Film - Transamerica

Based on the trailers, I had no intention of seeing this film. Given the awards it has won, and the fact that Felicity Huffman is up for the Oscar for Best Actress, I thought I would give this a try.

I'm glad I did.

The story is about a cross-country trip from NY to LA and the relationship between two related but vastly different strangers. Our heroine is Brie Osbourne, a guy dressing as a woman and taking hormone replacement therapy to become physically female. Her therapist won't sign off on her operation until Brie visits her newly discovered son in NY to confirm that he is bailed out of jail and able to make it on his own. In NY, she simply needs to make it back to LA in a few days, otherwise she has to schedule another operation in several more more months. Unable to simply abandon him after bailing him out, she decides to drive the two of them to LA. The son doesn't know this strange woman from some Christian outreach program, but so long as she gets him to LA where he can become an aspiring actor, he's willing to go along for the ride...

Felicity Huffman portrayed a transgendered person with dignity. This isn't a campy comedy at all, yet there are many believable situations that translate well into comedy. Canadian actor Graham Greene shows up as Calvin, a polite stranger who puts up the recently robbed duo for the night. I swear, Graham Greene has an Oscar in him, if only he's given the right role. Canadian Kevin Zegers also puts in a fine performance as the troubled 17 year-old son Toby who earns a living as a prostitue. The film's most over the top performance is by Fionnula Flanagan, who

I would not be surprised to see Felicty Huffman or Reese Witherspoon with the Oscar for Best Actress.

4/5