Different for Girls (1996) Online

I am a male to female transsexual, and all I can say is this is the first and ONLY film I have seen handle this subject matter with taste and tact.

It sat on my shelf for two years before I watched it. I have seen this theme abused and twisted too many times, and I had assumed the worst. I'm very happy to say I got a very pleasant surprise.

Steven Makintosh did a wonderful job of playing Kim, and the fact that Kim's body is not "perfect" is a touch of reality seldom shown when movies or television fictionalize transition.

It was an honest approach, as opposed to the the usual "and far less realistic" sexy female actress that a Hollywood would have insisted on using.

Kim does not live as a "transgendered person" as is implied in some reviews but as a normal white collar woman in London, her old school friend comes into her structured and very low profile life and turns it upside down from emotional outbursts in restaurants, to a confrontation with the police.

His growing acceptance of Kim as a woman, and their growing relationship are wonderful to behold.

I don't want to give anything away, but from yet another person who's "been there" the film went between having me on the edge of my seat to having me in tears.

I cannot rate this film too highly.

"For people who NEED a nitpick, I think seeing Pauls girl friends reaction to goings on would have been good, she sort of just drops out of the plot and you never really know why"

I began to watch this film thinking that it would be about the usual prejudice and queer bashing.......

What I realized is that it was a very touching drama about a post-op male to female transsexual and a former male schoolfriend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and have watched it 8 times in 3 days. It is so touching and tender and at the end, concentrates on the nice side of life. It makes me feel so humble.

It has given me a lot to think about how I was maybe a little more judgemental than I thought I was.

Brilliant acting.

I have fallen for Rupert Graves, who plays the male schoolfriend,- I have visited his website and am going home to find the film, 'Damage', which I already have - and I have ordered 'Room With A View'.

Rupert and Steven are such a brilliant actors.

I can't believe that Steven Mackintosh, who played the very gentle and very ladylike, Kim, could be the same horrible guy who is 'The Street', thug and bullyboy from Prime Suspect 5.

Both excellent main actors, as well as a well known supporting cast, which included Charlotte Coleman, (who has sadly since died, aged 33, from an asthma attack), Saskia Reeves, Miriam Margolyes and Neil Dudgeon.

I have looked for the DVD on region 2 in this country, but I can only find it NTSC, Region 1.

Can anyone help ?

Enjoy,

Best Wishes,

Indigopussycat2. xx

In the opening scene of Different for Girls, Karl's boarding-school classmates are tormenting him for his effeminate nature. To his rescue comes friend and protector, Paul. Roll the opening credits, and flash to the next scene, 16 years in the future. It's the scene of a minor traffic accident and two of the individuals involved appear familiar to one another, but something is amiss. Paul, now a punkish motorcycle courier is one, but the other is demure, stylish, female.... its Karl. Paul and Karl (now Kim thanks to sex-change surgery) finally recognize one another and begin a relationship that slowly evolves to romance. The movie essentially chronicles the emotional journey of this odd-couple; and it's done with the proper mix of humor and drama. Well worth the rental.

Aside from any psycho-analytical considerations (in which I have no competence), this film really worked for me. I typically give a wide berth to pictures of this ilk, but I was really captivated by the sense that these characters were really living the circumstances in which they found themselves. I'm not going to blather on about how relevant blah blah, but the fact is that Nobody is immune from the possibility that an experience like this might present itself in real life, and it is thought-provoking to reflect on how it might affect ME. This is a complex subject, uncomfortable to many, but explored here in a way that was good sociology, good psychology, and damned fine cinema. Whatever your hang-ups are (or aren't), enjoy this film.

Simple (if that's the right word) British tale of a hot headed rebel who meets up with an old school chum who's now a transsexual.

The script as filmed is almost (but not quite) as cloying as a Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks vehicle: it never really panders to the love story and it sacks trite 'witticisms' for honest language but it has just as faux-romantic of an ending as You've Got Mail or some other bit of schmaltz. However, the riveting performances by its leads help lift this film high above any mainstream pandering mush.

