TRANSAMERICA (2006)

Felicity Huffman
Kevin Zegers
Elizabeth Pena
Graham Greene
Burt Young

Directed by Duncan Tucker

Plot: Bree is a highly educated, conservative transsexual woman who passes as a G.G., living in a poor section of Los Angeles and working two jobs to save money for her final sexual reassignment surgery. Her life takes an unexpected journey when she learns that when she was a he, she fathered a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York. When she receives a phone call from Toby, who's looking for his father, she realizes she must confront her past. She flies to New York to bail Toby out of jail and offers him a ride cross-country, secretly plotting to abandon him with the stepfather he ran away from.

Review: I had no real interest in this film when I first saw the trailer. I am a big Desperate Housewives fan and decided that since Felicity Huffman was in this film, I would give it a chance. All I can say, was that she was robbed at the academy awards. I saw Walk the Line and thought Reese did a wonderful job, but nothing compared to this. Felicity pulled this role off like a seasoned vet. I was so amazed looking at her and never once thinking that it was anything other than a man.

I found myself totally enthralled in the story and even at times wanting her to not tell her son the truth, so not to ruin the relationship they had built. I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I couldn’t wait for him to become a woman and get to see the transformation of sad, confused transsexual, to happy proud woman. The acting in this film was brilliant all the way around. The story was moving and never seemed to drag. (no pun intended) I believe Felicity Huffman could be the next, dare I say it, female Tom Hanks and have numerous nominations and wins down the Oscar road.
 

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