Netflix's latest documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen, is an in-depth look at how the lives and personalities of transgender people are depicted in films and television. While a tad divisive in its opinions (Is Tootsie offensive? Is there anything wrong with the film Boys Don't Cry? Should Silence of the Lambs be taken so seriously?) the film has its heart in the right place and it is sobering to hear the voices who, for decades, weren't allowed to be heard.
And there are indeed films that show the transgender community in a positive light. Here are 10 choices where filmmakers got it right.
Soldier's Girl
2003's Soldier's Girl told the tragic true-life tale of a soldier who falls in love with a transgender performer. When his masculinity is challenged, he loses the essence of what true love really is and falls prey to the pressures of the overly-masculinized military life.
Troy Garity (son of Jane Fonda) is the soldier and Lee Pace is the performer who draws his affections. The film was praised at Sundance and brought the powerful truth about the prejudice and dangers transgender people face every day to a wider audience.
Transamerica
Duncan Tucker's one and only film, Transamerica, is the story of a transgender female who discovers she fathered a son. After learning he is hustling on the streets, she goes to save him and tries to bond with him while driving cross-country. Side-stepping the cliches of the usual road trip film, Tucker's pice gets to the heart of a woman who wants to be accepted for who she is and a son who struggles to fully understand.
Felicity Huffman gave a deeply powerful and Oscar-nominated performance as the distraught mother and was praised for her careful and honest handling in portraying a transgender person.
Dallas Buyers Club
Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto won Oscars for their work in Jean-Marc Vallee's 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club, the true story of a bigot who learns a bit of compassion once he contracts AIDS and works to help patients get the medical help they need when the system fails them.
Jared Leto was widely praised by the LGBTQ community for his heartbreaking portrayal of Rayon, a drug-addicted transgender woman who is dying of AIDS. His work was soulful and deeply felt. While his character was fictional, Rayon represented a reflection of the prejudice towards the transgender community by the medical profession.
A Fantastic Woman
Sebastian Lelio's A Fantastic Woman rightfully won the 2018 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The story tells of a transgender waitress who wants to be a singer and works at a small nightclub trying to further her dream. When her boyfriend dies, her life is turned upside down, as his family refuses to acknowledge her. The film is widely praised for showing an honest and respectful depiction of a modern transgender woman.
Daniela Vega made history as the first transgender actress to play the lead in an Oscar-winning film. Leilo has gone on to work in the U.S. with his films Disobedience (starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams) and a remake of his own Chilean film Gloria called Gloria Bell, starring Julianne Moore.
Tangerine
Tangerine tells the story of two friends who are transgender sex workers. One friend has recently gone through heartbreak and the two traverse the Hollywood streets to confront the man responsible.
Shot on an iPhone, the film is more than just a gimmick. It is a beautiful and realistic portrayal of two pure souls who seek a better life for themselves. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor bring heart and realism to what becomes a sweet tale of friendship.
The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
Terence Stamp plays the title role in Stephen Elliot's entertaining and soul-touching Australian film. Stamp plays an aging transgender woman who heads a traveling desert-based cabaret.
Stamp's portrayal of Priscilla is touching and was, back in 1994, a welcome reprieve from the stereotypical and cliched portrayals of transgender persons. The film costarred Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving and received a big release in America and found an audience that welcomed the screenplay's honest depictions of gay and transgender lifestyles.
Hedwig And The Angry Inch
John Cameron Mitchell is a big talent and his 2001 film version of his stage show Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a sight to behold. It is a rock and roll musical about a transgender singer and the story of her journey to womanhood.
The film was an instant cult hit and was well-reviewed. Mitchell's portrayal of Hedwig was touching, humorous, and soulful and paid homage to the transgender women and men who seek to find their voice in an unforgiving America.
The Crying Game
Neil Jordan's worldwide, Oscar-nominated hit film, The Crying Game, is a unique dramatic thriller that is, at its soul, a story about love conquering all. Stephen Rea stars as a member of the IRA who falls in love with one of his former captive's (Forrest Whitaker) ex-girlfriends, who he later discovers is a transgender woman.
Jaye Davidson earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and played the role with a grace that gave him a powerfully moving screen presence. The story's "secret" somewhat overshadowed a potent and quite beautiful love story.
Boys Don't Cry
A powerful drama and important film in its depiction of the lives and struggles of the LGBTQ community, Kimberly Pierce's Boys Don't Cry is the tragic tale of Brandon Teena, a transgender man who fell in love with a girl, but whose life was cut short due to bigotry, hatred, and misunderstanding.
Hilary Swank won an extremely well-earned Oscar for Best Actress for her beautifully sweet portrayal of Brandon Teena. The actress was praised by Teena's family and by the LGBTQ world, in general.
Ma Vie En Rose
Alain Berliner's film is the touching tale of a seven-year-old boy who feels that he is a girl and struggles to be accepted for who he is. Georges Du Fresne shows great maturity in the lead role.
The film itself stands as a strong and loving representation of acceptance in a world full of close-minded adults. Ma Vie en Rose is a film that lovingly celebrates diversity and acceptance from one's family and society.