Rupert Graves has a high-voltage sexuality and never slips in his characterization of Paul; it's so common for actors to give some kind of Kabuki-like performance when playing volatility but he's amazingly real.

Steven Mackintosh is a revelation as Kim and his heartbreaking nuances capture an inner struggle between the mind and the heart with wonderful simplicity.

Saskia Reeves (perfect in Antonia & Jane) and Neil Dudgeon also stand out as the married couple who Kim turns to for support.

While far from being a great film, it trumps many, many, MANY other movies that try to be honest and believable in their depiction of gay or transsexual romance.

This film hit me like a lightning bolt. It brought tears to my face and almost restored my faith in the human race. It tries to tell us that even the unthinkable can be done if we accept the combined power of feelings and imagination. We see people struggle with age old morals, their youth and upbringing. We can almost taste the bitter loneliness of the adapted transsexual as we can actually feel the pain of the struggling rebel that (almost) cannot accept the discrepancies between memory and perception, between love, lust and friendship, between what's done and not done. The actors make it all believable and enjoyable. They live the parts that show true bravery in crossing holy borders.

Missed this first time round, but unintentionally caught a late night/early hours TV airing in the UK. Steve Mackintosh sustains a serious dramatic presence and role as Kim against the heavily scripted comedic/stereotype 'unreformed male' buffoonery of the friend/partner Paul Prentice played by Rupert Graves. Although at times the dynamic of the two styles gives an uneven feel to the whole narrative, the underlying point of apparent complete contrasts, but underlying and overlapping commonality of involvement and feeling is well made. Some of the scenes are intensely moving, particularly those in the police station when Kim is facing arrest and conviction and is placed alone in a cell, uncertain of whether she will face the immediate unwelcome company of another unknown male cellmate, and/or eventual consignment to a male prison. This is hardly comedy, certainly real life drama, and contains the essence of real tragedy. Other scenes in the film evoke similar high tensions in emotional colour and reading.

Overall delivery was a little uneven, but well worth viewing again. Would be worth a full 'in-line drama' remake of the theme, as other commentators have also hinted. A good attempt at a very difficult subject which manages to hit the right emotional responses without actually falling off the tightrope between banality and exploitation.

Alright...maybe this is too psychoanalytical an approach for the film, but here goes. Completely intrigued by the development of the principal characters and their evolving relationship, I took in 2 screenings of this film, as this movie is like an onion -which to get to the core of its subject and to understand its mystery, you have to peel off the multiple layers. A shower scene, a school picture, and a tabloid article are crucial clues that mold the dependency and sexual confusion that bonds the Prentice and Karl/Kim characters together. Their relationship has endured since highschool. We see a young man, who has subtly hidden his sex is embracing his feminine side in the schoolshower. Just before he gets the sh-- kicked out of him by homophobic schoolmates, another boy gallantly rescues the pretty boy from the mob. The audience immediately assumes that it is Karl who was questioning his sex in the shower--but disclosed in later pics, we discover that it is actually Prentice who was doing the introspection! Karl/Kim who could relate to the scene was the actual rescuer.

