Close to You, 2024.
Directed by Dominic Savage.
Starring Elliot Page, Hillary Baack, Wendy Crewson, Peter Outerbridge, Janet Porter, Alex Paxton-Beesley, Daniel Maslany, Sook-Yin Lee, Andrew Bushell, David Reale, Jim Watson, and Amanda Richer.
SYNOPSIS:
Academy Award Nominee Elliot Page (Juno, The Umbrella Academy, Inception) stars as a trans man who returns to his hometown for the first time in years.
Elliot Page’s post-transition return to movies with Close to You is an unmistakably personal project conceived and written alongside director Dominic Savage, a lived-in vital work deserving to be seen by the trans community and those who have a transitioned loved one (immediately off the top of my head comes a certain billionaire social media owner/tech bro who, if his heart hasn’t fully rotted away, might learn a thing or two about being a father to a trans person.)
That is neither here nor there because while this is the story of Sam (Elliot Page) traveling from Toronto back to his suburban childhood home to celebrate his father’s (Peter Outerbridge) birthday and see his family for the first time after running away and transitioning, it’s also equally about the multiple ways his relationship with individual family members is altered and the many layers and smaller details of acceptance.
The narrative wisely also doesn’t take the easy route to tell a story about unabashed, hateful family bigotry (although such a thing would still have been valid to explore.) No, this average middle-class family has accepted Sam’s transition. They are happy that he is coming home for the birthday party. However, the film still explores ways in which even the most progressive minds make mistakes while also pointing out the line between honest slip-ups during genuine attempts at adjusting and instigative behavior intended to provoke that is also coming from a place of transphobia.
The film is at its most engaging and authentically raw at that childhood home, with Sam getting a chance to talk to his parents and siblings one-on-one. There is his mom, Miriam (Wendy Crewson), who is sincerely sweet and accepting yet catches herself referring to Sam as a “her,” not out of malicious intent but rather a habit. Sam reassures her it’s okay because he does realize the effort and unwavering love is there. And while it’s revealed that Sam lived a rather closed-off and depressed life pre-transition (now happy, renting a room in the city with a friend, and working a fulfilling job alongside other trans and queer individuals), there is also the impression that Miriam was always the one he was closest to despite sharing a room with a sister.
Meanwhile, that same sister is irrationally worried about how Sam is currently living his life and whether or not he is financially stable. Naturally, this frustrates Sam, who questions where she was when he was sad and really needed someone to care. This is more misguided behavior than anything, especially in comparison to Sam’s brother-in-law Paul (David Reale), making uncalled-for and provocative remarks about having to obey “rules” around trans individuals.
Considering that Sam’s father wants to be reunited with his son and celebrate with the entire family, the contentious situation also begs the question of what is wrong with someone when transition bothers them to the point of causing drama at a celebration for someone else. To steal the popular phrase of the moment, it’s weird behavior. Such reasons are why Sam was visibly nervous even on the train ride to his hometown and on edge at the party.
Furthermore, just because someone is accepted by everyone there but one person doesn’t necessarily mean the accepting ones always have the right reaction or response to a tumultuous dynamic. Also, in an age where nearly every major Hollywood movie can’t help but preach the importance of family, it’s refreshing to watch a smaller story kick that notion to the curb; Sam doesn’t owe any of these people anything. That hazy, dreamy score from Oliver Coates and Dominic Savage also complements this with music suggesting that, even if this is Sam’s childhood home and that nearly everyone means well, he is still displaced and doesn’t belong there.
Less dramatically effective is Sam’s reunion with a childhood friend who now lives in married life with children. Katherine (Hillary Baack) is visibly thrilled and overwhelmed to see Sam again, conflicted about the idea of reconnecting since she is now leading a different life. Yes, this is another realistic aspect about returning home, but it feels disconnected and at odds with the family get-together, making for a lengthy epilogue that probably would have been better served cut down about 15 minutes, especially since it doesn’t delve that deep into the past or current connection.
Aside from that ambitious overreach, Close to You simply feels real and personal, with performances that fully embody these characters. It’s a moving portrait of post-transition life and navigating the anxieties of family get-togethers while asking the question of whether it’s even worth attending in the first place. There is also a ferociously delivered line from Elliot Page asserting that all Sam is trying to do is exist; it’s a piece of powerful dialogue that reverberates throughout the world we live in and is part of what makes this film such a special gem.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published August 13, 2024. Updated August 15, 2024.
