Transamerica (on DVD)

Since the beginning of the cinema, filmmakers have always been attracted to road movies. To artists, road not only brings people from one place to another, but also helps connect us emotionally and spiritually. 2005’s Transamerica is not an ambitious project, but it is a sweet little indie road movie that satisfies the audience far better than most big budget studio products. Much has been said about Felicity Huffman’s portrayal of Bree, a male-to-female transgender. It is clearly one of the best female performances of last year. While watching the movie, I was equally intrigued by Kevin Zegers, a newcomer that plays Bree’s son, Toby. His delicate features bring a sense of precociousness and fragility to the character. I also love the movie’s soundtrack. The songs are chosen carefully by director Duncan Tucker to reflect the places Bree and Toby travel through and the people they meet on the way. As good as Huffman is as Bree, I still feel that Bree should be played by an actor instead of an actress. Huffman is superb at capturing Bree’s awkwardness with the whole sex transition and she manages well a manly deep voice, but maybe because I know she is a woman, when I watch Bree on screen, I see a woman doing her best to be a man to be a woman. If an actor plays this role, we could witness a genuine struggle with his sexuality and appearances. I am probably being way too picky here, this movie and Huffman’s performance are worth checking out.