Will & Harper: A celebrity introduces a transgender friend.

 Will Ferrell is not my favorite actor, but we never really know the person behind the screen role.  This role could not have been anticipated by him, but the necessary friendship had been established a few decades previously.  An early step in Will's career was with Saturday Night Live and Andrew Steele was the head comedy writer.  They became friends.

A few years later Andrew decided he had been hiding his true self long enough and in his sixties he took the step of transitioning to her, Harper, a trans woman.  If the thought of transgenders makes you queasy you really should see "Will & Harper" (2024).  There were of course physical adjustments, but also social adjustments.  We see her with unkempt hair, female dress and a natural male voice.  Harper meets another transgender who had tried to change her voice, but then decided she was ok with his natural voice.

During the film we meet his two children who are very young adults who more than accepted him.  Later on we meet his sister in Iowa who admitted she was surprised, but had quickly accepted and hosted the two on their trip.  They met a variety of people, most accepting of a transgender, some a little perhaps uncomfortable and they received very derogatory emails.  A big surprise was meeting the Governor of Indiana, Eric Holcomb who we learn had supported anti transgender laws.  However he was  anxious to have his photo taken with Will Ferrell and got what he wanted.

Will Ferrel was in some ways like the rest of us, curious and felt he could question diplomatically.  So the viewer might learn a few things.  One contact was with a retired therapist who recalled about 20 years previous she had a patient who was questioning his sexual identity. She admitted at that time she was close minded.

Will Ferrell admitted that he was actually a modest person, but when it comes to comedy "whatever it takes".  His celebrity is encountered everywhere and often he likes to disguise himself a bit to avoid detracting from Harper, but on some occasions his fame smoothed the situation. 

I have actually seen a few Will Ferrell films such as  "The Producers" (2005), "Stranger than Fiction" (2006), "Everything Must Go" (2011), "Spirited" (2022) and "Barbie" (2023).  I have also seen a few of the films he produced.  I will be a little more disposed to watch others when the opportunity presents itself.   

Tina Fey I do like and she appears in a few scenes.  Some of her films include "Date Night" (2010),  "This is Where i Leave you" (2013) and "Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot" (2016).  

Kristen Wiig is asked to come up with a theme song. Toward the end credits we see a performance of the song. 

All movies have some effect on me--some I wish they hadn't ended, others I am glad.  This was different.  My contact with transgenders is almost non existent except on television or films.  Transgenders have become a political issue, but I now feel they should be a social and medical issue.

Will and Harper had been anxious that "Will & Harper" be released before the American election.  Trump has mocked transgenders and tried to suggest he would try to make them disappear.  There has been an effort to deflect by objecting  only to childhood transitions, but his Evangelical  backers object to the whole notion.  Will Ferrell is dismissed by Trumpers  as a "Hollywood liberal".  The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival and has been released on Netflix. 

We live in an ever changing world, that is hard to understand.  Greater understanding is what we need to survive.  This film takes a step to help understand transgenders.  For me I picked up more respect for Will Ferrell.  It may help you feel more comfortable.

An earlier acquaintance was with a fictional film that really dealt with the core of transgenders and is not only mind opening, but enjoyable.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/01/chandigarh-kare-aashiqui-another-social.html