08.27.07
Transamerica
First things first - did Owen Wilson try to commit suicide? If that was a publicity stunt, it was a good one, because it made me want him even more. Hey, does anyone know how Luke is taking this? Because if either one of them needs a shoulder to cry on, well, I would be happy to oblige. Shit, I would settle for Andrew.
UPDATE: Owen better be under close guard for a while because as soon as he finds out the b-roll they are using to cover this is from You, Me and Dupree, he is going to try again.
Now, the review. Honestly, when it first came on the screen, I was more than ready to hate Transamerica. After all, Felicity Huffman looked soooo ugly in all the trailers, how could I stand to look at her for 2 hours? She looks equally ugly at the beginning of the movie, but they let her look better and better. And mostly, I forgot about it because this is a pretty fucking good movie! I mean, the story was completely engaging, and the acting was really great all around. On top of all that, Huffman’s co-star was this really super hot guy. I guess he’s a little like Zac Efron, but way way less gay, despite his character starring in a gay porn.
My least favorite part of the movie came about 35 minutes in when I realized that the main plot had the two lead characters - Sabrina (Huffman) and her son Toby (hotness) - driving across the country (their journey is TRANScontinental, if you will). And one of them is a TRANSsexual. And it’s called TRANSAmerica. Ohhhhh. *GROAN*
So, Sabrina is about to get a gender reassignment surgery but then she finds out she fathered a son 17 years ago and she goes to find him and they like, become friends but she can’t bring herself to tell him that she is his father and when she finally does he runs away and dyes his hair blonde and stars in a gay porn called Cowabunghole (no, really). That’s a lot of confusing pronouns, huh? Anyway, it’s a domestic melodrama/road movie and it’s really well written and all of the supporting roles are filled with really fantastic actors. I was especially impressed with Fionnula Flanagan as Sabrina’s mother.
I think the most surprising part was how genuinely funny it was. Like this:
Dr. Spikowsky: How do you feel about your penis?
Bree Osbourne: [giving up] It disgusts me. I don’t even like looking at it.
Dr. Spikowsky: What about friends?
Bree Osbourne: They don’t like it either.
Maybe that’s an obvious joke to make, but something about how Sabrina (she goes by ‘Bree’) uses jokes to get through uncomfortable times is so very real and relatable. So, I liked this movie a lot and recommend it.
Oh, and Reese Witherspoon beat out Felicity Huffman for the Oscar? I’m starting to think the Oscars don’t actually have anything to do with talent and performance!