evening1
Excellent depiction of the case of a teenage transsexual who was killed in California in 2002.Mercedes Ruehl is believable as a single mother struggling to cope with a son, who, from an early age, would rather wear a frilly pink dress and sleep with a Barbie doll than practice his baseball swing. One truly feels for her as she tries to understand a condition for which there is no parent's manual.The young actor who plays Eddie as a child is excellent, as is JD Pardo as the more grown-up Gwen. Corey Stoll also does well as an ex-Marine who is Gwen's first and only boyfriend. (Did he know, or not? In a discussion between Mrs. Araujo and her younger son, the film grapples with this question.) Directed by Polish-born Agnieszka Holland, whose own father died in police custody in her native Poland, this film is helpful in explaining how transsexualism can occur- - when a boy's sexual organs develop but masculinization of his brain never takes place.The action of this movie switches from courtroom scenes to flashbacks, and we gain some inkling into how societal prejudices may have had an effect on the verdicts. Two of Gwen's four assailants were convicted in the killing, but hate-crime charges weren't applied.This powerfully tragic story has taught me a lot.
azaccardo22
I saw Gwen's story on Lifetime, and I was moved beyond words. I am not a trans gendered teen myself, however I hurt the way they do, only from hearing the horror stories, and seeing the pain. Honestly I cried like a baby during and after this movie, just because I saw how painful it can be to live as a trans gendered teen. As a 3rd party I don't know the whole story, however I do know that I am a proud trans gendered supporter, and I will continue to feel like a friend of Gwen in some ways. I would have loved to meet her, and in watching this movie I felt like we would have been friends, good friends! Congratualations to the family of Gwen, you should be very proud!
ManticoreL7
I read about the tragic murder of Gwen Araujo in the news a few years ago when it occurred, and I never imagined a telefilm would be made about her life -- much less helmed by Lifetime.Unfortunately, this film seems like it was done in a hurry and we never really get to connect with Gwen the way we'd like to. J.D. Pardo is effective in his performance, as is Mercedes Ruehl, but this story required a bit more care in the way it was handled.One thing that did however move me was Gwen's mother loyalty to her daughter, and how willing she was to accept and understand her. Being gay and Latino is difficult enough (I confess from experience), but I can't imagine how much more complicated it must be for people like Gwen.You can't expect much from a made-for-television movie, and I didn't expect a lot from this one so I can't really say I was disappointed.I'd like to see a feature film based on Gwen's life someday. Maybe it would be able to capture her essence in the way she deserves.
bkoganbing
Gwen Araujo was born some twenty years ago as a biological male and raised with a brother and sister in a single parent household. It was apparent as shown in the film that Eddie as he was known then was feeling that the anatomy given at birth was not matching what was felt inside. In the teen years, Eddie took the name of Gwen to show her real persona and that was what she presented to the world.If the Gwen Araujo Story has a weakness it's that their are no really developed secondary characters in the film. It is dominated completely by Mercedes Ruehl as Gwen's mom and J.D. Pardo as Gwen.But these are two very powerful performances indeed. Ruehl is a loving, caring mother whose own life experiences have left her ill equipped to comprehend what her child is dealing with. As for Gwen, she's an innocent adolescent, but a brave one. Not comprehending why she's the object of such hate and ridicule, but determined to present herself to the world as she sees herself. Pardo does a great job in capturing both parts of Gwen's character.Had this been done for the big screen we might have gotten a more well rounded film, but as a made for TV film this is definitely one of the better ones. Hopefully a couple of Emmys might be in the future for both Ruehl and Pardo.It is also to be hoped that this film will educate and enlighten the public about transgender teens and what they face in their daily lives.
AD