Portrayed as cool, bold, logical, and independent Karl/Kim presents him/herself with the unflappable reserve of a male personality, who feels dysfunctional with exterior male genitalia. Changing Karl to Kim remedies his/her warped body image, so that he can obtain the feminine exterior which appears so desirable. Expression of the dual conflicting natures can be seen throughout the film as she tries to overcompensate for this masculine interior of herself, by dressing in conservative woman's clothing and finding a feminine career as a Greeting card composer. Even her condo is done up in overtly feminine hues. Prentice is the antithesis of Kim. He is flighty, emotional, dependent and vulnerable. Contrasting Kim, he has an interior feminine nature that is contained in a masculine exterior that is repressed and hidden in a major bravado of masculinity. This is demonstrated with his embracing the fury of punk music, playing the leather-clad macho biker messenger, and keeping up an affront of being a boozer and rebel-rouser. Even Prentice's studio apt seems an exercise in testosterone proving, looking much like an uncleaned dormroom. Peeks at his interior femininity however do come through subtly- he fems up in a ruffled shirt for Kim, and wears a purple T-shirt under his workgarb. Look at Prentices enchanted glance to Kim, versus her patriarchial look back at him in the school pic. His eventual assertion that men are women with an added chromosone. In summation, Prentice completes Kim in that his feminine interior desires her masculine interior, while alternately his masculine exterior fulfills her (now) feminine exterior. If you don't look at Kim's Before/After photo in the tabloid, you don't realize that the character's gender roles were reversed in the school scenes. Kim becomes Prentice's rescuer once again when he emotionally loses it after their first date, and she must stand up again for him (this time it's police bullies) in court! When Kim strips for Prentice, It is like a mirror to the inside of his soul. Complex Film indeed!!!

What a brave and unusual romantic comedy. Thank God the BBC is still open-minded enough for such projects, which are not only important, but ultimately wonderfully entertaining.

At the core of the boy-meets-girl, who used to be one of his mates at school, now transsexual, love story is Steven Mackintosh, who portrays Karl-now-Kim with such dignity and style that this film never feels sticky or cumbersome, as one might fear going into it.

Rupert Graves plays the bad-boy "Prentice" with such charm that one thoroughly understands why Kim allows her new-found, quiet life to be turned upside down. He shows Kim that finding the right gender doesn't necessarily make you a whole person...That comes from conviction and caring. It requires passion - something he's full of and is able to rekindle in his old schoolmate. And who knows...maybe she'll get him to change his socks daily!

Thoroughly charming!

Having seen both Soldiers Girl and Different for Girls I wouldn't even compare the 2. There are 2 different circumstances. #1 Justin Fisher and Calvin Glover are still serving time for their part in Barry Winchell's murder as this one was based on a true story. The other being that Different for Girls is fictional and the only problem Prentiss had was struggling with the fact that he now wanted his best mate from school for his love interest (after she was post-op).

This is an excellent film and I have watched it 4 times in 2 days and it is not a bit boring. In fact there is some excitement in it as I find Prentiss needs Kim to help him grow up.

I am not going to pick this film apart as to who is in what picture or the makeup wardrobe or prosthetics used or how Karl became Kim etc. I just thought it was an excellent and enjoyable film

.SPOILER!!!! I saw the movie for the first time last night, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The performances by the two lead characters were not only believable, but touching as well.

The most enjoyable aspect of the movie (and what could easily be missed if you miss the shower scene at the very beginning of it) is the twist in the story at the very end. In the shower scene, we see a young Prentice coming to the defence of and comforting a schoolmate after being picked on by a group of bullies/students for being queer. The assumption is made that the boy Prentice "rescues" is Kim/Karl. However, we only realize near the end of the movie when Kim/Karl's before and after photos are published by the newspaper that he was actually NOT the rescued boy, but one of the bullies instead.

All in all, the movie is a really good watch, and I would definitely see it again....

