Transamerica (2005)
Strong themes, Strong sexual references, Drug use
Bree, a pre-operative, male-to-female transsexual, holds down two jobs and saves every penny so that she can pay for one last operation that will make her a woman at last. One day, however, she receives a strange phone call. It appears that on the other side is Toby, apparently her son, who must be the product of a somewhat clumsy sexual encounter years ago when she was a man. He stays in New York, incarcerated. Bree flies from Los Angeles to New York in order to get the boy out of jail. At first she is reluctant to do so, but her therapist convinces her to face up to her past. The boy is handed over to her without a word of explanation and Toby believes the woman to be some Christian missionary determined to convert reprobates to Jesus; Bree sees no reason to clear up the misunderstanding. However, she finds out that the boy just wants to escape from her and hitchhike to Los Angeles. She persuades him to accompany her back to the west coast--secretly planning to leave him at his stepfather's along the way. Toby is happy to take her up on her offer.
| Status: | QuickPick |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 103mins |
| Origin: | UNITED STATES |
| Aspect Ratio: |
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Member Reviews (165)
165 Member
Reviews
Stuart
says
I enjoyed this movie, even if parts of it are unbelieveable.
Tsammit
says
Top acting and an interesting story. slow moving in some parts but a delightful touching story. A must watch.
Lisa
says
Brilliant. Loved it.
Don
says
"Transamerica" is an outstanding film, largely because of the extraordinarily good acting of all the major principals. The filming is also remarkably good, and the gender reassignment with which the movie deals is so very well filmed that it has caused some, perhaps many, viewers to think it is real. Just a small amount of trick photography at two points in the film is so slickly done that it completely fools the eye of the viewer. The woman who plays the man/woman's mother has been criticized by critics for considerable overacting, but I think that in reality her role is played just right. I have met mothers who are very similar to the portrayal in the movie. At the end of the film not all the problems have been resolved, and the viewers must compose their own idea of how it will eventually all turn out. It is a film to make you think, and which portrays a very real situation in which a number of people (rarely mentioned in the press these days) find themselves.
Lance
says
WOW!! Slow at first - needs to be, so dispense with impatiences... this one is a winner! Scripting is fairly ordinary, BUT the acting, filming
mj
says
Amazing movie! Brilliant acting, and brilliant journey. Must see
Mij1
says
Felicity Huffman is fantastic.
Rachael W.
says
This was a really good film and didn't have the stereotypical happy ending which was even better.
Georgiana
says
Interesting topic, acting not great. Really needed a man to play the lead role.
Denise
says
OK. Easy watching and funny and touching in places.
Gerald
says
Couldn't log three and a half stars so went with four. A very innoccous story but develops into a good light hearted movie and Felicity Huffman shows a lot more then her Wysteria scawl.
Karen
says
Felicity Huffman is absolutely amazing in this role. She's very convincing as the pre-op male transexual, from the mannerisms to the make-up. And that voice - brilliant! Good chemistry between her and Kevin Zeger who plays the son. Great road-trip movie with interesting insights. The film is actually very funny but some of the lines got lost in Huffman's "male" voice. Listen carefully - it's worth the effort.
Joanne L.
says
Felicity Huffman was excellent but there were times when I found their interaction very unbelievable.
Lisa
says
Felicity Huffman is fantastic in this, i really felt for her and the young boy is good also. The movie shows another side to gender issues. Well worth a watch
Belinda S.
says
Good story, but Felicity Huffman was the worst in it.
Carolyn P.
says
Different and so engaging - a very unusual premise for a movie but Felicity Huffman does an absolutely amazing job. Doesn't disintigrate into soppiness, rather, it demonstrates the intricacies of a very difficult and original situation.
Peter F.
says
A gender bender movie!! the main star could have been better casted,,but..a good story that is believable..8/10
Sally P.
says
Great movie, very confronting
Nigel W.
says
Fantastic little movie about the search for identity and a place in the world. Felicity Huffman's performance (a women playing a man who wants to be a women) deserved an Academy Award. Uplifting in the same way as Little Miss Sushine was. Enjoy.
David A.
says
A story of the struggle for acceptance and understanding.
Alex H.
says
Felicity Hoffmun's realistic portarayal of a trans-sexual is outstanding! Lots of laughs.
