Best and worst CD movie survey

[Christinedreamer]

I have both Glen or Glenda (marketed under half a dozen different titles) and TransAmerica. Many of the points made by the narrator in G or G are right on the money but Ed Wood's schlocky writing and directing style make the whole movie a bizarre comedy for those outside the CD world. TransAmerica was, I believe, a very rational and realistic portrayal of the familial adjustments by a transsexual woman.

[Julie1123]

Best CD movie I've seen would probably have to be Tomboy.

[stephNE]

Either the best or the worst is the 1953 film Glen or Glenda by Ed Wood. Really something you cannot unsee.

You can actually watch it in its entirety on Youtube.

You're right, this is horrible, and so is the remake of his life "Ed Wood" in 1994 with Johnny Depp. Priscilla has been my favorite.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Ellie, Some like it hot & tootsie.

[daviolin]

More of a transgender movie. Soldiers girl. A true and very sad story. On the light side I would say Some Like It Hot. I think this movie got me on the road to cding I saw it in the theater when I was 9 years old. Daviolin

[Zylia]

You're right, this is horrible, and so is the remake of his life "Ed Wood" in 1994 with Johnny Depp.

It definitely is a bad piece of cinema and I would only recommend it for those can handle the junk and randomness of a typical Ed Wood movie. Still, the Glen/Glenda character arguably is one the most realistic portrayals of a run-of-the-mill cross-dresser in cinematic history, probably because it's just an adaptation of Ed Wood's own struggles with it. It also offers some quaint but interesting and entertaining views on cross-dressing and transgenderism. It's not about a guy who has to cross-dress to get a job or to see his children or because of a secret CIA mission or something, it's a 'true' cross-dressing story (the Glen/Glenda parts at least). Every time I read a "SO trouble" story on this forum I get reminded of this film

[Majella St Gerard]

I have always liked Some Like it Hot

[Laurie A]

This is an obscure one, its called "Belle Epoque" It takes place in Spain in 1931. It not really a CD movie per se. The protagonist is a soldier who has deserted and winds up hiding in the house of a man with three daughters. One of the daughters is a lesbian, there is a very hot love scene between them when he is dressed as a woman for a costume ball.

I also like "Ed Wood" its full of great quotes and one liners :

Ed Wood: This story's gonna grab people. It's about this guy, he's crazy about this girl, but he likes to wear dresses. Should he tell her? Should he not tell her? He's torn, Georgie. This is drama.

[Ressie]

There are many I haven't seen. Real life TS movies are more intriguing. Normal (Tom Wilkinson) and TransAmerica (Felicity Huffman) are among the best. I'll give Rock Horror a thumbs down because the music gets boring.

[Dani Lee]

I liked Chaz in Sweet November as a real life cd.

[Michelle James]

I am really surprised that no one mentioned "Just Like a Woman" which in my opinion is the ONLY true CDing movie in recent memory. I personally do not consider campy drag as CDing. I do like Tootsie and TWFTVYEJN. I personally did not care for Priscilla as I cannot deal with such over the top campy drag. IMO, that type of portrayal is exactly why genuine CDers have such a hard time being accepted by the vanilla world.

I have not seen "Just like a woman" From the description and trailers I have found I cant figure out what is the CD connection? Somebody please clue me in.

Michelle

Never mind, I found it. I was looking at the 2012 movie and not the 1992. looks interesting anyone know where to get it?

[Tina B.]

I wish I spoke French, I can't remember how to say it in French, but the English translation is "My life in Pink" "Viva me Rose) or something like that.
It's the story of a French family with a transgendered child, and how they cope with it in everyday life. It gets a bit fanciful, but the emotions of the child, come off as very real to me.

[LilSissyStevie]

I can't think of a best right now but how come nobody ever mentions Yentl or Tipping The Velvet or Boys Don't Cry? The worst of the worst has to be The Plug Lady. Never heard of it? Now you have. I am sooooo sorry.

[mariehart]

I would have to say 'Breakfast on Pluto' because I was in it as an extra. Surprised no one mentioned it before. I was very jealous of Cillian Murphy the lead seeing him dressed up. There are some very familiar moments such as being caught in a dress as a child. I was given some 70s clothes to wear including a very high pair of cowboy boots and purple bell bottom trousers with a flowery shirt and these were male clothes! It was directed by Neil Jordan who also directed 'The Crying Game' which to be fair I didn't like mostly because the lead actor was never credible as a British soldier.

I absolutely didn't like Tootsie or Mrs Doubtfire. I remember 'Just like a woman.' I also remember watching on TV in the company of my sisters two of whom know about me. I was a bit uncomfortable I must say.

A couple of films with crossdressing in them come to mind. It's a big obscure but, Triple Echo, an Oliver Reed film where an army deserter hides on a farm where he's disguised as a quite attractive woman by his lover. Unfortunately the MP Sergeant, Oliver Reed, sent to look for him falls for his female version and it ends badly for the Sergeant. But I really loved the idea that you could live full time convincingly as a woman. Another movie which I suppose is more TS involves a very attractive girl who the hero begins to suspect is a murderer. When he confronts her, he's taken by surprise when she attacks him violently. Turns out she's a man. Which is the only high point in a bad movie.

