Movies featuring crossdressers/crossdressing

[Rachael Jones]

Right, let me start this off with saying - NOT Mrs Doubtfire or Tootsie please. I'll describe as best I can what I'm looking for:

Many years ago, I watched a film about a couple who were deaf, and their struggles to find love and acceptance in a hearing world. As this is something personal to me, I preferred this over Four Weddings, where the deaf character provided a little comic relief (albiet tastefully done).

So, I'm looking for films (doesn't matter if they're english or foreign, I love world cinema) in which a crossdressing character is treated as normal, or overcomes situations to become normal. Not like Mrs Doubtfire, where it is used as a means to an end, but rather where the cross dressing is just a part of life, or is needed to become part of a normal life.

I hope I'm making myself clear here - that's why I put the deaf example there.

Here's hoping you girls can help

[Andy66]

...erm... To Wong Foo? (LOVE that John Leguizamo.)

[andrea lace]

Try kinky boots a British film my SO found enjoyable

[Rachael Jones]

Kinky boots- I'd heard of that one. I'll see if I can get it on Netflix. Not heard of to Wong foo, but, I'm game to try it.

[Lady Catherine]

I don't know if this fits your criteria, But I saw Connie and Carla recently and enjoyed it. CDing is very prevolent in it.

[Joann Smith]

Flawless with Robert DeNiro....good movie

[Jaymees22]

Hi, I think you might "Ruby Blue" it's an English movie with Bob Hoskins who falls for his neighbor who is TG. I thought it was good. Hugs Jaymee

[busker]

I just finished watching a German movie called Rubblediekatz. I got a copy for about 5 euros. It's dubbed and/or with sub-t in Eng. It is about a theater actor who does women's parts, and gets a break in a movie . It's hard to describe without giving away the entire plot. That said, it is much better Tootsie, the actor is a femme looking guy so it comes off very well--not like DH who couldn't pass--as someone said--in a satelite photo. There is a netflix movie that includes a CD and he is treated with dignity through out though he is not the main character. School for Seduction starring Kelly Brook a real knockout actress. It is a streaming movie only as I recall. There is always the movie Stage Beauty about Ned Kynaston the actor who played only women's parts in Restoration England--but you probably have seen that. It isn't really CD oriented but interesting nonetheless.
ALso there is a youtube version of Just like a woman with Julie Walters and ?????. There is a link here on CDdotcom. do a search. I just watched it a few weeks ago. Anybody remember the context for the link. Cassandra may have pu it up. can't remember.

[Debbi]

Someone on another thread awhile back suggested "Just Like A Woman" which only available on VHS in the UK. But the movies is posted on Youtube in I think 11 or 12 parts. Highly recommended. Very cute, touching and a great watch if you don't mind watching it on Youtube here's the link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0K6YcLH1D0

became one of my favs, if not Fav, CD themed movies

[Barbra P]

Well the movie isn’t about cross dressing but Jaye Davidson played a female, Dil, in the movie “The Crying Game”. Many, if not most, in the audience never caught on until the end of the movie.

“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” is about two drag queens (Anthony/Mitzi and Adam/Felicia) and a transsexual who travel in a converted bus to a cabaret gig in the desert. It’s an Australian movie but is sometimes shown in the U.S. on late night TV. It did win some obscure Academy Award.

I’ve always enjoyed watching Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon ( well yes, Marilyn Monroe is hard not to watch) cavorting in women’s clothes in “Some Like it Hot” – not technically about cross dressers.

[MysteryWoman]

The perfect film for you is "Just Like a Woman" -- available in segments on YouTube. You'll love it!!!

[CassandraSmith]

I'm new to movies with CDers/Transexuals but here's some I've watched recently:

Kinky Boots
Totally fun and I liked the ending

Transamerica
Very difficult to watch and I felt heartbroken half the time watching Bree's struggles with family and her son. It was a difficult one to watch but well done and honest.

Rocky Horror
Total camp

Pissed-Off Trannys with Knives
Another camp film. It's got some funny moments and it's so absurd that really it has no redeeming value other than shock.

Just Like A Woman (here's a link to a playlist that will run the whole thing)
Not bad. I didn't like that it was already so dated. Styles were all 80's hair and colloquialisms. We need a modern CD movie that shows this generation's courage about just living it out loud without apology. My generation was all about shame and this one had loads of that in it.

Trantasia
Really about drag queens more than normal CDers. Interesting though.

Pageant
Same as the above. I didn't really dig it because the characters were too flamboyant for me.

Wigstock: The Movie
A really fun documentary on CDers and drag queens that all flock to NYC for the annual Wigstock celebration. I'd like to go some time at least once.

Stars Inside: Ladies and Gentlemen
Ru Paul narrates this documentary of all the films about drag and CD. I enjoyed this one for its historical content and to discover films that I might have missed.

Glen or Glenda
A must see for historical significance. This is Ed Wood's serious art film on the subject. Unforetunately, Ed Wood was a hack and the outcome was counter productive.

Ed Wood (starring Johnny Depp)
Ed was one of us after all and this ode to his B movie-making career showed his warm side.

But I'm a Cheerleader
Fun and campy lesbian coming of age love story that has a single cameo of a CDer in it that was done respectfully. It's a very small part though.

Fetishes
Actually a documentary about BDSM and dominatrixes, it features many clients who are fem'd up. I found it enjoyable and informational.

Tipping the Velvet
A little thick and plodding for my taste but it is about female impersonators. I didn't dig it at all.

Some Like It Hot (mentioned below also)
Jack Lemmon does more for our cause than he knows. I love that line after Jack pulls off his wig and says "But I'm a guy!"
"Nobody's perfect."

