MovieChat Forums > Transamerica (2006) Discussion > One thing I couldn't get

One thing I couldn't get

posted 9 years ago by tmaj48
2 replies | jump to latest

From the moment they met, Bree had always been kind of a mother figure to Toby.
She was very modest around him, and never tried to give him any kind of signal that she was interested in him (for obvious reasons). She was also more than two decades older than he was, and wouldn't seem to be his type at all. And at that point, knowing she was transsexual, and seeing how oddly solicitous Bree's mother
was toward him, Toby must have had at least an inkling about who Bree really was.

So why did he come on to her? Was he genuinely attracted to her, or did he feel
obligated to be with her out of pity because she seemed so anxious and lonely (even though she did have that standing offer with Calvin, who was very charming and seemed more her
speed)? It just seemed like a contrived turn of events.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

[–] mel-holden 9 years ago

When he came onto her, he didn't have any inkling she was his father. He didn't understand why her family was being so nice to him, he asked her and she didn't answer. You say he must have had an inkling, but he's clueless in many ways, as evidenced in the final scene when he says he can get her a discount on the porno vid he's made.

I listened to director commentary, and it helped me realize he came onto her because earlier he'd found out she'd tried to commit suicide, and he was seeing all the pain and struggles she was having being around her family and he wanted to help her. She'd just said she so craved 'being seen' and he figured he could help her out by really seeing her and being with her, in the way he'd learned to satisfy someone.

To me it made sense, but again, to me he didn't have an inkling.

[–] Nia_J 9 years ago

I don't think he had a concept of boundaries and was showing affection the only way he knew how- through sex.

this is common in children who have been sexually abused long term