Changing the Game

The documentary Changing the Game (2019) was co-written and directed by Michael Barnett.

The movie stars Mack Beggs, Sarah Rose Huckman, and Andraya Yearwood. All three of them are transgender high-school athletes with enormous talent.

As expected, these young men and women face opposition from officials and parents of the athletes against whom they compete. The film shows us how they confront this additional burden, and deal with it in successful ways.

It's not easy. One athlete takes testosterone to achieve physical gender change. Of course, testosterone is a banned substance for athletes. He's not taking it to win at sports--it's part of his medical regimen. That's an inherently difficult situation.

This movie hasn't achieved wide distribution. My vote is only the 14th vote, and I'm the first person to review if for IMDb. I hope that distributors will pick up on this movie. Obviously, it will work at LGBT festivals, but I think it will also work well for general audiences.

We say this film in The Little Theatre, as part of the excellent ImageOut Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work well on the small screen. This is a movie that will make you think. I recommend it.