Southern Comfort

• Director: Kate Davis
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Culture & Society
• Movie Type: Biography, Social Issues
• Themes: Battling Illness
• Release Year: 2001
• Country: US
• Run Time: 90 minutes

Plot

Kate Davis' digitally shot documentary chronicles the last year in the life of Robert Eads, a female-to-male transsexual dying of terminal ovarian cancer in the backwoods of rural Georgia. Broken up into seasons, the feature introduces viewers to a community of transsexual persons (many of whom have received poor medical care), including Maxwell, Robert's best friend and sparring partner, and Lola Cola, a male-to-female transsexual who has become Robert's life partner after a lengthy friendship. Often regarded as the patriarch of this small but tight clan, Robert finds that his cancer is accelerating; his loved ones all lend support, including his son, his parents, and his beloved granddaughter. When Robert can no longer care for himself, Lola decides to care for him full-time. The two prepare for the annual Southern Comfort conference, a yearly event created for transgendered individuals, where Robert and Lola have been selected to lead a panel, all while Robert's health is in jeopardy. Robert's final wish is granted when he is able to attend the event, joined by his nearest and dearest friends and Lola, his devoted lover. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide

Review

Kate Davis' remarkable, emotionally searing documentary earns its place as one of the strongest documentaries at the turn of the century not only because of its astute look at an underrepresented subculture, but in its open-hearted, utterly warm view of the subject. Using a formalist but heartfelt approach, Davis finds true intimacy with Robert Eads, introducing audiences to a fascinating and layered individual who sticks in the memory because of his sheer decency as a human being. More than being a chronicle of the injustices levied upon transsexuals -- who face discrimination and unfair medical treatment -- the film has a refreshing sense of honesty about Southern lifestyles and prejudice. It never succumbs to cheap sentimentality to get the viewer to empathize with the people portrayed. A fiercely intelligent filmmaker, Davis lets all of her work's extraordinary moments speak for themselves, and as a result, the film has an undeniable staying power; one feels better for having spent time with all the people onscreen. In a wonderful victory, Davis deservedly won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary feature at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide

Cast

Robert Eads; Lola Cola; Maxwell Scott Anderson

Credit

Kate Davis - Director, Kate Davis - Editor, Sheila Nevins - Executive Producer, Joel Harrison - Composer (Music Score), Kate Davis - Cinematographer, Kate Davis - Producer, Elizabeth Adams - Producer, Nancy Abraham - Supervising Producer

Similar Movies

Scout's Honor; Venus of Mars; Paris is Burning; No Distance Too Far; Georgie Girl

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southern comfort