These are also coupled with honest moments of rejection, anger, and sadness. What is the process for a young person who decides to transition? What is school life like? How do her friends treat her? Once perceived as the star football player Charlie arrives at school one day in a female school uniform, determined to live comfortably in her skin. This moment in the film is heart wrenching not just for Charlie, as she gets out of the car and arrives at school, but for her mum, sitting in the car, watching her child enter the lion’s den.
Director Rebekah Fortune is careful to focus on the experience of transition and acceptance rather than making each scene a lesson on inclusion. How does each individual react to the new? Machen’s script is careful not to vilify those who react poorly to the Charlie, but to empathize with their point of view with an aim on understanding.
“Director Rebekah Fortune is careful to focus on the experience of transition and acceptance rather than making each scene a lesson on inclusion…”
While the performances are overall solid enough, this film would be nothing if not for the brave performance by Harry Gilby as Charlie. It takes a lot of courage for a young actor to take on such a challenging and emotionally complex portrayal of a young person in transition. Gilby does this with a light yet believable execution. Bryson’s portrayal of Charlie’s mum, Susan, is the emotional mast of the film, navigating the new, often frightening waters of change with cautious optimism and worrisome face. Williams’ portrayal of Paul is fine enough, but tragically, his falls in the most typical of character arcs and are, somehow, the least satisfying.
If there were one thing that was wrong with Just Charlie it would be a lack of humor. The film exhibits such a keen understanding of human behavior that it is a shame that laughter isn’t one of the coping mechanisms the characters use. There is a ceremonial sobriety to the proceedings that could have been beautifully garnished with just a little bit of humor to relieve the audience and lighten the mood a bit.
Regardless, Just Charlie is a charming character piece that empathetically grapples with internal and external struggles we all have with the new, and coming to terms with who we are at the end of the day.
"…grapples with internal and external struggles we all have..."
I just wanted to thank you for referring to Charlie as “she” throughout the article. 🙂 That was a very nice thing to do.