It is difficult to summarise this film because it is so complex. I bought the DVD having caught only part of the film when it was shown on television. It begins with a bullying scene in the school shower where a young man is enjoying warmth and comfort in what might be termed an effeminate pose. This is interrupted by a "normal" group of pupils led by the bully. As they mock him ,what must be his only friend comes to the rescue and both are mocked and accused of being queer. 16 or so years later they meet when Kims taxi collides with his old school friend Prentiss who is a dispatch rider. There follows a meeting which goes wrong and makes both of them look to their pasts. Prentiss takes flowers to Kim where she works and embarrasses both of them. This is what a man might do to say sorry to a woman yet Prentiss has not outwardly accepted that Kim is a woman. The second date starts badly at a disco but following a chase by some trouble seeking hotheads sees the relationship improve and they dance together at Prentiss's rooms. It seems to me that this is the point at which Kim and Prentiss start to fall in love. Kim has begun to bring out the female side of Prentiss and he begins to bring out her masculine side. At the start of the film both of the main characters were showing only their male and female sides but now this all changes. When he takes her home and she tries to kiss him and he pulls back, is for me the saddest part of the film. The scene where they ride the motorbike is confirmation that each has tried to understand and accept the other for what they are and for what they are becoming. The scene where Prentiss's girlfriend takes him shopping and he runs through the varieties of XX,XY,XXX and so on is there to show that there is no such thing as "normal" and the difference between the male and female is very narrow. Then we have the meal at Kims where having asked what changes had happened to her body following the surgery and treatment. She explains in a very calm way how she has changed and you can see him visibly squirm when he realises that she has given him an erection. There follows the scene outside her flat where he is arrested for exposing himself in public and her for obstruction. We then see them in a van being taken to the police station and the bigoted policeman tries to see whether there is anything between Kims legs followed by an assault on Prentiss by the same policeman. There follows scenes in the police station where Prentiss does not accept the offer to negate his exposing himself if he drops his formal complaint against the policeman and is charged to appear in court. Kim gets the usual gender questioning comments but is released without charge. Prentiss turns up at Kims flat following his release and seeks her help in giving statements and evidence that the policeman attacked him. She runs off to her sisters house and finds out that they have problems and they centre on the husbands inability to father a child of his own. To him this fact means that he is not a "man". Again we see the questioning of gender. Prentiss having been angry with Kim following a visit to her workplace calls at her sisters to say that he understands how she feels and that he does not expect her to give evidence in court. It is when she returns to work that her onscreen poetry about Prentiss is discovered and she realises that she has to help him by giving evidence in court. This she does to his surprise and in effect states her love for him and he without knowing does the same when in court he sings "The girl I love is up in the gallery". Prentiss is freed and the tabloid press try unsuccessfully to buy their story. They return to Kims flat having had a celebratory pizza and having asked to stay overnight at her flat he asks to see what her body was like. The scene where she undresses and they make love is the most moving I have ever seen. It was love and not sex. They lay for a while after talking and Prentiss ponders over what to do now he had no job or money and nowhere to live. He turns up at one of the tabloids and sells his story and you feel that he has betrayed Kim. What can easily be missed when the story appears in the paper is that the photograph of the school bully has been given to the paper as being Karl before the sex change. Kim goes to work to clear her desk assuming she has lost her job only to find that the boss likes her and asks her to stay. The final scene sees them both leaving the flat to go to work dressed in full black leathers discussing who should do the shopping. They disagree and the second twist in the tale appears when we find that it is Kim who told Prentiss to sell the story for the money to buy the gleaming red Ducati that she drives with him as the passenger. I have watched the film at least 15 times and the more times I watch the more I see. I would only watch the older British films and I scorned the modern films apart from a few. To me when I think of my childhood I see parallels that I find quite disturbing and so perhaps I see things in the film that others don't. There wasn't a bad bit of acting anywhere and in fact everyone was good except for the 2 main characters. They were brilliant, stupendous, fantastic and wonderful. Rupert Graves had a difficult role played to perfection, Steven Mackintoshs performance in what I feel was the more difficult part was simply breathtaking. Forget the "popcorn" hollywood films which are there for fun only. If you want to laugh and cry, go and buy this film.

