52 Tuesdays was an extremely brave film, tackling such a wide range of issues and managing to be a moving experience. Set in Australia, it felt very Australian. There’s nothing quite like an Australian suburb, and here it provides the background for a journey of self-discovery for our key protagonists Billie and James. James (formerly Jane) Billie’s mother over the course of a year shown in 52 Tuesdays transitions to her male identity. Billie is 16 and going through a period of questioning herself – curiosity brings her into contact with two friends with whom she goes through a liberating, but ultimately a dangerous experience.
The central performances are stunning. The emotional depth of the story is not lost through the inexperienced actors. The authenticity of their performances is hugely supported by the filming schedule where the production filmed on 52 Tuesdays across a year. The growth and changes are authentic. Particularly for Billie, who gets a haircut and begins to look far more worldly as she develops some familiar teenage apathy. The costume design for the film always reinforces this authenticity and the growth of the characters.
The film bravely ventures into territory around gender and sexual identity. I’ve had a number of conversations since seeing the film on Monday where people have reacted in a surprising way to the story. Some have been confused by why the mother would put their teenage child through that at such a key time in their life. Others wondered why the mother was so open about something so private. Without fail though, through explaining more about the film and the context, people have been ready to accept how much of a role model James is in being true to himself, and sharing that experience should make his relationship with his daughter stronger. There is also nothing wrong in promoting the conversation of gender identity with a teenager who can only benefit from exposure to diversity. It’s such an important dialogue to encourage.
There is a lovely scene where Billie asks early on in the film if she should call her Mum “Dad”. The response is that she should call her whatever she is comfortable with. And while Billie does use ‘he’ later in the film, she never stops using the word “Mum”. I think that is a beautiful part of that relationship, as the word loses its gender connotations, and simply remains to represent the connection between Billie and James.
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