MovieChat Forums > Albert Nobbs (2012) Discussion > Other films dealing with gender issues?

Other films dealing with gender issues?

posted 13 years ago by TheSummer2012
31 replies | jump to latest

First off, I was disappointed that Albert Nobbs seemed to be a vehicle for Glenn Close to win that Oscar (which she very possibly will). All the interesting gender issues which in the light of her character's deception could be explored weren't dealt with.

Some other films that deal with gender issues in a much more profound way I can think of are:

- Tomboy (2011 French film about a young girl pretending to be a boy)
- Boys Don't Cry
- Transamerica
- The Skin I Live In

All excellent films btw.

Any others you can think of?

[–] marvelass 13 years ago

There was another French film from the '90s called "Ma Vie En Rose" ("My Life in Pink") about a little boy who believes he's a girl and prefers to dress in girl's clothing and insists he's going to marry the boy next door. The movie deals with family's struggles with accepting his gender identity.

One of the three main characters in "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" is a post-op MTF (male to female), which means he (or rather, she now) has had the operation already.

The protagonist in "Kiss of the Spider Woman" is a transgendered man who is arrested and imprisoned for his "immoral behavior."

Lastly, "Myra Breckinridge" is pure dreck, but Raquel Welch plays a post-op MTF.

,

[–] winterOfMyDiscontent 13 years ago

Ma vie en rose is not a french movie, it's from Belgium.
"My name is Alice, and I remember everything"

[–] julikell 13 years ago

According to the IMDB:

Country: France | Belgium | UK

[–] Famazon-chester 13 years ago

Orlando.

"I like him, he says Okey Dokey." - Dean Winchester, Supernatural

[–] coiragrigione 13 years ago

Yentl

[–] ivyandstone 13 years ago

"A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story" (made for tv), and "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar".

[–] davis100-551-944024 13 years ago

This is a film about economic reality and economic hardship in 19thC Ireland.

The economic reality of a woman trying to earn a sustainable living did not exist, then.
Maids worked 20 hrs w/ 1 day off a month; mill workers worked 16 hrs, 7 days. And women were always paid less than men -just like now.

A woman had a choice: work like a dog for nearly nothing, work as a prostitute (nasty work, but better money and a chance of food), or masquerade as a man and get a decent-paying job.

Not everything is a gender issue.

"First off, I was disappointed that Albert Nobbs seemed to be a vehicle for Glenn Close to win that Oscar (which she very possibly will). All the interesting gender issues which in the light of her character's deception could be explored weren't dealt with."

[–] julikell 13 years ago

ALBERT NOBBS runs deeper than gender issues.

It's a story about identity -- who is Albert Nobbs? Does Albert himself know who he is, or has he pretended for so long that he has forgotten?

When Hubert asks Albert his real name, he hesitates before answering "Albert." Did he hesitate because he didn't think he could trust Hubert, or did he in fact forget his real name?

I agree with the above poster -- not everything is a gender issue.

"I can't bear labels." -- Janet McTeer, in an interview.

[–] khakipants68 13 years ago

Alexina (French)

[–] GeorgeObliqueStrokeXR40 13 years ago

Victor/Victoria

Tootsie

[–] arahana 13 years ago

The Ballad of Little Jo

[–] stickemup 13 years ago

The Crying Game
Transamerica
Breaking the Waves
Boys Don't Cry

[–] marbleann 13 years ago

I've seen most of these movies. But the best gender issue movies I saw came from two TV shows. One was a episode of L&O SVU, Fallacy, where the actress who portrays the main character, Katherine Moennig put in a performance worthy of a Oscar if it wasn't a TV show. She was on the L word and on that show there was a character who went by the name Max Sweeney. That character you could see the transformation from a female to almost a male during the course of a few season. And the other TV show was a Cold Case episode named Daniela. Very heartbreaking. And a Medical Center episode where the man who played the father on the Brady Bunch wanted to be a woman. The last scene with Robert Reed walking away dressed as a women I swear was hilarious, even though it wasn't suppose to be.

And I agree I do not think this movie was really about Gender issues. It was like Yentl. A woman trying to make it in a mans world. A civil right, women rights issue. Not a gender issue. Or on a funny note Mrs Doubtfire or Tootsie. It has nothing to do about a person who wants to change their gender or are not comfortable with the gender they were born to, it is about getting a job.

3 movies really about gender issues
The Christine Jorganson Story
Prodigal Sons
Second Serve

[–] HeavyHeartToCarry 13 years ago

The Disney animated film Mulan is kind of similar!

"A true leader does what is right, no matter what others think." - Dumbledore

[–] sportin_jenny 13 years ago

Linda Hunt played a man in The Year of Living Dangerously and won an Oscar for it.

[–] GentianViolet 12 years ago

Interesting point, but I don't think the film was about gender issues?