Over the past several decades there have been a few films about transsexualism. From Terrance Stamp's surprisingly effective turn as Bernadette in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" to Peter Outerbridge's amazing Judy Squires in a little know, but lovely production called "Better Then Chocolate". Both are, to be sure fine films, BUT Bernadette, while little secret is made of her trans-sexuality is more often "read" as a drag queen, like the men she travels with. Judy is certain a transsexual female, yet her situation it little more then a subplot in the greater scheme of the film. It is only Steven MacKintosh as Karl/Kim Foyle do we have a fully realized picture of what it can feel like to be a transsexual woman. Up to, and including explanations of the changes we (hi, transwoman here)go through, and some of the problems we face. No, we are not perfect. Few of us have the money to achieve that, yet, we are far from freaks. Rupert Graves as Paul Prentice is wonderful. Almost a prince charming (despite rough edges). While nervous, his character is open-minded enough to learn and accept. As with many British Rom/Coms there are aspects of life in all situations. Things happen. Good and bad. That is the true nature of life's journey. Anyway, yeah, really good film.

yes if i was asked to take just one film to watch on a desert island this is it. the script perfect love the part where Angela hits nail on head when she dumps poor Prentice without actually knowing what the full story is. the way they tell the story to the newspaper brilliant - talk about revenge and having the last laugh with the school bully. have recommended this film to friends and they want to watch again. the film ends too too soon when they disappear around that corner you want to follow them and find out what happens next as the credits roll it is hard to believe it is just a film as you really care about and get to know all the characters. a brilliant piece of directing and script writing. cannot praise this film highly enough and have watched it well into double figures. R.I.P Charlotte Coleman - Alison

Love, in Different for Girls, broke all boundaries. It went past the idea of straight or gay and went directly into the idea that two people can fall in love no matter what consequences or hurdles life may have awaiting for them. It went beyond the sexual parameters set forth in most films and instead lied them out on the table for the world to see. The was a very real love story. In fact, I would say it was one of the more true stories that I have seen on the screen for a very long time. You could see the chemistry, you could see the insecurity, you could see the beginnings of a beautiful relationship and it was perfect. You know the unsure feelings that you have when you first begin a relationship, the hesitancy, the butterflies, the stepping stones . well, they were all demonstrated in this film. I cannot speak enough of how real and true this film was. It confirmed my belief that you do not need to have the clichéd, pronounced roles of male and female to have a beautiful love story, all you need are two people and a heart that needs to be found.

The acting was decent. There could have been a bit more passion between the two, but I am not complaining. I completely understood what they wanted, where they wanted to go, and what they needed to do to achieve it. One of the most powerful scenes of this film was when Kim undresses and they make love. For the first time in cinema history, it was love and not sex. They did it to better their relationship, to say to each other that they were comfortable with their decisions. They wanted to say "I love you" in the best way possible. While no words were spoken, you were able to glance into their minds and hearts, and it takes very good acting to allow this to happen. They even demonstrate this even further when Prentice lays for a while after talking about what just happened and he ponders over what to do now he had no job or money and nowhere to live. Together they work on a solution. There is no "me" in this relationship. This is when Prentice decides to finally make his true feelings known in a very bold, yet beautiful fashion. You will have to see the film to experience the true emotion.

Overall, I was very impressed with this film. I loved the boundaries that it broke, again .. the truth that it spoke, and the realistic story that it presented. For those that will look at this review and get quinsy in their stomachs, I ask you think . what is so different between this story and most of the recycled Hollywood garbage that we watch on a weekly basis? My answer is nothing. If I have to watch a man and a woman kiss for twenty minutes on screen, I sure as anything want to see other parts of our culture as well. This was a beautiful film that will be used as a stepping stone for other films of this nature. While I cannot say that it was perfect, it was a start. I cannot wait to see where this film will take us in the future. I suggest this film to anyone that is looking to see a fresh story on a very old tale. Beautiful and amazing!!

Grade: *** out of *****

What a treat! A very entertaining movie about a totally unconventional subject that leaves you wanting to know more about the kind of future these two characters will share.

This movie could never have been Made in U.S.A. It takes the British, and their "pushing the edge of the envelope" attitudes to take on a subject like this. And actors who are more interested in interpreting a role as ACTORS than in their image.

