More than 30 years ago Emilia Perez It has become a top awards contender, and a different film featuring a lead trans character has sparked debate and Oscar interest. Writer-director Neil Jordan’s 1992 drama Crying game The film revolves around Jody (Forest Whitaker), a British soldier who is taken hostage by the Irish Republican Army before befriending one of his captors, Fergus (Stephen Rea). Later, Fergus hides out in Judy’s world and develops a relationship with Judy’s partner, Dale (newcomer Jay Davidson), who is revealed to be a transgender woman.
Irish-born Jordan and his team initially sought a woman to play Dale until model Davidson was discovered at a party. Crying game It was not a huge success in the United Kingdom, but when Miramax released it in the United States on November 25, 1992, with clever marketing that kept Dale’s identity as a trans woman a secret, the film grossed $62 million ($140 million today). Plus six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Supporting Actor for Davidson. said Jerry Rich, former Miramax executive THR“We called journalist after journalist and convinced them that the world did not want to know the ending of the film. It was all about showmanship, publicity, and making the film feel eventful.
During a 2017 panel discussion, Jordan noted that political themes made the film more difficult to sell in the United Kingdom, while Americans were more focused on “gender issues.” At the same event, Davidson – who appeared in one other film before retiring from acting – was confident Crying game He could find success under Trump: “There are always smart, interesting people in any community, and they will appeal to them, regardless of who is president.”
This story appeared in the January 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
