Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.

In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy said “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”.

Sometimes this leads to families torn at the seams, impossible to repair. While others can find the happy side of life. This week I’m looking at two new movies about cross-generational, fractured families. There’s a teenaged girl going camping with her divorced dad, and a trans man repairing relations with his estranged family.

Good One

Wri/Dir: India Donaldson

It’s a summer’s day in New York City. Sam (Lily Collias) is a high school student who lives with her mom; her parents are divorced. She spends most of her time fooling around with her girlfriend who is heading off to University in the fall. But this weekend, she’s preparing for some quality time with her dad, Chris (James Le Gros). Chris is an uptight, clean-freak who resented his ex-wife’s affair, but loves his daughter dearly and unconditionally. That’s why he’s taking her on a camping trip, along with his best friend, and his best friend’s son. Matt (Danny McCarthy) is an actor-turned-salesman. He’s also a bit of a douche, known for his inappropriate comments. Don’t take Matt seriously, says Chris, he has no filter. But his son is mad at him, so he ends up coming alone. Matt’s also irresponsible — he forgets things like basic clothes, camping equipment and even a sleeping bag. 

But soon enough, they’re at a camp sight, telling ghost stories and cooking instant ramen over a small fire. They reveal certain secrets from their past and share their deepest beliefs. But when Matt says something to Sam she considers deeply offensive, the tenor of the whole trip shifts. Will the adults learn from their mistakes? Or is it up to the children to teach them?

Good One is low-key, low-budget realistic movie about father/daughter relations. It seems at first like a traditional “generation gap” comedy, but it’s much more subtle than just that. It’s never in your face, you have to think about their facial expressions and what they’re really saying to get the full meaning. The acting is great — James Le Gros and Danny McCarthy serve as a surrogate Oscar and Felix (the Odd Couple) but as real people, never exaggerated caricatures. I’ve seen Le Gros in dozens of movies, but this is the first I’ve heard of Lily Collias — it’s from her refreshing point of view that we see this film. It’s a lovely looking and sounding film, the dramatic scenes alternating with long nature shots of grey rocks, green leaves and flowing water.  It’s lit by campfires at night and sunlight by day. And it’s laced with relaxing acoustic guitar. For a first film (this is India Donaldson’s first feature) this is really good. It may be subtle but it’s never boring. 

The title says it all — it’s a good one.

Close To You

Co-Wri/Dir: Dominic Savage

It’s winter in Toronto. Sam (Elliot Page) is a transman in his thirties who rents a room in a friend’s house in Kensington Market. He’s thin and muscular with short black hair, often in a red toque. He likes his new life: single, bisexual, exploring the city, with a good job, and a sense of freedom he never knew growing up. But today he’s taking the train back to ground-zero: his hometown, Cobourg. He’s going to see his family for his Dad’s birthday. It’s also the first time since his transition four years earlier, and he’s really wound up about it. He’s a failure, he’s inadequate, he’s not married like his siblings, and his life in no way resembles his parents’s solidly middle class home. All these thoughts are swirling around his mind and he’s ready to throw in the towel’s but decides to go anyway — he can always leave. And on the train, he recognizes the face of someone important to him as a teenager. Katherine (Hillary Baack) was his best friend… will she remember him?

Cobourg, isn’t Selma Alabama in the 1960s. No one looks at him funny or calls him names. His parents (Wendy Crewson, Peter Outerbridge) are overjoyed to see him again. But one of his in-laws (David Reale) seems less than enthusiastic. Will they accept his changes? Can he survive this reunion? And will he ever see Cat again?

Close to You is a dramatic, personal portrayal of the anxiety facing a man’s first visit back to his family since his transition. There’s also some unexpected sex and romance (no spoilers). It’s well-acted and realistically told. Locations range from Toronto’s Kensington Market and Union Station to the picturesque streets of Cobourg. It’s co-written by Elliot Page, who you’ve probably seen in hit movies and shows like Juno and The Umbrella Academy. I think the story is partially based on a fictionalized version of Page’s own experiences — like Sam, he transitioned about 4 years ago,  though as a major movie star and celebrity always in the public eye, Page’s life is very different from the introverted Sam. This is a very Canadian movie that casts actors who are deaf or black without out that identity ever entering the story line. In Canada, bigotry is quiet, not overt, but still there. It accurately portrays the pain of snide remarks, deadnaming and misgendering. It’s also sympathetic to other members of Sam’s family, struggling with their adult son’s changes.

There have been hundreds  of coming out movies about lesbians and gay men, but very few about transgendered men in the same situation. So there’s a real thirst for films like this one. 

I liked Close to You.

Close to You and Good One both open this weekend in Toronto; check your local listings.

This is Daniel Garber at the Movies, each Saturday morning, on CIUT 89.5 FM and on my website www.culturalmining.com.