Elle Fanning Takes On Role Of Transgender Teen In ‘About Ray’ Trailer
Elle Fanning’s career has featured her taking on roles that usually feature her as some kind of princess or pretty little girl. That is why Elle Fanning’s new role is such a departure from what her fans are used to seeing. Elle is also making sure that she’s stepping out, once and for all from under the shadow of her also famous sister, Dakota Fanning.
Elle Fanning is doing all this thanks to the arrival of the first trailer for her new project called About Ray. The film centers around Elle Fanning’s character who was born with girl parts, but realizes as she enters adolescence that she is actually a boy. The character starts off as Ramona but as the trailer unfolds we see the transition to Ray.
About Ray is not only starring Elle Fanning, but it will also feature Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon. Watts will play Elle Fanning’s lesbian mother, and Sarandon plays her grandmother. Clearly this film is looking to take on quite a few issues that are facing American families today. Elle Fanning looks like she’s handling the role quite well in what certainly has to be the most dramatic turn she’s ever taken.
The first trailer for About Ray not only shows how Ramona/Ray goes through the realization that the sex the teen was born into isn’t the sex the actress’ character feels most comfortable as. The role is further muddied by the fact that her family clearly wants to support their loved one but they don’t really understand about the transition that is going on. Sarandon’s character certainly understands the idea but has problems coming to grips with Ramona wanting to be Ray rather than just being a homosexual like her.
In this regard, About Ray not only covers the issues that a transgender person faces in this day and age. Not only must the character deal with the regular old biases that transgender people have to deal with, but also biases we may not see on a regular basis coming from some in the homosexual community towards transgender individuals. This film shows the kinds of struggles that people like Kaitlyn Jenner is dealing with in real life and gives viewers a look at struggles that are just starting to be talked about with a bit more regularity. Check out the new trailer starring Elle Fanning in About Ray and tell us what you think of this brief glimpse.
[Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co]
