A former security guard, Walt Koontz (Robert De Niro), experiences a severe stroke, and must begin physical therapy after leaving the hospital. Part of Walt's recovery program includes regaining his speech by taking singing lessons, and he gets paired with Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a vocal instructor and neighbor. Walt, however, is extremely homophobic, and Rusty is flamboyantly gay and awaiting gender reassignment surgery, so the two don't have an easy start to their relationship.
9. Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1985
In a prison cell somewhere in Latin America, two very different men warily confront each other. Molina (William Hurt) is first seen wrapping his head in a towel, in the shape of a turban, while Valentin (Raul Julia), bearded and classically macho in appearance, watches with a mixture of fascination and revulsion. During the time spent together, the two men come to understand and respect each other.
8. My Life in Pink, 1997
Seven-year-old Ludovic (Georges Du Fresne) announces to his startled parents, Pierre (Jean-Philippe Écoffey) and Hanna (Michèle Laroque), that he is in fact a girl. His parents first view his newfound taste for girls' clothes and toys as a harmless phase, but as other neighborhood parents grow concerned -- particularly Albert (Daniel Hanssens), Pierre's prudish boss and the father of Jerome (Julien Rivière), the boy Ludovic has decided he wants to marry -- they take steps to "cure" him.
7. Different for Girls, 1996
Kim Foyle (Steven Mackintosh) is a postoperative transvestite who values her well-structured lifestyle. That routine, however, is disturbed when a car accident reintroduces Kim to Paul Prentice (Rupert Graves). As youngsters in Catholic school, they excelled in making trouble, a talent Paul never outgrew. Paul does not recognize Kim as his childhood pal, and she does not remind him, fearing rejection. However, a budding romance between them is complicated when Paul realizes who Kim used to be.
6. Breakfast on Pluto, 2005
As a baby, Patrick (Cillian Murphy) is left by his mother on the steps of the rectory in their small Irish town. He's discovered by Father Liam (Liam Neeson), coincidentally his real father, and placed in an abusive foster home. By the time he's a teen, Patrick identifies himself as transgendered, renames himself Kitten and sets out for London with a rock group in hopes of finding his mother. Along the way he works variously as a magician's assistant, a prostitute and a dancer.
5. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 2001
A German emigrant living in a trailer in Kansas is the victim of a botched sex-change operation. Adapted from the critically acclaimed off-Broadway rock theater hit, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" tells the story of the "internationally ignored" rock singer, Hedwig, and her search for stardom and love.
4. Dog Day Afternoon, 1975
When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage situation develops. As Sonny and his accomplice, Sal Naturile (John Cazale), try desperately to remain in control, a media circus develops and the FBI arrives, creating even more tension. Gradually, Sonny's surprising motivations behind the robbery are revealed, and his standoff with law enforcement moves toward its inevitable end.
3. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994
When drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) agrees to take his act on the road, he invites fellow cross-dresser Adam (Guy Pearce) and transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to come along. In their colorful bus, named Priscilla, the three performers travel across the Australian desert performing for enthusiastic crowds and homophobic locals. But when the other two performers learn the truth about why Anthony took the job, it threatens their act and their friendship.
2. Transamerica, 2005
Right in the midst of important changes in her life, Bree Osborne (Felicity Huffman) learns that she fathered a son, Toby (Kevin Zegers), 17 years ago. Bailing him out of jail in New York, Bree poses as a Christian missionary. She plans to take Toby to his stepfather's house, but when she learns that the stepfather sexually abused the boy, Bree brings her son back to Los Angeles with her. As Toby begins to fall for Bree, she must find a way to reveal who she really is.
1. Boys Don't Cry, 1999
Young female-to-male transgender Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) leaves his hometown under threat when his ex-girlfriend's brother discovers that he's biologically female. Resettling in the small town of Falls City, Nebraska, Brandon falls for Lana (Chloë Sevigny), an aspiring singer, and begins to plan for their future together. But when her ex-convict friends, John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Tom (Brendan Sexton III), learn Brandon's secret, things change very quickly.
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