Boy Meets Girl
This is a really cute film. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, because I’d read synopses that misled me and made me think one thing, but what I got was something completely different. And better, I’d say. This is a really cute best friends to lovers story, the boy next door, growing up together, the whole shebang. From the get-go, it probably doesn’t sound very unique and you might be wondering why I’m writing about it.
Well, this is the story of a young trans woman and the people in her life, and how she navigates being trans in a small town in the South. Philosophically, the movie examines sexuality and gender and the fluidity of these things, talking about what makes you straight or gay or bi, how these things look practically, and how trans individuals, pre or post surgical procedures, factor into these ideas.
More importantly, however, it follows the trials and challenges that Ricky, our main character, experiences as she goes through life. She’s known she is trans since a young age and has the support of her father, her younger brother and her best friend Robbie. None of these people in her life have any issues or reservations about her identity as a trans woman, and they accept it as a normal part of their lives.
We also see Ricky make a new friend, who has questions and is politely interested in Ricky’s story. Ricky is suddenly unsure whether she may possibly be interested in girls, so she and her new friend do some classic experimentation and enjoy spending time together.
Her new friend also defends her on several occasions and makes it clear that she is not okay with others referring to Ricky as ‘he/him’ or as a ‘tr*nny’ and other slurs. It’s nice to see a conservative young woman being open to new experiences and learning and being respectful of someone who is different to her.
Eventually, Ricky does realise she’s not interested in her friend romantically, so she has to break it off. Robbie is livid with her for being selfish and not thinking of other people, and he says some pretty awful things to her, that she might be confused about her identity and she can’t let anything else into her orbit because of the struggles she goes through.
He immediately realises he’s done the wrong thing and they have a beautiful moment where he admits that he was jealous of her friend and that’s why he felt angry and lashed out. He tells her how beautiful he thinks she is and they kiss and you know, it’s the whole cute thing.
What I think is great about this movie is that it’s honest about the experiences of trans people. Even the people who try to do right sometimes get it wrong, and we need to acknowledge that and do better in the future. There are a lot of slurs used in this movie, so if that’s too much for you, I wouldn’t recommend it, as the use of the slurs was very confronting for me and could be for you also. However, I appreciate that the film doesn’t shy away from the horrible injustices trans people face on a daily basis.
This is a fun love story, but it’s not a lighthearted story by any means, so be aware of that going in. I still recommend this film, as it may give you some more insight into trans experience, or it may be something you feel you can relate to. It goes without saying that the trans character is played by a trans actress, and her performance, while a little awkward at times, is admirable and a joy to watch.
Boy Meets Girl is available to stream in Australia on kanopy, which is a streaming service you can connect through (for free!) your local library. It’s also available on kanopy in the US, as well as Amazon Prime. It’s available on Amazon Prime in the UK also, and is available to rent or buy in the US and UK on Amazon Prime, and on Microsoft in Australia.
