A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006)

Very well executed

Memorable, crazy movie

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

You know, when you watch a film like this, you can't help remembering Boys Don't Cry. Of course, it's a TV film, and the actor who played Gwen didn't do bad in his portrayal, he indeed seemed comfortable, we see an even better portrayal of the mother.Perhaps we should not make a comparison due to it being an independent film. It didn't fully connect many a viewers emotionally, but it is indeed a good approach to raise visibility and acceptance, and uphold Gwen's legacy, which it set out to do. Wish someone made a feature film on Gwen's life, but if one day a film like that does get made, it would be for the smaller efforts like this...which does not follow the crappy old way of treating transgenderness as a comic element.Kudos to the director for trying something new, and necessary!!

Outstanding film dealing with a teenager who was totally female in thought but was born in the body of a male and suffered each day in his tragically short life.J.D. Pardo is excellent as the conflicted youngster. Former Oscar winner Mercedes Ruehl shines in the role of his mother who at first thinks that he will outgrow his obsession of being a girl only to find out that this shall be his way of life. She goes to bat for him all the way.This excellent film deals with a major societal problem regarding transsexual behavior. We saw it in "TransAmerica," and "Boys Don't Cry." While the ending is tragic, the film is well acted and creates a disturbing picture of what transsexual people have to endure in our society.

One of the problems inherent in (some, not all) cable TV movies is that they look like they were cut and pasted in a hurry and bring no real transition from scene to scene. Lifetime channel is no HBO. Because of this, their undertaking of the tragic yet necessary story of Gwen Araujo has to remain as "an honest project" but no more -- one that has to be seen, if at all to raise some awareness within the population of what it is like to be a transgendered person living in a society that attacks being different from all angles. Kudos to J.D. Pardo for bringing an intense depth to his characterization of Gwen. His evolution from male to female is a little choppy, but this is a problem of bad editing, not his interpretation. While not looking like the real Gwen, he channels the anguish, the innocence, the femininity, and the sometimes self-destructive behavior that became the driving forces in the short life of this remarkable person. Mercedes Ruehl has moments of quiet power, most notably in the court scene as she challenges the prosecutor, but also when she decides to accept her son for the daughter she is in the scene when she tells Eddie/Gwen that her make up is running. If only Agnieszka Holland had had a stronger vision and grasp of the story -- she collaborated in the striking visual stories of the THREE COLORS TRILOGY -- this would have made for a compelling watch. As it is, A GIRL LIKE ME doesn't escape the media for which it was created. It looks and feels like an ABC movie of the week, and it deserves better. Even so, it's a must for people sensitive to these issues.

I read about the tragic murder of Gwen Araujo in the news a few years ago when it occurred, and I never imagined a telefilm would be made about her life -- much less helmed by Lifetime.Unfortunately, this film seems like it was done in a hurry and we never really get to connect with Gwen the way we'd like to. J.D. Pardo is effective in his performance, as is Mercedes Ruehl, but this story required a bit more care in the way it was handled.One thing that did however move me was Gwen's mother loyalty to her daughter, and how willing she was to accept and understand her. Being gay and Latino is difficult enough (I confess from experience), but I can't imagine how much more complicated it must be for people like Gwen.You can't expect much from a made-for-television movie, and I didn't expect a lot from this one so I can't really say I was disappointed.I'd like to see a feature film based on Gwen's life someday. Maybe it would be able to capture her essence in the way she deserves.