Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Close to You is a drama about Sam (Elliot Page), a trans man who walked away from his family four years prior to rebuild his life. When he gets an invitation to attend his father’s birthday, he decides to go. On the train ride from Toronto to the suburbs, he runs into Katherine (Hillary Baack), a high school friend, and they begin talking. Kathrine tells him that she’s now married and has children, and that she works in a coffee shop. Sam mentions that he’s going home to attend a birthday party for his father, who always liked her. They hold hands and emotions begin to surface.
When the train pulls into the station, Sam asks if they can get together. Katherine hesitantly says that between her husband, work, and the kids, she doesn’t have time.
When Sam arrives at his parents’ house, he’s greeted by his mother, Miriam (Wendy Crewson), and his siblings. Although it’s been four years, it’s obvious that Miriam is still processing Sam’s transition. On the other hand, Sam’s father, Jim (Peter Outerbridge), has no issues calling Sam his son and treating him with respect. And while Sam’s brother, Michael (Daniel Maslany), and sisters, Kate (Janet Porter) and Megan (Alex Paxton-Beesley), are accepting of Sam, his brother-in-law, Paul (David Reale), isn’t.
As Sam processes the tensions from his visit, he runs into Katherine on the street. They begin talking again and then start spending time together. And with that, the drama begins.
Some Thoughts:
While Close to You does a good job laying out the story without being preachy or heavy handed, it often feels as if it’s only scratching the surface. The different interactions with each family member seem realistic, especially when Paul tries to cause problems while all the family members are present. The film also covers the spectrum of acceptance, but unfortunately, we never get the full picture because it doesn’t focus on any specific relationship. Instead, it tries to cover them all, which waters the down the story.
While the emotions between Sam and Katherine feel sincere, we never find out enough about their past relationship to fully understand where they come from. Were they friends or lovers in high school? Did Sam come out to her as trans? We can only assume she knew because they never discuss it, but how did she find out and how did she react? And on top of that, why would she be willing to leave her husband and children for him? While not knowing anything about their past doesn’t ruin the film, it holds it back from living up to its full potential.
Despite Sam being the main character, the story of Sam and Katherine never feels connected to that of Sam and his family. Because of this, it feels like two different movies.
The Final Verdict:
Close to You is a well-acted and visually appealing film that suffers from a script that lacks focus. Despite that, it’s still worth your time.
