bkoganbing
With transgender rights issue getting more and more media exposure and opponents saying and doing all kinds of desperate things to prevent them becoming a protected class, the film The Badge assumes a more frightening relevance now than it did in 2002 when it came out as a made for television film.Billy Bob Thornton, sheriff of a rural Louisiana parish catches the case of a young woman found dead near a road after being shot. It's only when the body is brought to the coroner that there's a male body part. In her short life, she presented well in the sex she felt she was meant to be. Thornton is as good an ole boy as you can get. He even threw his gay brother Thomas Haden Church out of the parish. But as he investigates the homicide he steps on some very powerful toes like the local parish boss William Devane. Even his wife Sela Ward who is the local prosecutor disowns after he's framed on a charge of corrupting the morals of a minor.As it is in these cases that only makes him madder. His only allies turn out to be LGBT including Patrica Arquette wife of the deceased.I think native Louisianans will recognize actor Michael Arata as their former Governor Edwin Edwards who was quite the party animal known in the state as the Silver Zipper. There's an election going on and the victim had been one of the women entertaining at a sex party. That's all Arata needs is to get hooked into a sex crime. Through Devane he really puts the squeeze to Thornton.In the end all too sadly transgender people will recognize the motive for the killing. Just the notion of the existence of transgender people freaks a lot of people out. Not to mention then as now the idea of such people demanding equal protection under the law.November 19 every year is the Transgender Day Of Remembrance, a solemn occasion that marks an annual tolling of the roll of new killed members of the community, worse even because law enforcement around the world doesn't take these crimes as seriously as they should, they're all not lawmen like Billy Bob Thornton. This film would be a good one to show at that time and in all kinds of LGBT venues.More relevant now than when it came out.
lastliberal
If GLAAD picked this film to compete for an award, it certainly makes it worth the time. Unfortunately, it went up against The Laramie Project and The Matthew Sheppard Story. It didn't have a chance.But a GLAAD nomination and Billy Bob Thornton, Patricia Arquette, William Devane, and Sela Ward is more than enough to peak my interest.It's a neonoir about a transsexual who is shot, and the power (Devane) in the small Parrish wants it to just go away. I wonder why. The Sheriff (Thornton) goes along until he finds he is on the outs and set up to be removed.Thornton plays pretty much the same character that he did with Halle Berry.Lots of twists and turns including the solution.Great work by Thornton and Arquette.
Renwin
I loved the start of this movie. I think that's what carried my interest through to the end. The middle and endings were not as strong but did not disappoint me.I also loved the acting, especially Billy Bob's. There's something about his demeanor and appearance that is interesting despite what role he is playing.
iwatcheverything
I watched this film the other night just b/c I was raised in LaSalle Parish. I don't remember any of the places that they were showing in the movie though. Billy Bob had a great performance but I believe he is always good to some extent. Patricia Arquette was not in this movie enough to make a real judgement. As for the plot it was okay but I do remember coming from there and I do not remember anyone acting in the ways these people reacted. It was too fake to me b/c I lived there and know that these events are far fetched and kind of make the Parish look bad. Well all in all the movie was okay for what it was but unless I find it for cheap I will not own this title.
AD