I do believe, however, that the more intriguing question (and, unfortunately, it's not asked) is why Paul is so interested in this person with whom he has nothing in common other than shared ancient history? That could be the basis for a sequel: explaining Paul, since Kim seems to pretty well be altogether. Hey, this wasn't based upon a piece of inviolate literature. It was an original screenplay; surely sequels have been made for less valid reasons.

Overall, a wonderful picture that leaves you asking for more. And how often does that happen?

This film really struck me - how gender, both physical and social, defines us as humans. Steven Mackintosh & Rupert Graves are fabulous and the supporting cast is good too, especially Neil who is himself struggling with his inability to prove his manhood. I think what I cherish most is Kim's growing assurance as a woman - by the end of the movie she is able to wear pants and drive a motorcycle and still retain her femininity. Plus the music is great - I wish they'd released a soundtrack!!

Two strong-as-iron performances are the main reason this film is so enjoyable. Motorcycle courier Paul Prentice (Rupert Graves) one day accidentally runs into his old friend Carl (Steven Mackintosh), the boy he used to protect from junior high school bullies when they were younger. What he isn't expecting, though, is that Karl is now Kim after a sex-change operation. The two hook up, get to talking, and in trying to connect on any possible level find disaster striking every time they try for civil conversation. What's different about this charming comedy is that it's not really the so-called "normal" person who has to accept his friend's new way of existence, it's actually Kim who has to come out of her shell and be more accepting and trusting of those around her. The film never panders to common expectations or narrow-minded prejudices and is therefore very satisfying.

Kevin McIntosh gives a sensation performance as Kim, a post-op transsexual who has enough problems trying to gain quiet acceptance in her new life without her former male self's best buddy meeting up with, then falling in love with, her. Rupert Graves is marvelous as the boyfriend. I expected this to be a campy spoof. Instead, to my delight, I found a gentle and thoughtful comedy about some very important issues in our changing world.

Paul Prentice (Rupert Graves) is a blokey guy. Kim (Steven Mackintosh) is a conservative woman. If that wasn't enough to complicate a romance, Kim used to be Karl, Prentice's schoolfriend.

The premise could have been used to make a serious drama but refreshingly it becomes a light-hearted quirky rom-com, which isn't afraid to deal with the complications of being transsexual. A previous reviewer quoted the dialogue about Prentice and Kim both being straight. The way the film deals with the subject shows that this is a normal relationship and whatever Kim was in the past does not matter. The uncertainty of both characters is touching and both actors pull off challenging roles.

Although when Kim strips naked, Mackintosh looks too masculine to be entirely believable, it shows that you don't need to have a perfect body. It's all about the love.

Yes, perhaps this could have made a good drama- the police corruption adds that dramatic element- but the endearing clumsiness of the rom-com coupled with a 'taboo' topic really makes you think about what gender really means. It's a short film too, so worth a watch.

Unconventional shoestring projects that would never otherwise see the light of day, transcend their own inherent rubbishness of execution when actors of the calibre of Steven Mackintosh ("Our Mutual Friend") and Rupert Graves ("The Tenant of Wildfell Hall") are involved. "Different for Girls" won't please lovers of the normal, middle of the road, but anyone who has any time at all for something a bit…different, will surely enjoy this.

Karl and Paul were friends at school: good enough friends that the adult Paul – restless punk spirit crashing against the bars of his cage - recognises Karl instantly when confronted with him at the scene of a traffic accident; even though Karl appears to have become Kim. But – and it's Graves' skill that you understand this straightaway – he's not put off, or scornful; he's intrigued.

Kim, formerly Karl, is resolutely living the most dowdy, normal life she can dream up as a newly post-op woman. With her drab clothes from M&S, her demeanour of invisibility and her steady job, she just wants to fit in. Her quiet dignity transcends her still-masculine appearance; Mackintosh's Kim really believes she was always meant to be a woman, and she's been on a hard and lonely journey to reach her present delicate equilibrium. The last thing she thinks she needs is Paul's ramshackle life rudely trespassing on hers.

