Transamerica Review

Messages: This film encourages viewers to be more sensitive to people who are different. It shows how destructive judgmental parents can be to children's mental health. It also encourages a more realistic understanding of family -- that it's messy and complicated -- but still valuable.

Role models: Despite her initial hesitations, Bree takes responsibility for her son, as difficult as it is. She struggles with revealing the truth, but tries her best to take care of him nevertheless. Her strength despite her immense discomfort in the world is admirable. The teen boy is clearly not a role model, but the film makes that clear.

Violence: Several fistfights and punches. Indication of previous sexual abuse.

Sex: Discusses genitals regularly, and features brief, nonsexual glimpses of both male and female body parts. One brief scene where a teen boy solicits sex with a trucker -- nothing graphic shown, but it's clear what's going on. In another scene the teen boy unwittingly comes on to Bree and we see his naked body from behind. In another brief scene the teen is in a porn film and gets manipulated just slightly off screen in a matter-of-fact manner.

Language: Infrequent cursing, but everything from "f--k" to "bitch" pops up a few times.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: The teen boy smokes cigarettes, drinks alcohol, and uses drugs (snorts a powder) several times, though adults discourage this. In the end, Bree chooses to give her son a beer.