Though Rebecca Hall’s excellent “Passing” didn’t make this list for its subtler approach to queerness, star Tessa Thompson absolutely played it as a queer film. Jane Campion is courting Best Director with her epic deconstructed Western “The Power of the Dog,” and the genre-agnostic animated documentary “Flee” could earn nominations across multiple best film categories. Many of this year’s Oscar contenders are enlivened by queer themes, with much more than understated subtext or a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. While the impending Oscar race may be missing an all-out gay romance such as “Call Me by Your Name,” that doesn’t mean queer cinephiles can’t seek out François Ozon’s sexy and rebellious “Summer of ’85.” For those who prefer their French films on the Sapphic side, not to mentions provocative enough to inspire protests, there was Paul Verhoeven’s dark lesbian nun comedy “Benedetta.” And for campy genre lovers with an eye for fashion, “Spencer” features a wrenchingly tender moment from Sally Hawkins towards Kristen Stewart’s riveting Princess Diana. Unfortunately, the viewer does not find the same portrayal of the struggle within the main character.While certainly not a given every year, anyone complaining about a lack of good queer films in 2021 simply wasn’t paying attention. It is accomplished with a great deal of sensitivity. Also, although they are a minor part of the film, the scenes portraying Andrea’s awakening about loving a woman portray her struggles with these new feelings and emotions. The scenes where Kate’s daughter learns to support and accept her transgender parent are very engaging and meaningful. The portrayal of Kate’s attempts to develop a relationship with her daughter is well done and very moving. There are some very moving scenes in the movie. All we are shown is Kate reflected through the eyes of others.
The audience comes away from this movie knowing neither Dan nor Kate, never emotionally engaged with either of them. But the only thing you learn is that Dan wanted to dress like a woman. You will see the snippets and hear Kate’s comments. But most of his life is mentioned in passing little is shown, so we never get a feeling for who Dan was for 65 years. We hear him talk about cross-dressing to friends, family, and partners. Most of these vignettes portray the same points repeatedly. They did not add substance to the main character. There are many vignettes but no continuity of a life. The significant moments in Kate’s life do not resonate nor make for an engaging film. However, I found this storyline very disjointed and thin. The story of Kate’s current life in an adult community in Portland is interspersed with flashbacks to specific scenes in her life as Dan, both as a boy and a man. The two main characters in the film are played by Kate and her real-life partner Andrea Drury.
The movie is a transgender biopic based on In Between, A Memoir by Kate Birdsall. Interspersed with her acclimation to the community are flashbacks to her early years and her growing awareness of her gender dysphoria. We are introduced to Kate as she starts her new life in a senior community. Strictly for the Birds is described as a film about a transgender woman who claims her identity and finds love at the age of 65. “Strictly for the Birds” photo by Breaking Glass Pictures