Their mutual attraction, and awkward, stumbling progress in their evolving relationship, are explored with great depth of feeling by both actors. For all his bravado, Kim is much braver than Paul. The scene where they dance in Paul's bedroom is heartbreakingly truthful. The film isn't even diminished by its slightly hurried, TV-drama ending. (I'm completely bypassing the film's pointless suburban subplot…Saskia Reeves, oh dear.) I love the film's punky spirit, and its very human conclusions about love: that no matter how hard you try to live safe, life can be chaotic; that a decision that may shock society around you, may be worth the heartache or chaos for the good it can do two human beings. A good, oddball romantic comedy, give it a try.

I really enjoyed his film. I found it quite British in its humour(sarcastic) and overall enjoyable. The actors were superb Rupert Graves was first-class at playing Prentice, the charming toughie. And what can I say about Steven Mackintosh excellent performance, he played the difficult character Kim/Karl terrifically. I think this film deals with the issues of transexuality sensitively and carefully, but also allows the audience to see the character Kim, develop throughout the film. Heart-warming and full of compassion for people who do go through a life changing operation like Kim's.In general I would give this film 6/10 funny and charming.

OK.This is going to be shallow I've read the other review on this film and this is graded E compared to them but please let me say my thoughts on this wonderful masterpiece.

I didn't expect Im going to like it since I had a hard time understanding Brits accent(and English language in general) what I get is Karl / Kim (Steven Mackintosh) is having a trouble on her life because she's a trans plus its gotten even worse when she met her lost best friend Paul Prentice (Rupert Graves), this menace ruined her reserved and peaceful live. Fortunately this ends up on sweet,erotic happy ending.

And the love scene is very moving. I almost forgot there is somebody sitting next to me.

It is not very offen that you see a film and you know that it is one you want to see over and over again and then you want to have the DVD, its story is so easy to follow but there is something that the actor have put into it that makes you watch. I could see this being a play very easy but the film is one were you can sit down with friends on your own and if you are old enough ( I am )you will know the music the places and the dancing this is a film for the girls for the boys and both together the bike training on the open ground with Kim at the front is great still as fresh now as it was in 1996 when it came out ...

Paul: "Kim. I am straight, you know."

Kim: "So am I."

Brilliant, and so true for both characters. I love the dialogue in the film, and the preceding quote is one of my all time favorite lines in any movie. And it pretty much summed up the whole romance 'Different for Girls.'

I remember seeing 'Different' in the theater in 1997 (I'm shocked it was even shown here in ultra-conservative Phoenix, especially in that decade), as I am an avid Rupert Graves fan since 'Maurice.' And the first word of the title certainly fits. Yes, I was drawn to the film for the actor and content, but I had no idea how far off it was to what I expected. Now, watching it over 11 years later, I remember how much I loved it. The acting (especially Graves,) the complexity of the main characters (no one's cookie-cutter) and great music used makes this twist on an old love story unique. It also makes a great statement.

What better message does this movie convey – people can fall in love with people, no matter the gender, present or past. As per that quote, heterosexual Paul almost receives a kiss from post-op Kim. Leading up to this point, we've gathered that Kim (formally Karl) has been ruthlessly picked on during his childhood and he was always saved by white knight, Paul. Years pass, and a chance encounter brings back the childhood friends. A (no spoiler) spark ignites, and we see hot-head Paul trail humble, adjusting Kim around town. Some subplots (the film's only real downfall) develop and are mostly irrelevant, aside from a perverted police/court case that sums up the always down-on-his-luck (for obvious reasons) Paul and his need to redeem himself in saving his old pal.

Other than Kim's sister and place of employment sidebars, the movie is pretty straightforward. The "difference" is the message I already mentioned. True love knows no genders (or boundaries), and I wish more people would realize that. Paul's not in love with another man, or a man-turned-woman. He's in love with the person.