Are you ready for watching top 10 transgender movies of all times? These movies will reveal the secrets of transgender lives and fortunes.
About Ray (2015)
This great, new movie stars Elle Fanning as a boy “born in a girl’s body”, as he explains it to his half siblings, the children his dad (Tate Donovan) had after leaving his wife (Naomi Watts) and “daughter”. Now that Ray (Ramona) wants to transition, she needs both her parents’ legal consent. This is a gripping story and a wonderfully acted piece which also stars the amazing Susan Sarandon.
Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Based on a true story, this movie won Hilary Swank both a Golden Globe and an Oscar®. Teena Brandon decides she must live as a boy and become Brandon Teena. Some feat when you live in small-town Nebraska. The new boy will go looking for love and acceptance in this amazing film that was a trailblazer for the trans community.
The Danish Girl (2015)
The fascinating story of a female Danish artist, Gerda Wegener, in the early 1920s, who used her husband Einar (played by Eddie Redmayne) as a model but painted him as a female. When the paintings began drawing attention, Einar started dressing up as a woman in public and eventually went on to become the first person to undergo male to female sex reassignment surgery. The film won the Queer Lion and was nominated for the Golden Lion at the prestigious Venice Film Festival.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
This dark, gritty yet enlightening film tells the tale of East German punk rock band lead singer Hedwig (played by writer, director and actor John Cameron Mitchell) who underwent a sex-change operation in order to marry an American soldier and flee to the West. Unfortunately, the operation was botched and Hedwig is as angry as her Angry Inch (what is left of her male genitalia). You will love this great story of resentment and bitterness that eventually turns into love. Neil Patrick Harris, Darren Criss and Taye Diggs, among others, have starred as Hedwig in the stage adaptation on Broadway.
Laurence Anyways (2012)
Written and directed by young Québécois filmmaking sensation Xavier Dolan, Laurence Anyways tells the 10-year journey of Laurence (French actor Melvil Poupaud), a male teacher who comes to terms with being a woman, and his/her female lover Fred (Suzanne Clément) who desperately wants to stand by Laurence through the whole process. Though the film could have been edited a bit tighter (it lasts 2 hours and 40 minutes), it received public and critical acclaim, most notably Film of the Year, LGBT Film of the Year, Foreign Language Film of the Year and Visually Striking Film of the Year from the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA).
Ma vie en rose (1997)
This film won Belgium a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and received the Outstanding Film prize at the GLAAD Media Awards. It is a sweet, brilliant, colorful movie that tells the story of Ludovic, a young boy who can’t wait to grow into a woman, and marry the neighbors’ son. This, of course, creates uneasiness in the family, the neighborhood and at school where Ludovic has a hard time being… herself. A must-see.
Tiresia (2003)
Nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, this Bertrand Bonello movie’s story is inspired by Greek tragedies. Tiresia is a trans male to female who is suddenly kidnapped by an admirer who becomes obsessed with her. When Tiresia starts turning back into a male because she doesn’t have access to her regular doses of hormones, her admirer becomes upset and blinds her, abandoning her in the countryside. Didn’t I tell you the Greek tragedies were the inspiration for this story? This movie is beautifully shot, and its characters and story are compelling.
Tomboy (2011)
This warm, moving, beautiful film tells the story of parents who accept their female born child as a boy and move to a new town where young Laure (Zoé Héran) can finally live as Mickaël. Tomboy not only won Best Film Awards in many gay and lesbian film festivals, it also garnered the prestigious Teddy Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Transamerica (2005)
Nominated for an Oscar® for her role in this transcendent movie, Felicity Hoffman (Desperate Housewives) plays Bree Osbourne, a transgender woman who was born Stanley Chupak. Just when Bree is about to get her sexual reassignment surgery, she learns that she fathered a son she did not know about. This great movie is touching and funny, powerful and light. A delight.
XXY (2007)
This Argentinian masterpiece won the Quebec Film Critics Award at the Montreal Festival of New Cinema and the Best Film Award at the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. It tells the rare story of an intersexual 15-year-old and his/her family, in a world where you are either born male or female… not both. Wonderfully compelling and moving.