[GG7irish]

To Wong Fu thanks for everything Julie Nemar is the name of one also Bird Cage has a bit part of CD. Both good movies.

[Leah Lynn]

If you can take a true murder story, A Girl Like Me; The Gwen Arulo Story. About a young tg's struggle with her life and...

Leah

[Sophie_C]

Are you talking transgender or crossdresser? It's an entirely different thing. There are quite a few transgender-focused movies, but you have to be clear what you're looking for.

Anyway, mine are more trangender-focused, but they're all tasteful (but painful at some points). I honestly hate anything camp (Rocky Horror, Pink Flamingos, To Wong Foo, Some Like it Hot, etc) and have no interest in things that have hopelessly negative outcomes (like Transamerica, which I couldn't put up with watching them making Felicity Huffman look as manly as possible). Struggles are great, though.

20 Centimeters (2005)
57,000 Kilometers Between Us (2008)
Agnes und seine Brüder (2004)
All About My Mother (1999) <- I love this
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
Chouchou (2003)
Close Your Eyes and Hold Me (1996)
Cockpit (2012)
Different for Girls (1996)
En soap (2006)
Just like a Woman (1992)
Law Of Desire (1987)
Life is Hot in Cracktown (2008)
Mauvais Genres (2001)
Mie Vie En Rose (1997)
Normal (2003)
Pigalle, la nuit (2009– )
Princesa (2001)
Soldier's Girl (TV 2003)
Transamerica (2005)
Transfixed (2001)
Une Autre Femme (2002)
Wild Side (2004)

[Christinedreamer]

I have full VHS and/or CD copies of Transamerica, To Wong Foo, Glen or Glenda, Just Like a Woman, Ma Vie En Rose. I have been trying to find a copy of the Christine Jorgensen story that I saw 40 years ago in DC. Only a part of it is on YT.

[Beverley Sims]

All movies become out dated by the time they get to DVD.
I agree with posters here it is good to make reference to some of the earlier movies.
As time changes new fresh ones with a modern standpoint are needed.
This is why we are up to Rocky 55 and Linda Lovelace 77, nowdays.
Many successful films are remade and do not come up to scratch.
We do need more fertile minds to write stories and there are some good scripts in erotic stories on the net.
I know some film makers and writers read these stories and adapt them for their own use.

[aalynn88]

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is all you need!!!!!!!!!!! Rock on CDers!!!!!!!!!

[Dorian]

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

This is an Australian movie that's now a stage musical. The characters are female impersonators, one of whom is now a transitioned TS.

[Rachael Jones]

Wow! So many to choose from. I guess to answer the CD/TG question,I'm probably not too fussed, but prefer something that charts a struggle with transition. I really love documentaries and the wigstock I literally heard about yesterday. I'm not a big fan of drag, though.

The German film is very intriguing, too.

[kathy chelan]

wow, i have heard of some the ones mentioned and seen a few of them---never dreamed there were so very many i'd never heard of. I don't think i saw "the Birdcage" mentioned yet---with Nathan Lane and Robin Williams and Gene Hackman. This is also remade under the title, "la cage aux follies." A musical version has been produced also.
In "The World According to Garp," John Lithgow plays a former football pro who has become a transvestite, supporting the main character who is promoting feminism. I will be "googling" many of these new ones i am not familiar with for quite a while.
In the old days of 50s and 60s television there were always instances of sitcom characters having to don a few feminine things for losing a bet or something like that; they never tried to really look the least bit girly. But back when i was a kid of about 10 or 12, there was one episode of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" where a friend of Dobie's had to convincingly portray a a college girl and the result was spectacular. He did it almost flawlessly. Of course this made a huge impression on me---i wanted to dress up just like he had. The plot concerned the fact that no girl on the campus would sneak into the boy's dorm to bail Dobie out of sopme jam with a bully or something. Unfortunately i have repeatedly looked through the listings of each episode online and cannot for the life of me figure out which episode it is. And in recent reruns there are two other episodes where Dobie, Maynard, and in one even Dobie's father, don dresses for some reason. Needless to say those two are not the real good one i'm looking for.
There were two episodes of the old "Our Gang," or "Little Rasscals," short filmss b6y Hal Roach many many years ago that had a big influence on me as a young boy. One was the 'Women Hater's Club Episode" where alfalfa pretends to be
Darla's cousin to disguise the fact he visited Darla against the club's rules. The other one is where Alfalfa and Spanky are being chased by the two bullies that are always their nemisises (? nemisees (?) and they run into a girl's dance recital and don the dancing costumes to try and fool the bullies. A modern remaKE of the "Little Rascals" a feature-length film also included this event

[Vicky_Scot]

Just Like a Woman is available on DVD as I have it.

A cracking film that treats the subject in a grown up manner.

Unlike some.

[Claire Cook]

Just Like a Woman is available on DVD as I have it. A cracking film that treats the subject in a grown up manner. Unlike some.

I think this is one of the few that treats CD'ing in a realistic way that many of us can relate to -- funny, compassionate and for me very close to the heart. It's not about drag queens or gays. I remember how uncomfortable I felt when Geraldine was pulled over by a cop ... and I remember how happy I felt when she pulled off the business meeting at the end. Even teared up a bit!

[Cheryl T]

Don't know if this is something you're interested in but one of my favorites is "Mascara" from 1987.

A respected police commissioner has a reputation as a fervent opera lover, but by night he also enjoys plunging into the transvestite scene. In addition, he harbors a longing for his very own sister. When he learns that his wife has been murdered, he tries to implicate the set-designer who has designs on his sister.

[Jennifer in CO]

want one where the principle villain(ess) is CD? Freebie and the Bean