In the movie, which is based on a play by Timothy McNeil, Lynch plays a man named Early Landry who is suicidal over the death of his wife. Early moves from Mississippi to Los Angeles, where he can be under the watchful eye of his protective sister, Laurette (Tierney). However, when Early begins an intense new friendship with Freda (Bomer), a transgender sex worker, the unlikely new couple must reconcile their vastly different backgrounds as they fill the void in each other’s lives.
A couple of years ago, Bomer spoke of his interest in starring onstage in McNeil’s play, telling Deadline, “I would love to come back, and I actually read a beautiful new play by Timothy McNeil that I am going to start just seeing if there’s some interest in it. It’s a really mature, very literary piece that is very powerful and I think very timely. It’s a hell of a piece of theater. And you know, in the great tradition of the theater, I refuse to be any one thing. Or any one person.”
However, the fact a film version was coming and Bomer was starring hasn’t been mentioned too much until now. That said, one of the film’s executive producers, Mark Ruffalo, has been talking about it on social media, although not too many details have been known. He now comments, “I’m very happy to be part of this daring project. Love is at the essence of great storytelling and transcends all discrimination and politicization.”
Ruffalo and writer/director McNeil have known each other since their studies with the famed Stella Adler and together with Louise Runge, Micah Hauptman and Ofrit Peres, have collaborated to bring the play from the stage to the screen. It’s not finished shooting in Los Angeles.
Some may see Ruffalo’s comment above as an attempt to head off possible criticism about casting the cisgender Bomer in a transgender role, and also possible stereotyping around the fact the trans character is a sex worker. It’s a bit early to know if these will become issues, but there’s no doubt it’s good to see more trans characters in film.
Casting a cis man to play a trans woman is already an issue, and it’s not good to see trans actors continually marginalized in Hollywood while literal men are cast to play literal women.
Transwomen should never play straight men.
Excuse me while I vomit. Just what we need, more cis guys playing trans women. And she’s a sex worker and a drug addict because what else do trans women do with their lives? Didn’t y’all get this out of your systems with Dallas Buyer’s Club? How many more of these pieces of shit do we have to endure?
Oh for sh*ts sake, this isn’t “daring” is creative masturbation. Stop with the tired trans women = sex worker trope already. Also, there are lots of great Trans women actors, how about not discriminating against them just to hire some random cis-het-bot.
What can I say about this that hasn’t been said a million times?
– Cis-male playing transgender women is offensive in most situations.
– Transgender women being protrade as drug addicted sex-workers is lazy writing that relies and outdated tropes.
The last paragraph of this story is the most revealing of all:
“Some may see Ruffalo’s comment above as an attempt to head off possible criticism about casting the cisgender Bomer in a transgender role, and also possible stereotyping around the fact the trans character is a sex worker.”
– This seems to imply that those behind the film KNOW that what they are doing is going to be offensive to the transgender community, yet are moving forward anyway.
“It’s a bit early to know if these will become issues, but there’s no doubt it’s good to see more trans characters in film.”
– While I understand that increased transgender representation in film can be a good thing, we already have dozens of films telling this exact same story, using the exact same offensive and outdated tropes. I would, personally, rather that they just didn’t make films like this, because they ARE NOT helpful to the transgender community whatsoever.
I’m confused. While many of the complainants issues re a man playing a transgender woman are valid, Matt Bomer is not a cis-male. He is openly gay and has been happily married to his long time partner and co-parent Simon Halls for many years.
Hey Emily, Cis and Trans are not in reference to sexual orientation. In a nutshell Transgender means that someone’s gender identity and expression differs from their assigned sex or (anatomical configuration). So someone who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male would be Transgender. Cisgender means your gender identity and sex assignment match. Which in Matt’s case means he was assigned male at birth and he identifies as male therefore he’s Cis-male.
Got it. Thank you, Brian, for clarifying.
If trans sex worker is a tired old trope it presumably will no longer be used in claims of a sky high murder rate for transwomen.
Thing is, the only transwomen at a dramatically high risk of murder are sex workers, particularly POC. Transwomen in ordinary jobs are no more likely to be the victim of crime than anyone else.
Of course if wealthy, influential transwomen used their power and energy to rescue poor, drug-addicted trans sex workers, instead of attacking women (particularly lesbians) a lot more good could be done for the trans community.
As for complaining about a man playing a transwoman, oh the irony! Transwomen make a lifestyle out of appropriating womanhood and we’re supposed to just roll over and take it. I am a woman. My material reality is not a costume.
Could you explain how my jeans and T-shirt are any more of a costume than yours?
Do you remember when the only homosexual characters in media were villains? That wasn’t fair or accurate was it?
It is a trope to write trans characters as tricksters or sad jokes. It is not representative.
Your call for wealthy trans women to spend their time rescuing less fortunate trans women is a joke. Your intellect is small. You are dividing people and using right wing, tea party ideas. You sound just like the people who hate women.
I am neither wealthy nor a poor sex worker. Do you want to tell me how I am supposed to be? Whether or not I can be represented in media?
I am a cis woman and even for me your comment is offensive. If this character is a ‘trans sex worker-drug addict’ we can’t blame the trans community, this is the lack of imagination of the screenwriters.
I have so many questions and I hope somebody help me to understand this controversy.
1.- You’re saying that the trans roles should be played by trans actors, but with this idea isn’t shut the doors for the trans actors to play cis roles? (Because, at least for me, a trans woman is a woman and has the same rights to play that roles)
2.- I understand that a ‘trans sex worker – drug addict’ is a awful stereotype, but this isn’t Bomer fault, right? My point is this, don’t you think that attack an actor who is part of your LGBT community is counterproductive?
3.- And for last one simple question, the actors work is embodying a character, make the story truthful and convincing, so (at least for me) anyone shouldn’t be capable of play any character?
Thanks
Pd. I love Laverne Cox, she’s an amazing actress and so beautiful, I wish I have those curves!!!
Again, the Transgender community is making an important point. BUT Matt Bomer is being attacked with Homophobic, Violent and Vile language. Was this case for the hetero actors who have played such roles, or is that kind of hate reserved for gay men?