Not a film but a TV program on British television, TV in every sense of the word. Basically the wife comes home unexpectedly and finds an attractive woman in the house. Naturally surprised she confronts her and finds it's her husband. Basically it's was a play that sympathetically examined crossdressing. You might imagine the subject would be dealt with in more modern terms these days but it's all Ladyboys and drag.

[donnalee]

Just saw "TransAmerica" (found a CD in the in the bargain bin at Walgreens) and really enjoyed it. Although it's more of a TS movie than a CD, it gets a high rank as far as I'm concerned.

[JadeEmber]

I wish I spoke French, I can't remember how to say it in French, but the English translation is "My life in Pink" "Viva me Rose) or something like that.
It's the story of a French family with a transgendered child, and how they cope with it in everyday life. It gets a bit fanciful, but the emotions of the child, come off as very real to me.

I hadn't noticed that anyone else answered this, but it's "Ma vie en rose" and is certainly a classic on the subject.

Here's the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119590/

[Lorri_c]

Nuns on the run and white chicks!

Can't believe they haven't been mentioned.

[lauren.h100]

Another enthusiastic vote in favor of "Just like a Woman" from me, although the ending suffered from a little too much pink fog to sustain the suspension of disbelief. Still, it's great fun and Julie Walters is good in almost everything she does. I still have my LaserDisc copy which remains the highest quality release as it was never remastered for DVD or Blu-ray to the best of my knowledge. An even better film is "Improperly Dressed" from Hungary. It's about a WW1 soldier who escapes the war to join the staff at a health spa as a female nurse. Beautifully filmed and quite haunting. Unlike "Just like a Woman" the ending is all too believable and not at all happy. It's well worth your time if you can find it, possibly under its original title of "Strange Masquerade". I keenly remember spotting it in the TV listings for BBC2 while still in school and surreptitiously recording it to watch late at night after the rest of my family had gone to bed.

At the opposite end of the spectrum I hated "Ticked-off Trannies with Knives" which despite it's promising title is quite awful. It appears with depressing regularity on Cinemax late at night and should be avoided at all costs.

[Ellie52]

Just reading about Tansamerica on imdb and it seems they got a female to play the part of the TG. (Bree) Not sure if that was right but not having seen the movie I cant really comment.
I Hated Tootsie and Mrs Doubtfire..Too cliche'd I give them a 1
I may have to get the crying game as it seems a popular movie though reading imdb I may have seen it years ago. My brain is getting foggy in my older years.

I do remember one from the early 80's called 'He's my girl' very corny movie about a guy who submits his best friends band for a competition and they win, only thing is the guitarist/singer has to bring his gf but he doesnt have one so the friend goes as a girl. Very predictable....Ellie

[Leah Lynn]

There was one on Lifetime (the dvd is available) called "The Gwen Araulo Story". True story about acd/tg that was beaten to death. I cried through most of it.

Leah

[DonnaWanna]

Not sure if this counts as a cd ing movie, but "To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar"

[lauren.h100]

Yes, "The Gwen Araulo Story" is a good example of the Lifetime biopic genre. However it's about a TS rather than a CD and as it's reasonably faithful to the facts of the true story it's hugely depressing. Kudos to Gwen's family and shame on the US judicial system.

[dragdoll]

I liked Hedwig & The Angry even though it's a musical like RHPS (another favorite of mine).

Like another poster mentioned, I've always hated the campy drag queen movies EXCEPT the John Waters films starring Divine. My alltime favorite is probably "Female Trouble" although Divine's character is not a CD but an actual female.

[FeliciaCDSNJ]

I'd put Priscilla up there with Kinky Boots. Heartwarming story.

On the bottom, I'd put any movie where the whacked-out killer ducks into hiding and emerges a few seconds later as a perfectly passable woman. Aw, heck, just any movie where the wrongdoer is portrayed as a CDer!

What about comedies that portray us as nothing but jokes, like in Sorority Boys, Big mamas House or the like?

Just reading about Tansamerica on imdb and it seems they got a female to play the part of the TG. (Bree) Not sure if that was right but not having seen the movie I cant really comment.
I Hated Tootsie and Mrs Doubtfire..Too cliche'd I give them a 1
I may have to get the crying game as it seems a popular movie though reading imdb I may have seen it years ago. My brain is getting foggy in my older years.

I do remember one from the early 80's called 'He's my girl' very corny movie about a guy who submits his best friends band for a competition and they win, only thing is the guitarist/singer has to bring his gf but he doesnt have one so the friend goes as a girl. Very predictable....Ellie

I've seen Transamerica and it truly is a great movie. Rather touching and made me cry and laugh through the movie.

[dragdoll]

I just found a list that people voted on:
http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-...e-movies-lists

A lot of titles on there have been mentioned here plus a bunch of stuff I've never heard of.