{"id":1585,"date":"2006-10-03T17:17:39","date_gmt":"2006-10-04T00:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1585"},"modified":"2021-01-26T00:04:23","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T07:04:23","slug":"christine-jorgensen-story-the-1970","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1585","title":{"rendered":"Christine Jorgensen Story, The (1970)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Operate on the brain, perform a lobotomy &#8212; fine! But take a pair of testicles and <em>everybody<\/em> explodes!&#8221; <\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Poster-196x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-19376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Poster-196x300.jpg 196w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Poster-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Poster-669x1024.jpg 669w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Poster.jpg 1921w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAs a child, George Jorgensen (Trent Lehman) feels compelled to dress in girls&#8217; clothing and play with dolls. His gender dysphoria becomes so acute as an adult that George (now played by John Hansen) travels to Denmark for a life-altering gender operation, and turns himself into &#8220;Christine&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Biopic<\/li>\n<li>Gender Bending<\/li>\n<li>Irving Rapper Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nBased on Christine Jorgensen&#8217;s autobiography, this biopic about the first widely publicized transgender operation is undeniably campy, but not nearly as bad or melodramatic as you would think. In fact, the film actually got good ratings in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1970\/07\/25\/archives\/screen-you-cant-win-em-all-proves-a-clichecollinsons-caper-film.html\"><em>New York Times<\/em><\/a> upon its release, with reviewer Roger Greenspun referring to it as a &#8220;quiet, even dignified little picture.&#8221; Christine&#8217;s solemn voice-over narration (&#8220;My father was wrong&#8230; For me, there were no tomorrows that weren&#8217;t filled with loneliness&#8221;) comes across as laughably stilted at times, but there&#8217;s no denying the sincerity behind her words. And while many of the scenes &#8212; Christine&#8217;s burgeoning romance with a journalist, for instance &#8212; don&#8217;t quite ring true, a surprising number (i.e., Christine&#8217;s interactions with her aunt) are poignant and heartfelt.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the real Christine Jorgensen, John Hansen isn&#8217;t lithe (or graceful) enough to pass as a woman, but he makes up for his physical limitations with a sympathetic performance. Unfortunately, the same can&#8217;t be said for Trent Lehman, the young actor playing George as a boy: his wooden acting (check out the forced, almost <em>evil<\/em>-looking smile on his face as he fondles a doll behind the Christmas tree!) shows why his movie career never took off. According to Jon C. Hopwood&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0430360\/bio\">bio of Jorgensen<\/a> on IMDb, Jorgensen &#8212; a Protestant &#8212; applied the ultimate &#8220;can do&#8221; attitude to her dilemma: because attraction to men <em>as<\/em> a man was unthinkable to George, he &#8220;made things right&#8221; by turning himself into a woman &#8212; thus, in an odd way, <em>conforming<\/em> to society&#8217;s norms and expectations. While I find this analysis intriguing, enough is known at this point about the origins of gender dysphoria to understand that George&#8217;s desire to be a woman ultimately stemmed from something much deeper than a desire simply to &#8220;fit in&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>John Hansen&#8217;s sensitive portrayal as George\/Christine<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"349\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66053\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen.jpg 636w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen-128x70.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen-492x270.jpg 492w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"347\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66056\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen2.jpg 628w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen2-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen2-128x71.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Hansen2-489x270.jpg 489w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Joan Tompkins as Christine&#8217;s understanding Danish aunt<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Aunt.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Aunt.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66052\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Aunt.jpg 636w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Aunt-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Aunt-128x69.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Aunt-499x270.jpg 499w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A sympathetic portrayal of gender dysphoria as a treatable, biological disorder<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Posters.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Posters.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"634\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66051\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Posters.jpg 634w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Posters-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Posters-128x69.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Posters-498x270.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A deliciously campy sensibility<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Imagery.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Imagery.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"635\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Imagery.jpg 635w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Imagery-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Imagery-128x69.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/Christine-Jorgensen-Imagery-498x270.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, simply for its status as a cult favorite. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cult Movie<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0065549\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1970\/07\/25\/archives\/screen-you-cant-win-em-all-proves-a-clichecollinsons-caper-film.html\">NY Times Original Review (scroll down to second review)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Operate on the brain, perform a lobotomy &#8212; fine! But take a pair of testicles and everybody explodes!&#8221; Synopsis: As a child, George Jorgensen (Trent Lehman) feels compelled to dress in girls&#8217; clothing and play with dolls. His gender dysphoria becomes so acute as an adult that George (now played by John Hansen) travels to Denmark for a life-altering gender operation, and turns himself into &#8220;Christine&#8221;. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Biopic Gender Bending Irving Rapper Films Review: Based on&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1585\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1585"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66057,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1585\/revisions\/66057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}