Judith B.
says
Not the best movie I have ever seen but was OK
Mark M.
says
Amazing movie. Felicity Huffman is deffinitely one of the best actors around.
This movie is moving and gives you an insight into someone elses life and the trials that they have to endure.
Judy V.Z
says
Loved it Loved it Loved! This was such a moving story of how we all really want people to except us!
Felicity was outstanding in her role and with the character who played her son they came across as a great team!
Well Done!
Michael W.
says
Chris D.
says
First rate, an exploration of character the likes of which I cant remember seeing before.
Sue K.
says
A good movie that flows along with good
cast to support a store family that is quite
familiar
Naomi P.
says
A wonderful and sensitive portrayal of the struggles of a trans gender man, but ultimately, this is your classic road to epiphany
Melissa Z.
says
Lara M.
says
Not a movie about transexuality. The main character just happens to be a transsexual. A lovely, moving story. Very truthful.
Anita A.
says
I don't know if I missed something here. I've heard so many good things about this movie but found it really slow and boring with not much happening. I didn't really find the characters very believable and didn't have a very emotional attachment to any of them.
Matthew B.
says
Brilliant film that stayed with me for days after watching it. Complex, tragic and touching, this film is a must!
Belinda P.
says
Fabulous character development, scripted very believably. I was highly impressed with everything about this film. Very touching with no schmaltz. I thoroughly recommend!
Tilda H.
says
Really wonderful film. I was a little skeptical and thought it was going to be the cliche discrimination and ostracising angles, but was actually very original with incredible performances.
Kylie W.
says
Was a little bit slow but the actors where fantastic and felicity huffman did a really convincing performance
Kathy C.
says
This roadtrip movies is like nothing else. The finding of Bree's identity and having to find the combination of her new and old life with her son is one which moved my heart.
Wayne W.
says
Road trip movie with a difference. Low key entertainment but kept us involved. Excellent performance from the lead balancing the transgender behaviour.
Lorelle I.
says
Ingrid P.
says
I would have to say this was a rather unusual movie. Felicity Haufman played a very unusual role but i have only seen her in desperate housewives so i can't really rate her performance. The movie i thought was very powerful with the storyline of a transexuals journey to completeness. Along the way confronting his/her past and making peace with it. The son was a little screwed up as well.
Kevin C.
says
Elizabeth C.
says
Kerry T.
says
This movie is FANTASTIC! The actress (forget her name) in the lead role is mesmerising.The actor who plays her son is also great. Highly recommened!
Jacqueline B.
says
Great performances and very insightful reminder of the multi-faceted nature of families and the struggle for self-identity.
Emma D.
says
Fine acting.. good to see films on this subject matter.. well handled and sensitive. Good quality script.
Samantha K.
says
Interesting...If u like understanding this stuff..I liked it.
Michael G.
says
This took me a while before I understood the point of the film. The second half is much more engaging and I ended up liking the characters.
Valerie D.
says
Colin Y.
says
Not quite my cup of tea but the acting is excellent.
Lisa T.
says
Great movie. So believable, so well acted. Very moving - very real. Felt compassion for her/him.
pato
says
this is the worse movie i have ever seen. I expected more from this movie than was delivered. The actors need to go back to acting school.
Keryn S.
says
Took me a few minutes to recognise Felicity Huffman...an interesting watch!
Kristen G.
says
awsome flick
Marianne L.
says
It's possibly one of the worst movies I have seen.
Sarah R.
says
Awesome movie. Really gives you a new perspective, no matter how open-minded you think you are. Felicity Huffman rocks!
Stephen B.
says
Kelly J.
says
Trevor T.
says
A great story, told with passion and sensitivity.
Yuliya K.
says
Carol G.
says
Great performance from Felicity Huffman. Would recommend this movie.
Lynn O.
says
Felicity otherwise known as Lynette Scarvo on Desperate Housewives plays a great part as a woman being a man trying to become a woman and the ups an downs that life throws at him/her will make you very compassionate for anyone going through this dilemma in real life.
Alix A.
says
Fantastic film about finding oneself. Absolutely brilliant performances, especially from Felicity Kauffman - she is amazing! Must see!!!
Mcgowan N.
says
Naomi B.
says
Coudn't really get past the whole "woman playing a man playing a woman" thing. Couldn't stand her voice
Denis H.
says
Felicity Hoffman is a cack in this film. She plays a confused man very well.
