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Finding the right speaking pitch is one of the challenges faced by a pre-op transsexual in Transamerica, but writer/director Duncan Tucker has a similar problem. This has all the heart and whimsy of a good road movie, but he sometimes overreaches for comedy and hits a few bum notes. Felicity Huffman, however, is perfectly tuned in to the character of Bree so that even in her most selfish moments her vulnerability is laid bare - along with other things...

Her longed-for sex change operation hangs in the balance thanks to the sudden appearance of teenage hooker Toby (Kevin Zegers), who, she discovers, is the product of an awkward sexual encounter from her days as a man. After bailing him out of jail in the Big Apple, Bree lacks the courage to confess her true identity and plans instead to offload him on his stepfather in Kansas. Of course their journey together isn’t destined to end quite so quickly, or painlessly.

"SOME TRULY INSPIRED TOUCHES"

From New York to LA, explosions of temper give way to greater understanding. It's hardly original, but there are some truly inspired touches (Bree tells Toby she's a church missionary so in a conciliatory gesture he buys her a baseball cap announcing, "I'm proud to be a Christian!") Unfortunately Tucker veers from the course to visit Bree's parents in what feels like an episode from an 80s sitcom. Playing Bree's controlling mother, Fionnula Flanagan is funny as a sort of deranged Golden Girl, but overall this segment doesn't feel honest. Thankfully, there's enough warmth and gentle humour to fuel the rest of the trip.