Canadian winters are usually harsh. There’s an extra nip in the air this year for Toronto-based trans-man Sam (Elliot Page – Tales of The City, Juno, Inception) who’s nervously preparing for his first trip back home in four years. He’s off to visit his estranged family back in small-town Cobourg, and it’s the first time they’ve seen him since his transition. He assumes that he’s a disappointment to his family and the ache in the pit of his stomach is palpable.
Acclaimed director Dominic Savage (Nice Girl, When I Was 12, Freefall) examines family, both birth and chosen, in Close To You, a beautifully poetic drama co-written by himself and Page. The largely unscripted, improvised story sees sexually fluid, thirty-something, Sam cautiously bid farewell to his housemate in Toronto and make the journey back to his hometown for his father’s birthday celebrations. The dull train trip home is broken up when he bumps into Katherine (Hillary Baack), an old high-school flame who’s also deaf. Sam’s slightly puppy dog joy at reconnecting with Katherine is not, however, fully reciprocated, and awkward Katherine, now a slightly frumpy mum of two, doesn’t share her number as the two part company on arriving back in Cobourg.
Sam is given a warm welcome on his homecoming. The large middle-class family house is full of his parents, siblings and two brothers-in-law. His understanding, accepting parents (Wendy Crewson and Peter Outerbridge), in particular, are overjoyed to have him back and the four-year estrangement seems hard to understand until Sam reminds them that they weren’t there for him when he really needed them. His siblings are also keen to reconnect and reminisce about their shared childhood. One of his brother-in-laws, Paul (David Reale), however, challenges Sam on various trans issues in a rather inept, bullish manner. Sam is ready for this and barks back harder, leading to an intense situation at the family dinner table. Matters escalate and Sam seeks respite alone outside in the crisp winter’s air. In town he bumps into Katherine again. The two go for a walk along the snowy edge of Lake Ontario and this time they reconnect on a deeper, more mutually comfortable level. Where is this trip home heading?
Savage and Page tell an emotional tale of ‘outsiderness’ that many queer people will relate to. The improvisation adds an authenticity and ‘kitchen-sink’ drama feeling that a fully prepared script might not have achieved. The role of Sam feels very personal to Page, in one of his first major roles since his own real-life transition. Gentle, dimly-lit cinematography and a slow, melodic soundtrack combine with strong casting and fine performances to tell a realistic, poignant, heartfelt story. As well as Page, Crewson and Outerbridge give particularly strong performances as they convey the array of emotions that parents of a trans person would feel. Page is excellent at showing the strength and vulnerability of Sam. Sam wonders why he should feel grateful that his existence is merely accepted? Sam doesn’t always make life easy for himself with his family but most of us are not in his shoes so can’t judge. He needs to be seen and that doesn’t always happen comfortably. The only weak spot of the film is the chemistry between Sam and Katherine – they’ve both changed so much in the past twenty years that their reconnection feels ill at ease – but in a generally awkward environment, this can be overlooked. The film highlights the great contrast between what can often be very difficult encounters with our blood families and those more relaxed times with our chosen families. A great home-coming tale.
PS Close To You is being screened at Boston's Wicked Queer and Miami's Outshine LGBTQ Film Festivals Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
