TRANSAMERICA Special Screenings

The terrific performances of Felicity Huffman and Kevin Zegers work in synch to maximize the impact of this profoundly resonant film.

Living in Los Angeles, Bree (Felicity Huffman in an Oscar-worthy performance, of a conservative transsexual woman saving money for her final sexual reassignment surgery. Out of the blue, she gets a phone call from New York. A young man (Zegers) jailed for turning tricks, has named Bree as his father. Bree’s therapist (Elizabeth Pena) threatens to withhold the signature approving surgery unless she makes peace with the past. So, she flies to New York to bail Toby out of jail. Released to her without explanation, Toby assumes that Bree is a Christian missionary who rescues street people and converts them to Jesus. She offers him a ride cross-country. As each lies to and manipulates the other, Bree and Toby find themselves on an unexpected and transformative journey across America.

In a lesser director’s hands this story could have descended into camp or melodrama, but writer/director Duncan Tucker expertly navigates the emotional terrain with humor and profound resonance, allowing the rapturous Felicity Huffman the room to shine in this emotionally powerful story of love, identity and deep family ties.