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The Fabres have moved into town in an upmarket district and they're giving a big housewarming barbey. Everyone has glammed up. Where are the children? They appear, one by one; here's Zoë --- but no, it's Ludovic (Georges du Fresne) who's chosen his sister's princess dress.
Reactions vary, but it's soon forgotten and the party goes on. Everyone gets fairly drunk. At school the next day everyone has had to bring in some favourite possession. Ludo produces a sort of Barbie Doll, called Pam. There's a fairytale romance series on the telly in which Pam and Ben get married. The teacher is warm and friendly but doesn't understand and tries to persuade him he'd prefer the doll of Ben. "You and Sophie [a girl in the class] would make a nice couple."
Ludo looks confused and shakes his head.
Jerome (Julien Rivière), the next door kid then produces a drop earring that Ludo lost in the garden yesterday and Jerome picked up. Teacher looks even more puzzled.
In the playground later, Ludo and Jerome become friendly.
When a girl comes up to play with Jerome, he sends her away ... "No, I'm busy"
Ludo's young-at-heart Granny (Hélène Vincent) picks him up from school
"Isn't he the son of your Dad's boss; are you pals?"
Ludo: "We're going to get married when I'm not a boy"
Granny ... confused: "Not a boy ? ..."
Ludo: "Of course ... "
Granny ... thinks hard ... "I've got a lot to learn"
Granny hasn't seen Ludo much while his parents lived in another part of the country, and they discover a bond now; Granny's life hasn't always been happy, but she explains to Ludo her way of overcoming that; she shuts her eyes and imagines the world to be how she would like it to be; Ludo gives it a try and finds himself to be a girl in girly pink surroundings.
Another day, Jerome shows Ludo round their house; one room is Jerome's sister's. She has died, but they keep her room intact. Ludo tries her stuff on, and they play through a wedding ceremony. Jerome's Mum overhears it and freaks out. Ludo's Mum (Michelle Laroque) freaks out. Back home, Mum says: "What is it Ludovic?"
Ludo: "One day I'll marry Jerome for real"
Mum: "What ... I told you, boys never marry boys ... or very rarely"
Ludo: (confused) "But I'll be a girl"
Mum: (confused) "Cut it out! You're a boy ... and you always will be ..."
(but she hugs him)
His Father is less helpful and loses his temper at the family dinner.
(shouting) "What you did was very bad!"
Ludo's brother: "Like putting the cat in the dishwasher?"
The parents decide to have Ludo see a psychiatrist, and are disappointed when there are no instant solutions. There's friction with the neighbours and at school but life goes on.
The school is putting on a pantomime, or whatever the French do. Jerome is the Prince but Ludo only has a small part. But just before curtain-up, Snow White has to go to the loo, and Ludo, who seems to have a death wish, substitutes. Even Jerome is disconcerted, and the parents in the audience freak out.
Ludovic has to leave the school and go to another one an hour away, but his reputation follows him and he gets beaten up there. He tries suicide. Everyone rallies round him, and tries to make him feel better. His Father, who has already shown himself to lack judgment, now says
"Make a wish, anything you like"
So Ludo says "I want to go to Sophie's party in a skirt"
Dad nearly freaks out again, but they decide to try it, on the argument that if they let him do it, he'll grow out of it. Now the neighbours freak out, but are persuaded to go along with it. But it's a tense time, and shortly afterwards his Father gets the sack [fired] from work. Ludo asks if it's his fault, and Dad says no, but means yes.
Everyone's personality seems to change at this point; the psychiatrist gives up on Ludo; his Mum turns against him and ritually cuts his hair, and his Dad cracks up. Next door paints "Poofs out" on their garage door. Ludo goes to live with Granny for a while, but when his parents move house to Clermont Ferrand, he goes with them. His Mum continues to be antagonistic to him.
Every day he goes down to the bypass and mopes, opposite a poster for his role model, Pam.
A tomboyish girl Chris(tine) tries to make friends with him, but he prefers to sit opposite Pam.
Chris's Mum makes friends with Ludo's and says that Christine wants Ludo to come to her birthday party.
Chris is wearing a girly party frock but her body language is classic male. She grabs Ludo and they play with the other kids, but Ludo doesn't like the rough games that ensue.
Later, Chris admired his musketeer costume, and says let's swap clothes.
He says he can't but she forces him to change with the aid of her pals. Christine appears in the house in the musketeer costume, and Ludo's Mum realises what Ludo must be wearing and freaks out.
She starts to hit him and Ludo legs it. Mum realises the error of his ways, and when she finds him, she reassures him that she will always love him. His Dad says the same.
So he can wear whatever he feels comfortable in. Of course this is the right answer, but it doesn't come over convincingly and to my mind, the film fizzles out a bit at this stage. It's only 82 minutes long and there are too many unanswered questions. I like happy endings too, and there's no ending at all here. The film draws out most of the issues for a transsexual child, but doesn't really answer many of the questions. Nonetheless it's a faithful and sympathetic account of the difficulties.
HF 1999
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