[Shannon]

Paul McKerrow was an all-American boy. Raised in Helena, Montana, he was the quarterback for his high-school football team, which is as close to being idolised as many small-town Americans come.

He was also his class president, the ­valedictorian of his year in 1985 and voted most likely to succeed by his classmates. He was tall and ruggedly good-looking. McKerrow, in short, had it made and great things were expected of him.

So it was with some trepidation that McKerrow recently attended his 20-year high-school reunion as Kimberly Reed, a lesbian, New York-based film-maker who had had gender reassignment to become a woman.

"It was very emotional. I wanted it to go smoothly. People get freaked out enough by going to their high-school reunion. But having a new gender is a big surprise for a lot of people," Reed said.

Yet Reed found that her worries were unfounded. Defying the preconceptions that surround many people's views of small-town America, she was welcomed home with open arms. "It has been really great. It really was easy. That became the surprise," she said.

Reed has now made a documentary about her story, which has become a major hit on the American film festival circuit. The movie, called Prodigal Sons, is getting its cinematic release in New York in two weeks and has already won plaudits from the critics for its painful and honest depiction of Reed's experience, as well as that of her ­family, ­especially her brother, Marc. It has been called "exceptional" by the Village Voice and "superb" by the San Francisco Chronicle and has won nine awards...


http://www.guardian....ons-transsexual

[UsernameOptional]

this film should surely be better than any other that's been twisted for entertainment and tainted (whether intentionally or not) with the biases of the writers and producers (and narrators) who have no clue what it's all about.

sorry...but you all know i'm not a real big fan of many films or documentaries about TS people. <hangs head>
-michael

[stephani]

I too hope that this film isn't one of those like in the past butchered and reedited for monitary not sociallogical gain , to hear the truth for a change would be nice I suppose I will simply have to wait and watch it when it becomes available... Anticipating good things but expecting the usual... I hope to be disproved .

[Shannon]

Hmm, this is a new twist. Usually the critics watch the movie first -- then trash it.

So, um, yeah... I think I'll just leave this here...


The Cynic's Guide to Life

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a squeaking fan belt and a leaky tire.

I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows. And a foundation leaks and a ball game gets rained out and a car rusts and...

Follow your dream. Unless it's the one where you're at work in your underwear during a fire drill.

Always take time to stop and smell the roses... and sooner or later you'll inhale a bee.

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either, just leave me alone.

If you don't like my driving, don't call anyone. Just take another road. That's why the highway department made so many of them.

If a motorists cuts you off, just turn the other cheek. Nothings gets the message across like a good mooning.

When I'm feeling down, I like to whistle. It makes the neighbor's dog run to the end of his chain and gag himself.

It's always darkest before the dawn. So if you're going to steal the neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

Each day I try to enjoy something from each of the four food groups: the bon bon group, the salty-snack group, the caffeine group, and the 'thing-in-the-tinfoil-in-the-back-of-the-fridge' group.

Just remember... You gotta break some eggs to make a real mess on the neighbor's car.

When you find yourself getting irritated with someone, try to remember that all men are brothers... and just give them a noogie or an Indian burn.

This morning I woke up to the unmistakable scent of pigs in a blanket. That's the price you pay for letting the relatives say over.

Love is like a roller coaster. If you like it, you don't want to get off, and when you don't... you can't wait to throw up.

[UsernameOptional]

"Hmm, this is a new twist. Usually the critics watch the movie first -- then trash it." -Shannon

ahhh..methinks you misinterpreted my post. but then...maybe i didn't write it so well.

i was trying to praise that which i've not seen yet for the simple (biased?) reason that the film was created by a [trans]woman, believing that because she is TS...people will see a REAL and true representation.

my comment about not being a fan of films and documentaries about TS people was in reference to productions that have preceded Kimberly Reed's documentary... all of which are usually laced with the usual social intolerances and ignorance having been created by cisgender people.

sorry i wasn't clear. my bad.
-michael

[Bonnie]

A few movies I thought were done quite well are; Normal; Breakfast on Pluto; and Boys Don't Cry. Hopefully this one will rank up there with them.

Normal was one of the few that dealt with someone who married and had a family then came out. I would like to see another movie dealing with that since it occurs more often than people think.

I am looking forward to seeing this one.

Bonnie

[Shannon]

UsernameOptional, on 09 February 2010 - 09:20 AM, said:

"Hmm, this is a new twist. Usually the critics watch the movie first -- then trash it." -Shannon

ahhh..methinks you misinterpreted my post. but then...maybe i didn't write it so well.

i was trying to praise that which i've not seen yet for the simple (biased?) reason that the film was created by a [trans]woman, believing that because she is TS...people will see a REAL and true representation.

my comment about not being a fan of films and documentaries about TS people was in reference to productions that have preceded Kimberly Reed's documentary... all of which are usually laced with the usual social intolerances and ignorance having been created by cisgender people.

sorry i wasn't clear. my bad.

I was just funnin' ya, Mike. But yeah, you really didn't sound particularly optimistic about Kimberly Reed's movie either. Regardless, I can't really blame ya. I've seen some pretty horrendous film depictions of transgendered people.

On the other hand, I agree with Bonnie that there are some good ones too. I just saw "Breakfast on Pluto" recently and enjoyed it immensely. "Normal" was, I think, a well made movie, although I found it, I dunno... somewhat difficult to connect with the main character. "Boys Don't Cry" was an excellent movie, but movies like that tend to be emotionally wrenching on me and just leave me feeling drained and depressed. For that same reason I haven't even watched "A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story". One other trans film that comes to mind that I liked was Beautiful Boxer, as it is the story of a transgendered woman who lived a very hyper-macho existance prior to her transition, which I could relate to on a personal level.

[Shannon]

Oprah features transgender lesbian filmmaker Kim Reed [video]

http://www.metroweek...gender-les.html

[Gennee]

UsernameOptional, on 07 February 2010 - 06:35 PM, said:

this film should surely be better than any other that's been twisted for entertainment and tainted (whether intentionally or not) with the biases of the writers and producers (and narrators) who have no clue what it's all about.

sorry...but you all know i'm not a real big fan of many films or documentaries about TS people. <hangs head>
-michael

Michael, I believe that when more TS filmmakers , writers, and producers are willing to share their expertise and stories is when you will see better films and documentaries.

Gennee

[Gennee]

I saw the film on Monday. A very good film told from the filmmaker's eyes. It is a revealing film which displays the emotions of everyone involved. I recommend this film.

Gennee