Monday, October 26, 2009

Talking "Millie"

When I heard that Joan was writing this movie, my first thought was: She'd better plan on a series, a la "Lord of the Rings" in triplicate! One has to hear just a few of Millie's stories to understand this observation. After all, Millie has metamorphosed so many times and survived more adventures than several people put together....

Seeing the movie, I got that Joan Sugerman, the Director, wanted to present the ultimate metamorphosis.....that of Millie crossing the gender line of no return, while hoping to retain the love of those close to her. How do you squeeze so much emotionally jarring material into one movie?

Millie showed remarkable bravery in committing her story not only to paper, but to allow it to be filmed as well. I am not surprised at this courage, because it's part of her character, and she is indeed a character, in every sense of the word!

I first met her after Lars, my partner of 12 years, and I had been dating for a while. To say that I felt intimidated understates my feelings at the time considerably. Let me explain....

First, Lars talked about HIS first introduction to Millie when she was still technically "Ernie";
to avoid confusion, however, I'll use the female references only. They were in the same Gay and Lesbian bowling league, and Millie had begun her transition in a big way, with denim mini-skirts and a bubble-gum pink bowling ball. (Maybe this scene can work its way into the next movie!) Anyway, she took no guff from anyone, and had so much manly strength, so to speak, that, Lars said, she could practically pitch the bowling ball down the alley.

For that matter, she STILL is strong. Millie has a collection of swords that King Arthur would envy, and wields them with admirable skill. She'll play the "demure female" when she finds it amusing, but since she's also a crack shot and drives like a NASCAR champ, such an image can only be carried so far.

Oh, yes.....Did I forget to mention that she tops 6 feet tall, WITHOUT heels?

Speaking of heels, I remember that she wore a pair of high-heeled boots with a skirt slit up the side when I first met her, and that she gamely folded herself into Lars' lowriding two-door vehicle, while I was wedged into the back. A lot of that day is fuzzy, but I know that I barely said a word, since she was, indeed, unlike anyone I had ever met before.

Until next time......

B.

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