boxing | kickboxer | biopic | 

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Taglines:

Born in a boy's body, believeing he has a girl's heart.

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Genres:

Action | Biography | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

GMM Pictures [Thailand] (Thai, English) Regent Releasing

Country:

Thailand

Language:

Thai English Japanese

Release Date:

29 April 2004 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

A Luta Pela Beleza

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,713, 23 January 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$199, 21 September 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

GMM Pictures Co.

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Ekachai Uekrongtham encouraged Asanee Suwan against playing the lead role as a stereotype, telling him "When you play Nong Toom, you have to believe you are a woman, not a ladyboy. If you think to yourself that you're playing a ladyboy, your body language will be flamboyant, over the top. But if you approach it as if you're playing a woman, you will be natural. Your acting will be sincere."

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Quotes

Jack: But I still don't understand how your parents can be so... accepting... of the fact that you wanna be a girl.
Nong Toom: They know it's my karma. I did bad thing in past life, so I had to suffer in this life.
Jack: Where did you learn that from?
Nong Toom: In the temple, when I was monk.

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Connections

Featured in SexTV: Nong Toom/Allyson Mitchell/The Big Bang (2004)

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Soundtracks

A Man in My Dreams
lyrics and music by Wichen Kamchareon
Performed by Pumpong Duangchan and Parinya Chareonpol

User Reviews

Beautiful boxer

Beautiful Boxer a coming of age story about a man who wants to be female. In order to earn a living and save enough money, he starts to kick box on a dare at a temple festival. As time goes on, it shows how he is finally accepted by his group of friends who are also boxers. Yes, there were several missteps by his friends, but overall they accepted him for he is, and who they wanted him to be.

It is refreshing to see a third gender represented in another culture, without the shame and stigma attached to it. In this culture we are so obsessed with being perfect and correct that we sometimes alienate ourselves from our friends and families.

Jules