Brittany C.
says
Not a bad movie but definitely not as good as I was expecting. I think a lot more could have been done with this and I'm not sure Felicity Huffman was right for this, she looked uncomfortable in the role. Why not use a real man to play her part of the transgender? It would have been more realistic.
Paul O.
says
Felicitie Huffman is stunning in this,she is so believable & so good,as is her co star.
Why she hasnt won awards for this I'll never know.
The scripting is clever,intelligent & captivating & so understated it makes this one of the best movies of the year.
Craig Hill
says
Different storyline and great acting by Felicity Huffman however I found it dragged on a bit.
Danielle E.
says
this was a good movie probably not for everyone.. but good for showing examples of acceptance
Judith P.
says
Lisa T.
says
Lots of light hearted moments
really enjoyed watching this one
Marvyn F.
says
my husband and i cannot praise this film, and it's performances, highly enough. felicity huffmann is outstanding.
Anastasia N.
says
I really enjoyed this movie for the story, acting and the humour. There are some cringe worthy moments and some outright belly laughs and you can definitely feel for the main character.
I enjoyed this film although I wouldn't call it a classic. Better than most.
Robin S.
says
It was okay and Felicity Huffman did a great job but it was missing something. My husband hated it.
Jeremy H.
says
Jim T.
says
I thought,what have I ordered here,but it was a surprisingly good movie.I'm lucky that I don't want to change sex.
Bernadette B.
says
The movie tackles a difficult subject matter without, for the most part, resorting to cliches and stereotyping. Apart from the main character's therapist (who is annoying and not remotely credible) all the roles are well acted and totally believable: showing all the foibles of human beings dealing as best they can with life's obstacles. The scenes towards the end with Sabrina's family are excellent.
Steven F.
says
Luke J.
says
Vicki B.
says
EXCELLENT ACTING BY FELICITY HUFFMAN> GIVES REALISTIC INSIGHT AND IS A REALLY ENJOYABLE MOVIE TO WATCH
Helen I.
says
A good laugh, very quirky. Maybe some of the characters are a little stereotyped, but luckily not the main leads.
Sasha A.
says
ok at the start, gets a bit boring after a while
Sammy
says
I found it a bit slow to get going. Improved after about the first 40 min.
DJ
says
Megan P.
says
I hadn't seen this at the movies as the promos gave me the impression that this was a camp film. In fact it is a very moving story of an individual's search for identity and issues of parentage.
Adrian W.
says
a traditional epic journey of discovery, without the traditional characters. brilliant script. rent this if you like movies that rely on character development rather than events to tell a story.
Suzanne B.
says
Sensitive.
Janice K.
says
I didn't think that I would like this but I did and would recommend it to anyone to watch
says
HJF
says
excellent lead acting. can understand why oscar nominations came from this film
Kirstine D.
says
says
Arunas K.
says
one trick movie that wore out its welcome very early on
Nancy D.
says
Charles T.
says
Jennifer B.
says
Niki D.
says
hilarious & touching, fantastic performances by leading actors
Amanda B.
says
Beautiful performances. Lovely script, great pathos, humour. Direction didn't bring anything to the script. Could have been a great movie. As it is, it is a lovely, small movie, some great moments, some moments which don't quite work, particularly with the family. But worth watching.
Lynne N.
says
My teenage son couldn't sit through it but the rest of us thought the topics it addressed were quite different to those we expected.
Diane B.
says
Very enjoyable and educating
Anne D.
says
felt it was a watchable movie but with a bit of a bizzare story line - dont think we would watch it a second time
Noreen B.
says
Very enjoyable
Aroha K.
says
Ok.. Maybe I missed something, but after getting a big rap from a friend that this was a "wikkid flick" (her words not mine) I was sorely disappointed. Maybe it was the whole Felicity Huffman (as gorgeous and talented as she is) acting like a man living like a woman thing?! Confused?? Yeah me too! Maybe I needed some of what Kevin Zegers was on. Hmmm NEXT...
John A.
says
Touching, thoughtful, well-performed and quietly funny.
Shane B.
says
A great bit of light fun!!
