3 Generations (2015)

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3 Generations (2015), directed by Gabby Dellal and written by Gabby Dellal and Nikole Beckwith, is a film that attempts to show how one teenager’s gender dysphoria and transition impacts not only himself, but also those around him.  Ray (Elle Fanning) is a 16-year old female to male (FTM) who is trying to convince his family to let him start testosterone therapy.  Ray lives in New York City with his single mother, his grandmother, and his grandmother’s girlfriend.  Ray has transitioned to the point of wearing male clothing and having a traditionally male haircut, but still struggles with severe body dysphoria.  Ray’s mother, Maggie (Naomi Watts), is trying to be supportive while at the same time mourning the loss of her daughter.  Ray’s grandmother, Dolly (Susan Sarandon) loves her grandchild but struggles to understand Ray’s desire to transition to a male.  “Why can’t she just be a lesbian?” she asks, absentmindedly.  As an old school feminist/lesbian herself she has trouble grasping Ray’s gender dysphoria and tries to relegate Ray’s internal struggle to something she can understand.

Ray’s demeanor makes it clear that his gender dysphoria is significantly impacting his mental health.  Ray perseverates on his female body and counts down the days until he can start testosterone therapy.  He never really feels whole and is constantly depressed, which affects his relationships with both his mother and grandmother.  Ray is, for the most part, accepted by his peers but there are moments where Ray is triggered by things that his friends say and do without even realizing it.  In one instance, one of Ray’s friends that he happens to have a crush on, comes to check on Ray after Ray is mugged.  She makes a comment that she can’t believe that a guy would beat up a girl like that.  Ray realizes that the outside world still doesn’t see him as a boy and becomes convinced more than ever before that testosterone therapy will be his fresh start.

The family visits a doctor to discuss testosterone therapy and is given an information pamphlet and a parental consent form to complete before their next appointment and before testosterone injections can begin.  Ray’s mother, Maggie, quickly realizes that Ray’s father has to sign the consent form, as well.  This complicates things as Ray’s father has never been in the picture.  Maggie goes through her own internal struggle trying to decide whether or not to track down Ray’s father, Craig (Tate Donovan), to get his signature or just wait for testosterone until Ray turns 18 and can consent for himself.  She ends up tracking him down and discovering that he has remarried and has 3 young children.  When she tells him about Ray and the consent form, he refuses to sign it because he doesn’t know if he agrees with Ray becoming Ray.  He wonders if Ray’s gender dysphoria is related to him being absent and if he can do anything to “fix” Ray.  This upsets Ray’s mother who claims that there is nothing to fix before storming off.

Maggie doesn’t tell Ray about the complication with his father for some time, trying to figure out an alternative way to obtain the consent as she doesn’t want to burden Ray anymore.  But as the weeks whittle down to days, she must tell Ray what is going on.  When Ray finds out that he won’t be able to get testosterone because his father won’t consent, he tracks down and confronts his father himself.  He is thrown into a situation that throws a lot at him at once as he meets his father’s new family and gains knowledge as to why his father left him and his mother in the first place.  At the same time, he tries to prove himself to his father and show him that he is who he is and that there is nothing to “fix” so that his father will sign the consent form.  Ray’s mother and grandmothers track Ray down at his father’s house and twists and turns ensue.

Ray’s father ultimately signs the consent form and tells Ray he wants to be a part of his life.  Ray’s demeanor totally changes and for the first time in the entire film, Ray is happy and smiling.  Seeing this, Ray’s mother realizes she has made the right decision in supporting her son and Ray’s grandmother also apologizes for her previous comments and tells Ray she loves him for who he is.  Ray is able to start testosterone therapy with the support of his family, which has expanded now with the addition of his father and his younger siblings.  Ray will finally be given the chance to feel comfortable in his own skin and start the next chapter of his life.