MovieChat Forums > Transamerica (2006) Discussion > Accurate?

Accurate?

posted 16 years ago by jazzpiano-
12 replies | jump to latest

Firstly, I know next-to-nothing about being a transsexual or the kinds of experiences they have, in daily life and while pursuing gender reassignment surgery, as depicted in Transamerica. I enjoyed this movie, and I sympathised a lot with the character of Bree, but I talked to a friend who has some transsexual friends, and he told me it was inaccurate and offensive. Could anyone enlighten me as to whether this film is accurate, or if it's demeaning/patronising to transsexual people?

His exact statement was that the film made you "sympathise with an idolised version of what a trans is. I don't think many people out there exist like that [Bree]. I think the movie had such a strong idea... and yet it failed to be something profound because it was hampered down by being a sellable film. the film had to be accesible to morons, so they decided to loose credibility in what they're making, and create superfulous characters."

Now I was under the impression this was an independent film which was somewhat a labour of love? Wasn't part of it filmed in the director's house? Anyway! I would really appreciate the point of view of a transsexual person in particular, but anyone who can help me, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

I sincerely apologise if I unknowingly offend anyone here; I just want to say I'm seeking a deeper understanding - I'm not here with a vicious agenda.

[–] acd4753-1 16 years ago

Jazzpiano...I see you posted this thread over a month ago, but I sincerely hope you come back and check the replies.

I have a book to recommend for you. It is called "The Man Who Would Be Queen" By J. Michael Bailey. He's one of my professors and a leading psychologist specializing in the areas of atypical sexuality. The book is a very informative yet accessible piece that really explains what it is like to be gay, transgender, and most especially, transsexual. It's totally gripping and you'll finish it quick, I guarantee.

The short answer, based on my experience, is that this is a faithful depiction of a type of transsexual. Bree is (again, in my opinion) an autogynephilic transsexual, which is totally different from homosexual transsexuals -- the stereotypical male-to-female image of transsexuality. I'm going to assume your acquaintances are comparing Bree to homosexual transsexuals and not autogynephilic transsexuals; therein lies the problem.

Anyway, I hope you'll consider getting the book. It's really, really great.

"Wisdom begins in Wonder"
-Socrates

[–] soulburnk5 13 years ago

Actually do not read that book :) alot of the idea's in that book are widely discredited, as a trans-sexual woman i found that book completely offensive and inaccurate, its a bigots way of seeming objective and intelligent but at the same time denying trans women their femininity such as calling them 'super gays'. or as the poster above called us, homosexual transsexual if you see me as a homosexual then you don't see me as a woman.

about the film, i thought it was wonderful, it made me feel so positive after watching it, of course this is a fairy tail, life as a trans woman is not this easy and this is from PERSONAL experience not reading it from a book, i've told members of my family, friends, and they don't want anything to do with me, but in the film her family and her son all begin to accept her and 'see her' as she put it so like most films based around a serious topic some things are accurate and some are fanciful purely for entertainment :)

[–] Purrrple 16 years ago

I'd bet money your friend never actually ASKED any of his transsexual friends what they thought, but spoke from his own assumptions, like a white man who throws a hissyfit at the use of the N word, as if he himself completely understands how a black man must feel, without ever actually asking a black man.

The varying depictions of transpeople in this movie are pretty much right on the money. I should know, I'm an intersexed woman who long thought I was trans, and I used to help run a trans support group, and every archetype shown in this movie, including Bree, I've seen sitting at my table.

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most fools do." - Benjamin Franklin.

[–] mishadark1 16 years ago

Well its ok as a film
Here are some of the things which grate with transsexuals

It does stereotype
to a degree by showing Male 2 Female transsexuals, as basically, men.

3 examples.

*1st scene.
Hoffman leaves her house in a big floppy hat huge sun glasses
out of place clothing ...looking very unintegrated in her role as a
woman...for the rest of her life..
Didn't her gender shrinks pick up on that???

*She says she has had:
IPL, laser, 300 hours of electrolysis, face feminisation surgery
yet she has a huge chunk of badly applied make up looking like a failed
transvestite...

* On a road journey she takes a pee behind a car
AND STANDS UP TO DO IT!
Yet she is 24 hours away from sex reassignment surgery!
THIS JUST WOULDN'T HAPPEN

There are things, as you can see, which grate.
its not a bad film, quite the opposite
And its only purpose is to entertain, which it does.
But it is not some sort of shining beacon
showing Transsexuals as normal people, correcting a birth defect.

[color=#ff0000] 6 ½ out of 10.
Must try harder.[/color]

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Purrrple 15 years ago

Let's dissect your mistakes 1 by 1.

"*1st scene.
Hoffman leaves her house in a big floppy hat huge sun glasses
out of place clothing ...looking very unintegrated in her role as a
woman...for the rest of her life..
Didn't her gender shrinks pick up on that???"

No, it isn't part of their job. At almost every genmder clinic the sole job is to evaluate psychology and manage hormone medication. it isn't they're job to be fashion conscious. This is why many transwomen have "Drag Mothers". A good Drag Queen will teach even most straight girls more than most about make-up and clothing. As with so many parts of transition, we're on our own when it comes to learning to dress well.

"*She says she has had:
IPL, laser, 300 hours of electrolysis, face feminisation surgery
yet she has a huge chunk of badly applied make up looking like a failed
transvestite..."