Marian D.
says
Angela M.
says
Vicky M.
says
Highly enjoyable and thought provoking movie.
dc
says
Kirsty Z.
says
Audrey C.
says
D.
says
I watched this movie because feliciity huffman was in it and her acting skills are fantastic the way she can play the character the story is good it is funny at parts all round good
Shayna J.
says
Brian G.
says
Amanda G.
says
A great movie if you watch it with an open mind. Definitely worth seeing. One of the better movies I have seen lately.
Peta S.
says
Great story, extremely well acted.
Cait B.
says
Felicity Huffman is a genius of an actress! There were times through the movie I was convinced it couldn't be her! The movie surprised me, when it started I thought it was going to be boring but by the end I was hooked!
Joanne M.
says
gol
says
Not for the homophobic, art-house film that studies relationships between 2 misfits. Solid storyline that holds your interest, Huffman displays a high quality performance in a very difficult role. Quality cast for a low budget independent film. Highly recommended for movie buffs. Check out Huffman in the special features, amazing!
Raymond N.
says
Very well acted, perhaps it needs a follow on to complete the story.
Jason J.
says
Petama
says
I started watching this thinking this one was a mistake, but perservered to find a great story with good acting and an intriguing look at relationships in families.
Tracey J.
says
Felicity Huffman is amazing. This movie was not what I was expecting but really enjoyed it. Very funny at times!
Ruth B.
says
Michael J.
says
This movie was far better than I expected. Funny, sad and thought provoking. Watch the interview with Felicity Huffman to see the transformation and the calibre of this actor.
Michelle T.
says
Kelly-Lee C.
says
Beautifully done, i have to say. Well worth watching
Jim R.
says
JB
says
Fiona M.
says
Vicki S.
says
Sue J.
says
Felicity Huffman's touching and sensitive performance make this film funny, gently bitter-sweet, moving and ultimately inspiring. She brings to the character of Bree/Stanley just the right mix of comedy and pathos, giving the film a depth and power it may not have had otherwise. Performances by the supporting cast are not uniformly memorable and at times border on stereotypes, but they nevertheless provide a strong backdrop. Essentially a comedy with subtle undercurrents of tragedy, this is a memorable film thanks to Felicity Huffman's excellent performance.
Beessan S.
says
Sean D.
says
Weird story but strangely compelling
Fay G.
says
I thought it was a little slow in places but I did enjoy it.....the acting was pretty good.
Nicole S.
says
Elaine B.
says
Rochelle H.
says
Felicity Huffman is transformed. An amazing performance.
Margaret H.
says
Beautiful story of gender reassignment, family troubles and a relationship between parent and child.
Lovely to see the character of Sabrina become her true self.
May L.
says
An excellent movie. Felicity Huffman plays a convincing role. Gives an interesting insight into the life of a transsexual with little twists and interesting diversions along the way.
A simple movie in plot but complex, engaging and interesting in terms of the themes explored.
Sue M.
says
Excellent acting on Felicity's part. Very believable. The son was a bit annoying I thought. Story itself quite sad, but ended on a good note.
Dan
says
Quite a perceptive and sad film. Huffman is outstanding and convincing as a male-to-female transexual, to the point where I reconsidered her birth gender!
Cheryl S.
says
Philip K.
says
Richard H.
says
An intresting concept but somehow the main character did not quite fit the role.
NL
says
Moving performance from Felicity Huffman. Don't know why I am the first to rate this great movie...!
Craig E.
says
Felicity Hoffman is great in her part as a male becoming a female and dealing with all the issue that come with these changes.
Merily M.
says
OK.
Amanda K.
says
Felicity Huffman was a gem, a bit of a miss with the son though, too pouty and predictable, I just couldn't warm to him. Lovely, genuine story about a part of society that most people don't come into contact with.
Katarina F.
says
Janice Y.
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Susan D.
says
what a different type of movie, what a great actress felicity huffman is, this was a very different type of story, believable, tragic, a little confronting, very watchable.
Lesley L.
says
Peter L.
says
Great performances from a good cast
Robyn R.
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Robyn R.
says
Felicity Huffman proves again that she is a great actress
Joanne E.
says
Linnea O.
says
i really enjoyed this movie. excellent acting
Jacquie M.
says
A fantastic movie! Moving and inspirational. Felicity Huffman is brilliant.
Linda H
says
I found the main character quite annoying. The story was okay.
David P.
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JW
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Jodi M.
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Teneille L.
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Helen M.
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Barbara S.
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