So the title of my first blog post in almost four months is a movie that I've wanted to see for such a long time, but never got around to it. I've literally picked it up from the Longwood University Greenwood Library movie shelf probably 10 times in my entire college career. Why I never got around to see it until now, I don't know. But I know one thing: I'm regretting waiting this long to finally see it.
This movie is based on the powerful, true story of transgender man Brandon Teenamurdered on December 31, 1993 by male friends. Newcomers Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny command outstanding performances, along with Peter Sarsgaard , Matt McGrath, Brandon Sexton III, and Alicia Goranson as supporting characters.
Janet Maslin of The New York Times called this movie "The Best American Film of the Year!"
The movie opens with what appears to be a two-car race down a dark country highway. Music in the background is on beat with the lights of cars whizzing by and the reflection of headlights against windshields and mirrors. We see a boy's eyes in the rear-view mirror, before the flashing lights of a highway patrol car appear in the fog. The first words of dialog come from inside a trailer: "Short. Shorter hair."
Lonny (McGrath) is helping, reluctantly, to cut Brandon's (Swank) hair into a boy's style. In a plaid shirt, denim jeans and a brown belt, Brandon easily passes for a high-school-age guy, complete with cowboy hat and cigarette, as they make their way to the Broadway Skateland. Lonny gets even more agitated when Brandon says he has a date waiting inside, leaving Lonny stunned and confused in the crowded parking lot. As "You're Just What I Needed" plays in the background, their date progresses from casually skating around the rink into kissing in front of the girl's house. When she finally leaves to go inside, Brandon lifts his hands to the sky, as if thanking God for finally giving him a chance as a boy.
The next scene shows that the setting is Lincoln, Nebraska in 1993. A date's brother and his angry buddies are chasing Brandon into Lonny's trailer, shouting expletives, "You freak!" and "You f***ed my sister!" All the while, Lonny pins his sister to the wall yelling, "You are not a boy, that's what went wrong! You are not a boy," while Brandon looks exhilarated and happy. The scene ends with glass breaking, Lonny taking money from his Brandon's wallet, and saying, "You're not staying here anymore, Teena."
Brandon goes to the bar and strikes up a conversation with a girl named Candice (Goranson). She hates her name and is considering changing it, to which Brandon responds that changing your name "sometimes helps." As a drunk guy tries to sit next to Candice, Brandon tries to haul him off, resulting in a bar fight. Ex-convict John Lotter (Sarsgaard), Candice and Brandon run into an alley to escape the incoming cops. John notices that Brandon has "the tiniest hands" and that he'll have a shiner in the morning, to which Brandon seems very excited about.
The scenes are so well-done and portray the gritty side of the Midwest and countryside. The bars are dark, dank, full of pool tables and drunk guys. As Brandon converses with some of the guys at the pool tables, a guy yells for Lana (Sevigny). Brandon is dumbfounded, with a visible look of shock on his face.
As Brandon tries to make his way back to Lincoln and Lonny, he becomes romantically involved with Lana. Brandon is arrested and placed in the women's section of the Falls City jail. Lana bails him out and asks him why he was in the women's section. Brandon subsequently lies and says he was born a hermaphrodite and looking to get a sex-change operation sometime in the future. Lana then declares her love for him, "no matter what he is."
However, the ending is none too happy for Brandon and Lana, along with John, fellow ex-convict Tom Nissen (Sexton), and Candice.
The actors are absolutely fabulous and practically live and breathe their characters' personalities and show their true colors. Lonny is the overprotective brother. Brandon/Teena is the innocent teenager, looking and longing for love and acceptance as a boy. Candice and Lana are intriguing girls: Candice is the typical farm homemaker with a child. Lana is smitten with Brandon and wants to be with him, no matter what. However, though all their characters are bonded by seemingly-normal friendship, the events they all experience change their lives forever.
Tune in next week for another movie that you probably haven't heard of. I welcome all comments, questions and suggestions!
This movie is based on the powerful, true story of transgender man Brandon Teena
Janet Maslin of The New York Times called this movie "The Best American Film of the Year!"
The movie opens with what appears to be a two-car race down a dark country highway. Music in the background is on beat with the lights of cars whizzing by and the reflection of headlights against windshields and mirrors. We see a boy's eyes in the rear-view mirror, before the flashing lights of a highway patrol car appear in the fog. The first words of dialog come from inside a trailer: "Short. Shorter hair."
Lonny (McGrath) is helping, reluctantly, to cut Brandon's (Swank) hair into a boy's style. In a plaid shirt, denim jeans and a brown belt, Brandon easily passes for a high-school-age guy, complete with cowboy hat and cigarette, as they make their way to the Broadway Skateland. Lonny gets even more agitated when Brandon says he has a date waiting inside, leaving Lonny stunned and confused in the crowded parking lot. As "You're Just What I Needed" plays in the background, their date progresses from casually skating around the rink into kissing in front of the girl's house. When she finally leaves to go inside, Brandon lifts his hands to the sky, as if thanking God for finally giving him a chance as a boy.
The next scene shows that the setting is Lincoln, Nebraska in 1993. A date's brother and his angry buddies are chasing Brandon into Lonny's trailer, shouting expletives, "You freak!" and "You f***ed my sister!" All the while, Lonny pins his sister to the wall yelling, "You are not a boy, that's what went wrong! You are not a boy," while Brandon looks exhilarated and happy. The scene ends with glass breaking, Lonny taking money from his Brandon's wallet, and saying, "You're not staying here anymore, Teena."
Brandon goes to the bar and strikes up a conversation with a girl named Candice (Goranson). She hates her name and is considering changing it, to which Brandon responds that changing your name "sometimes helps." As a drunk guy tries to sit next to Candice, Brandon tries to haul him off, resulting in a bar fight. Ex-convict John Lotter (Sarsgaard), Candice and Brandon run into an alley to escape the incoming cops. John notices that Brandon has "the tiniest hands" and that he'll have a shiner in the morning, to which Brandon seems very excited about.
The scenes are so well-done and portray the gritty side of the Midwest and countryside. The bars are dark, dank, full of pool tables and drunk guys. As Brandon converses with some of the guys at the pool tables, a guy yells for Lana (Sevigny). Brandon is dumbfounded, with a visible look of shock on his face.
As Brandon tries to make his way back to Lincoln and Lonny, he becomes romantically involved with Lana. Brandon is arrested and placed in the women's section of the Falls City jail. Lana bails him out and asks him why he was in the women's section. Brandon subsequently lies and says he was born a hermaphrodite and looking to get a sex-change operation sometime in the future. Lana then declares her love for him, "no matter what he is."
However, the ending is none too happy for Brandon and Lana, along with John, fellow ex-convict Tom Nissen (Sexton), and Candice.
The actors are absolutely fabulous and practically live and breathe their characters' personalities and show their true colors. Lonny is the overprotective brother. Brandon/Teena is the innocent teenager, looking and longing for love and acceptance as a boy. Candice and Lana are intriguing girls: Candice is the typical farm homemaker with a child. Lana is smitten with Brandon and wants to be with him, no matter what. However, though all their characters are bonded by seemingly-normal friendship, the events they all experience change their lives forever.
Tune in next week for another movie that you probably haven't heard of. I welcome all comments, questions and suggestions!
-Laura Beth :)