Sorry but this is also common. We learn fast to conceal that 5:00 shadows, and even after it's gone it's a force of habit that's hard to break. Besides, over application of make-up is not exclusive to transwomen. Just look at Tammy Faye. Besides, Bree's character wasn't comfortable in nearly everything, and was awkward and obviously not a social butterfly.

"* On a road journey she takes a pee behind a car
AND STANDS UP TO DO IT!
Yet she is 24 hours away from sex reassignment surgery!
THIS JUST WOULDN'T HAPPEN "

No, she squatted to pee, as best she could, she stood up to shake the pee off after the car drove past, as, sorry to burst your bubble, many of us do pre surgery. And even as she stood up she was still hunched over, not to mention she was in a very flustered mood.

Dude I appreciate you're pro trans and trying to be an ally, but please, don't waste it on this movie which was very accurate without sugarcoating anything. Direct it at bad movies like Hedvig And the Angry itch that portray us as mutilated gay men, or at organizations that work to strip us of what few rights we have. Bitching about stereotypes that aren't there and undermining one of the few good movies about us that doesn't make us into flamboyant drag queens or serial killers with confusion issues is NOT helping us any hon.

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most fools do." - Benjamin Franklin.

[–] donnylutz 15 years ago

Bravo Purrple!

I have MANY transexual friends, many transvestite friends, and many drag queen friends, and I myself fit somewhere under the "T", and none of my friends thought this movie was offensive. You have to remember that, just like people whom aren't transexual, all people are different! Being a transexual doesn't dictate how you act, walk, do you makeup, or anything else. "Bree" wasn't a transexual, she was "Bree", a woman whom happened to be transexual.

All ways be careful not to box someone into an idea of what you think they should be, simply because of who they are.

[–] jbjjunk 15 years ago

As a trans person (genderqueer) who knows many transwomen, I can surely tell you Bree was not an idolizes trans person! Uncomfortably accurate would be closer. An idolized transwoman would look and act exactly perfect in every regard - a supermodel, feminine face, great makeup and fashion, lots of friends, accepting family, a great job. Bree is none of those. Instead she's barely scraping by and holding a masculine appearance. They easily could have romanticized being trans but they didn't.

I only caught a couple technical inaccuracies. Bree taking her mom's estrogen pills (menopausal HRT, I assume?) wouldn't do her any good - the dosage would be too low. But then she was desperate. Also, Bree gets approval for her surgery just weeks before she had schedule it, which she said she did a year earlier. I believe you'd need approval before you can even schedule. But those are minor details.

[–] BugisStreetAnnie 15 years ago

Bree taking her mom's estrogen pills (memopausal HRT, I assume?) wouldn't do her any good - the dosage would be too low.

I know, LOL!!! I once took some of my mother's when, financially, I couldn't afford ESTINYL I was taking (this was years ago), and it didn't do a dang thing. Also, most m2f's take Spironolactone as well.

[–] doordaoc 15 years ago

Coming from a transsexual. Bree is very much one of the types. I was hoping personally that the film would have touched more on the other bits of being trans in America, and not so much the overly dramatic life of one trans. I know personally I'm more level headed than the average trans...but at the same time there's a certain set of stages we all go through.

As for Bree's in ability to integrate as smoothly as some might expect. There isn't a day that I go out that I worry that I'm not doing something "right." And that's coming from a trans that never gets called on being trans...is often told she looks like a model...and is a fashion designer. It's part of the process...you screw up and look ridiculous...and you learn. If you're as alone as Bree's character seems to be...it would makes sense that it's taking much longer for you to learn...it's hard to see what you're doing if you're not getting any constructive criticism.

[–] jazzpiano- 15 years ago

Thanks for all the replies, they were really informative and interesting!!

[–] angelexposed 13 years ago

Bree taking her mom's estrogen pills (memopausal HRT, I assume?) wouldn't do her any good - the dosage would be too low.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know, LOL!!! I once took some of my mother's when, financially, I couldn't afford ESTINYL I was taking (this was years ago), and it didn't do a dang thing. Also, most m2f's take Spironolactone as well.

It was utter desperation of course, but I think they just glossed over it for fiction's sake regardless of what we know to be true/factual. I think moviemakers assumed most of the people watching this movie would be straight people looking for a laugh and that they wouldn't pick up on some of these things.

I'm a 30 yr old woman so I've never had to take many hormone pills myself (other than when I had dysfunctional uterine bleeding for 9 months!) so I'm not really too up to date on their effects. Would even a large dose do anything to stop the breast-shrinkage she was frightened of?

There's just so much I don't know about the issues a transexual/transgendered (I don't know if I'm even being politically correct or not? I don't want to be insultive or derrogatary) woman might face regarding hormones and everything else.

I'm always willing to learn about things like this, it's always important to me to know about the things people have to do to become who they're meant to be.

The issue of sexual reassignment never really even occurred to me much until a few years back I was informed a male friend used to be female. Doesn't bother me of course about which sex he was born and which sex he is now, he's still my friend either way. But being told about it really left me quite mystified and I did feel (and often still do) really prompted to try and learn more about it and the processes. Not so much out of sick fascination, but rather out of a want to be able to understand a bit better about what the processes are, about the surgeries, the therapy, the treatments, so that if he wants to bring it up, I won't be another ignorant straight girl he has to elaborate with who won't really understand anyway (and so I don't have to ask the annoying ignorant questions I know he must get asked constantly!).

I really think people who go through sexual reassignment are incredibly strong brave people to go through such surgeries and extensive therapy and treatment all the while with society (even families/friends!) being judgemental and ignorant. They're/you're all so much stronger than I will ever be.