One of the problems inherent in (some, not all) cable TV movies is that they look like they were cut and pasted in a hurry and bring no real transition from scene to scene. Lifetime channel is no HBO. Because of this, their undertaking of the tragic yet necessary story of Gwen Araujo has to remain as "an honest project" but no more -- one that has to be seen, if at all to raise some awareness within the population of what it is like to be a transgendered person living in a society that attacks being different from all angles. Kudos to J.D. Pardo for bringing an intense depth to his characterization of Gwen. His evolution from male to female is a little choppy, but this is a problem of bad editing, not his interpretation. While not looking like the real Gwen, he channels the anguish, the innocence, the femininity, and the sometimes self-destructive behavior that became the driving forces in the short life of this remarkable person. Mercedes Ruehl has moments of quiet power, most notably in the court scene as she challenges the prosecutor, but also when she decides to accept her son for the daughter she is in the scene when she tells Eddie/Gwen that her make up is running. If only Agnieszka Holland had had a stronger vision and grasp of the story -- she collaborated in the striking visual stories of the THREE COLORS TRILOGY -- this would have made for a compelling watch. As it is, A GIRL LIKE ME doesn't escape the media for which it was created. It looks and feels like an ABC movie of the week, and it deserves better. Even so, it's a must for people sensitive to these issues.
A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story
(2006 TV Movie)
Not Without Flaws
29 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers