Drama. R. 1 hour, 28 minutes. At the Denver FilmCenter/Colfax.
Over the past several years, the “coming out” tale has morphed into something perhaps better described as the “coming-to-terms” drama.
In this subtle narrative evolution, gay or lesbian kids — while not absolutely confident in their skins (they’re young, remember) — seem to intuit that their gender identities aren’t the problem.
It is their parents (and the rest of us) who must find our way around their bravely recast worlds.
In his beautifully acted, emotionally textured feature debut, “Gun Hill Road,” Rashaad Ernesto Green takes this a step further. His protagonist is transgender teen Michael, played with luminous and sweet grace by newcomer Harmony Santana.
Esai Morales portrays Enrique Rodriguez, a repeat offender who returns to the Bronx after a three-year stint in prison. While he was away, wife Angela (Judy Reyes) went on living — and, tentatively, loving. Son Michael grew from a baseball-loving youngster into a demure teenager who sometime goes by the name Vanessa.
When she performs her surprisingly defiant poetry at a club, she attracts the attentions of Antoine (Dennis Johnson), a homeboy who is momentarily slowed but then intrigued by Vanessa’s revelation. “Gun Hill Road” does not exploit Michael/Vanessa’s declaration for dramatic tension.
While Michael’s journey isn’t an easy one, it’s not a lonely one, either. She has a posse of chatty, vamping friends who have her back. If only Enrique’s crews were as truly supportive of him.
“Gun Hill Road” is shot through with performances at once intense and relaxed.
Morales makes the challenge of sympathizing with Enrique easier by capturing the sincere desires of a man who loves his family and wants to do better but can’t quite handle his frustration or temper.
In one of the more volatile scenes, Enrique attempts a Samson-and-Delilah intervention, shearing Michael’s hair in hopes of making him a man. Yes, he’s macho, he’s bigoted — but Morales makes his confusion real.
Best known for her role as Nurse Carla Espinosa on the long-running comedy “Scrubs,” Reyes makes certain that we know Angela is no victim but a woman sticking with, even as she grows beyond, the man she loved.
Still, it’s Santana who makes the film so affecting. The newbie actress — who was transitioning from male to female during the production — has since been cast in a couple of GLBT comedy sequels. Let’s hope that’s only the beginning.
