A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006)

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

You know, when you watch a film like this, you can't help remembering Boys Don't Cry. Of course, it's a TV film, and the actor who played Gwen didn't do bad in his portrayal, he indeed seemed comfortable, we see an even better portrayal of the mother.Perhaps we should not make a comparison due to it being an independent film. It didn't fully connect many a viewers emotionally, but it is indeed a good approach to raise visibility and acceptance, and uphold Gwen's legacy, which it set out to do. Wish someone made a feature film on Gwen's life, but if one day a film like that does get made, it would be for the smaller efforts like this...which does not follow the crappy old way of treating transgenderness as a comic element.Kudos to the director for trying something new, and necessary!!

One of the problems inherent in (some, not all) cable TV movies is that they look like they were cut and pasted in a hurry and bring no real transition from scene to scene. Lifetime channel is no HBO. Because of this, their undertaking of the tragic yet necessary story of Gwen Araujo has to remain as "an honest project" but no more -- one that has to be seen, if at all to raise some awareness within the population of what it is like to be a transgendered person living in a society that attacks being different from all angles. Kudos to J.D. Pardo for bringing an intense depth to his characterization of Gwen. His evolution from male to female is a little choppy, but this is a problem of bad editing, not his interpretation. While not looking like the real Gwen, he channels the anguish, the innocence, the femininity, and the sometimes self-destructive behavior that became the driving forces in the short life of this remarkable person. Mercedes Ruehl has moments of quiet power, most notably in the court scene as she challenges the prosecutor, but also when she decides to accept her son for the daughter she is in the scene when she tells Eddie/Gwen that her make up is running. If only Agnieszka Holland had had a stronger vision and grasp of the story -- she collaborated in the striking visual stories of the THREE COLORS TRILOGY -- this would have made for a compelling watch. As it is, A GIRL LIKE ME doesn't escape the media for which it was created. It looks and feels like an ABC movie of the week, and it deserves better. Even so, it's a must for people sensitive to these issues.

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.

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.