Tudo é Possível

I've been watching coming of what age movies since I was coming of age in the 1970s. This is a very nice addition to the genre with the typical best friend breakup, shifting allegiances, etc., of high school dramas seen through more tolerant, but still fraught, gender issues of today. Richie Cunningham never had to deal with such things.

I'm a substitute teacher in southwest Ohio bouncing from rural to urban schools, and if you don't think that there are LGBTQ kids in your school you're mistaken.

The actors are young and charming and the city of Pittsburgh looks great. Although as a native Pittsburgh I know those characters are on the wrong bus to get to their destinations! Look for the Billy Porter (the director) mural and stay for the High School Musical inspired closing credits.

IN A NUTSHELL: This modern Gen Z coming-of-age story shines a spotlight on Kelsa, a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through her senior year and romance. Two-time Tony Award winner Billy Porter directed the movie. He was most recently featured as a trans "Fabulous Godmother" in Amazon's Cinderella in 2021.

THINGS I LIKED: I had never seen Eva Reign in anything before. She definitely has charisma and does an outstanding job representing the trans world.

This is probably the first time we've ever seen a trans-girl in a high school romance being featured in a film, right? Can you think of others?

Others in the cast include Abubakr Ali, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Simon Joy Jones, and Kelly Lamor Wilson.

There is some humor but a lot of awkward moments.

Keep watching during the final credits for a little dance number by the cast.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: People argue about how woke they are.

The protagonist gets super upset that everyone puts so much emphasis on sex and gender, yet she wears super sexy clothing in every scene.

There's not a lot of depth to the characters in the sense that we don't get to learn that much about them, only offering surface-level discussions.

Similarly, the movie touches on various subjects like gender bathrooms and society's stereotypes but doesn't dive much deeper into the subjects.

All of the teenagers are super self-absorbed, but then again, that's how teenagers generally are.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Crude conversations Some profanity and F-bomb Teenage bullying A transvestite makes out with a guy many times We see a shirtless teenage boy Teens drink alcohol at a party Two teenage boys get into a fist fight

THEMES: Gender identity Teenage/high school life Identity Acceptance Friendship Social media Kindness Courage Romance Discrimination Single motherhood Seeing people for who and what they are Gen Z life and perspective Morally superiority and virtue signaling

Anything's Possible is a cute young adult film. I think that it has some strengths like the cinematography, the storyline, and the costume design yet the acting falls a little flat for the main characters. Sometimes the lines would be delivered too flat and sounded amateurish. Overall it doesn't distract from too much of the film. I like Billy Porter's direction with the film and thought he tried to show a new type of romance involving a trans teenager and her life. I think the conflict was somewhat realistic but was wrapped up too quickly. I think the movie wanted to be wholesome yet dramatic but it came off as rushed. Long story short, decent film for those who love young adult romance.

You can tell some really hard work went into this picture and the actors gave it their all. Glad i was able to watch it because I learned some things that I didn't know before. No excuse to blame mainstream society for not covering your community; make a movie on your own terms!

This film was well written, interesting, thoughtfully directed, and competently acted. A variety of high school issues are intelligently explored, and it's enjoyable to see the characters explore them. The movie is well-paced and an appropriate length. It successfully achieves the emotional commitment of its viewers, especially when depicting the living relationship between Kelsa and her mother. I look forward to seeing more from new director Billy Porter in the future!