Transamerica (2005)

A preoperative transgender woman takes an unexpected journey when she learns that she fathered a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York.

Director:

Duncan Tucker

Writer:

Duncan Tucker

Stars:

Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, Fionnula Flanagan

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 32 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Southern Californian Bree Osbourne, formerly Stanley Chupak, has finally received the news for which she has been waiting: she has been approved for male-to-female sexual reassignment surgery. But before Margaret, her therapist, will allow her to go through with the surgery scheduled in a week's time, Bree has to deal with an unresolved problem from her past. Bree gets a telephone call from a seventeen year old man named Toby Wilkins, who is looking for Stanley, his biological father. Toby is in a New York jail, having been supporting himself by petty crime and hustling. Stanley/Bree knew nothing about Toby before the telephone call. Toby apparently is all alone in the world, with his mother having committed suicide and being estranged from his stepfather in Tennessee. Masquerading as a Christian social worker, Bree, not telling him either of her true identity or her transgender status, bails Toby out of jail and tells him she will take him to Los Angeles, where Toby has aspirations ...

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Plot Keywords:

male full frontal nudity | male objectification | son | parents | looking at oneself in a mirror | 

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Taglines:

Life is a journey. Bring an open mind.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Bac Films [France] Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

3 March 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Transamerika

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$46,908, 4 December 2005

Gross USA:

$9,015,303, 1 June 2006

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,151,744

Company Credits

Production Co:

Belladonna Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many scenes involve improvisation. The scene where the characters are riding in the car towards sunset is one of them: the director (Duncan Tucker) asked Felicity Huffman to start poking Kevin Zegers in the stomach and shoulder. Kevin Zegers stayed in character, and the director liked the result.

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Goofs

When Bree is shown coming around after having had her final surgery, her fingernails still have polish on them. Nail polish is always removed prior to surgery, so that any changes in coloring (nails turning blue due to lack of oxygen) are detected by medical personnel.

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Quotes

Sydney: This is so bizarre. I can still see Stanley in you, but it's like you put yourself through a strainer and got rid of all the boy pulp.

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Crazy Credits

For all people of trans experience, For all people of any experience, and For my family.

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Connections

Referenced in Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! (2008)

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Soundtracks

I Don't Want You
Written by James Kalamaza and Danny Kirsic
Performed by The Wildlife Band
Published by Abaco Music Library (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Promusic

User Reviews

Felicity Huffman's wry performance is Oscar quality

I first saw Transamerica as the closing film for the Frameline film festival in San Francisco where it won the "The Frameline Audience Award for Best Feature". The film was obviously a labor of love. Duncan Tucker wrote, directed and wisely cast Felicity Huffman as Bree (before she had been cast as a "desperate housewife"). Huffman's husband William Macy was executive producer.

The plot line is certainly the tried and true formula of the transformational road trip, yet the irony of Bree's concurrent sexual transformation freshens a story that could easily have been cliché. Kevin Zegers and the rest of the supporting cast are superb, but Huffman's characterization of Bree is Oscar caliber.

See Transamerica! It's not tragic like "Boys Don't Cry". It's not about sexuality, fetish, or camp. It's a movie about otherness, transformation, family, and ultimately acceptance. Felicity Huffman's Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated performance is absolutely astounding. Her acting skill fills Bree with insecurity, pathos, warmth, humor, and growth which ultimately transforms the audience's involvement from freak show curiosity to empathy and identification.

Thankfully the Weinstein brothers recognized just how outstandingly strong this performance is and decided that Transamerica would be one of the first films they would choose to distribute after their great success at Miramax.

I saw this movie again during it's limited distribution, again in general distribution and now own the DVD. Each time I've watched it I find even more to like. Transamerica is an indie classic.