Overview
A journey of self-discovery and acceptance unfolds on the open road.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- awkward
- compassionate
- reflective movie night
- indie film evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the unconventional transgender road movie touching and praised Felicity Huffman's empathetic, tactful lead performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bree and Toby travel from New York toward Los Angeles through a succession of roadside encounters.
Bree secretly discovers that Toby is her biological son and must navigate an unexpected parental responsibility.
Bree is awaiting male-to-female surgery while concealing her transgender identity from Toby and others.
The film combines Bree and Toby's difficult histories with comic roadside encounters and empathetic character observation.
Films like Transamerica, and why
Boys Don't Cry
shared transgender themes, intimate character drama, and compassionate independent filmmaking
Little Miss Sunshine
shared road movie structure, unconventional family bonds, and bittersweet comedy-drama tone
The Station Agent
shared outsider protagonists, cross-country journey, and warm yet melancholic humor
The Danish Girl
shared identity themes, queer perspective, and emotionally grounded independent drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Duncan Tucker
- Release Date
- 2005-02-14
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (546)
Cast
- Felicity Huffman
- Kevin Zegers
- Fionnula Flanagan
- Burt Young
- Carrie Preston
- Elizabeth Peña
- Graham Greene
- Venida Evans
- Jon Budinoff
- Raynor Scheine
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Transamerica about?
- A guarded transgender woman races across America with the estranged teenage son she never knew she had, discovering an unexpected form of family along the way.
- What is Transamerica like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Transamerica as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Transamerica violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Transamerica as mild.
- What did critics think of Transamerica?
- Critics broadly found the unconventional transgender road movie touching and praised Felicity Huffman's empathetic, tactful lead performance.
- Which films are like Transamerica?
- Films with a similar feel include Boys Don't Cry, Little Miss Sunshine, The Station Agent, and The Danish Girl.
- How long is Transamerica?
- Transamerica runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Transamerica?
- In United States, Transamerica is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
