Just Charlie

By: gayforplay

This is a well-told story of sexual dysphoria,very well acted throughout.
One caveat: If you are not British, do yourself a big favor and be sure to turn on the English subtitles; or else you will miss too much of the dialogue.
Otherwise, very highly recommended for all.

By: Amos Lassen

"Just Charlie"
Striving for Acceptance
Amos Lassen
Director Rebekah Fortune's film revolves around Charlie (Harry Gilby), a skilful young boy with a bright future in football. His father, Paul (Scot Williams), sees in him the fulfillment of his own failed childhood dream of becoming a professional football player, so he proudly supports him and guides him down the path to becoming the star he never got the chance to be. The pressure is overwhelming for Charlie and we learn he's struggling with an identity crisis that leads him to doubt everything in his life, including his football career. At a wedding, Charlie realizes he's more attracted to female accessories than he is to his suit and feels that the collar of his shirt is choking him, and he can't breathe. We immediately see that this is a metaphor for the lie he has been telling to society and to himself. Leaving the ceremony, he runs into a forest, where he previously hid some dresses that his sister Susan (Patricia Potter) gave him to throw away. When he puts on a gown, he can finally breathe again and release all of the pressure that has been building up. This is a turning point for Charlie, who finally accepts that she needs to let her inner self come out, and she has to take full control over her own life.

The theme of the movie is acceptance and it carefully balances how Charlie deals with her gender dysphoria and how the people around her react ? the inside and the outside, the individual and the community. These two aspects are intertwined and inseparable. We feel Charlie's pain when she tries to explain to her mother and the psychologist that she is invisible to others. Her pain is not at all quelled by the fact that her father feels betrayed and lied to ? as do her grandmother and teammates. They realize that Charlie is no longer their little boy, and they can't seem to accept or understand it. Charlie's football coach, who is aware of Charlie's long-kept secret reminds her that "There are more important things in life than football," a sentence that although simple is revolutionary. What we really see in "Just Charlie" is the relationship of a British family as they discover their youngest child is transgender. Peter Machen's screenplay sees young football star Charlie come out to his family as transgender.
This has profound effects on Charlie's family as her Charlie's pushy father struggles to cope and her mother Susan (Patricia Potter) fearfully attempts to support her decision. My own sister went through a similar scenario when her first-born daughter decided that she was really her son and while I have never been privy to what went on during that conversation, I can imagine that it was similar to what we have here.

"Just Charlie" totally captures the claustrophobia and isolation experienced by some trans people who are into living a life that is not true to them.
Charlie's father is as concerned with societal expectations as he holds his own prejudice and discomfort towards his child. As Charlie begins to leave the house and to go to school in her female clothing, we see the misconceptions that are faced by many who either unintentionally or intentionally confused by the concept of gender.
The family drama adds further strength in the support given to Charlie by her mother and sister. This unprejudiced display of love touches our hearts as it explores the struggle for family members as well as the trans youngster. Gilby's performance is filled with emotional honesty and sincerity helps explore the inner struggle faced by many trans youth. With support from his sister, we see that this is a story that is rooted in the human condition and is honest and touching as it opens our minds.
As Charlie's parents, Patricia Potter and Scot Williams are excellent as it Elinor Machen-Fortune as Eve, Charlie's sister, Eve. Shot in Tamworth, Middle England, the film treats its subject matter without sensationalism or trivialities. It expands its focus beyond Charlie to follow her friends, family and football coach as they either adapt to or deny her new reality and since gender is a cultural more, it makes sense to examine it at a community level.

When Charlie resorts to self-harm following a confrontation over a recent episode of cross-dressing, identity is discussed for the first time. For Charlie nothing has changed, she feels as she has always done: female, but for everyone else nothing is ever likely to be the same. Her mother Susan and sister Eve are both are quick to support Charlie's decision to begin hormone therapy, even when it threatens to impact their own lives and relationships while father Paul struggles to accept it and this puts him into direct conflict with the rest of the family.
Basically, this is a simple story normalizes the subject of transitioning and gender dysphoria and does so with straightforward honesty as this almost mundane middle-class family deals with Charlie's desire to be his true identity.