Sometimes a film is for the community it focuses on and sometimes it is more for those around them, the potential allies or maybe even those who just need an education. While the road trip itself may have been specifically for Will and Harper and their personal journey as long time friends, the documentary of that trip feels like it's for the cis world ready (or not so ready) to learn a little bit of what life for a trans woman is like. Perhaps other trans people will watch this and feel some sort of connection to the friends and loved ones in their lives which have stuck by them. That's not for me to say. But as a cis person who has a number of trans people in my life I love, there was much about watching Will & Harper that spoke to me and reminded me of my responsibilities to them.
Will & Harper is a bit of a weird story in that it follows a very famous white cis man as he crosses the country with his good friend, a trans woman, who has recently transitioned later in life. There are conversations and moments that clearly are about Will slowly coming to better understand his friend and her experience and learning about how to be better in supporting her. Despite how clearly he loves her and how much he wants to support her, he still has so much learning to do and makes many mistakes. And so much of the film reminded me of my own fumbles in trying to do better and how much we all can be doing for the trans people in our lives we love. Or maybe, for those who don't have trans people (they know of) in their lives, for their trans neighbours.
Will & Harper is sensitively done, adding in as much good natured humour as possible and keeping much of the most disturbing transphobia at bay. It doesn't ignore it, but it doesn't focus on it. Instead Will, and the film (in what it chooses to share with us), is modelling how to be a better cis-person. Harper is very candid with some difficult things and she is doing much of the heavy lifting here making herself vulnerable for the benefit of the generally non-trans audience watching the film. This is a wake up call and we need to answer by taking the lessons and doing better once we know better.
I can't offer a trans perspective on this film. That is for someone else to do. What I can say as a cis person who also wants to do better, is how much I appreciated her putting this out there into the world and how her friends and family around her model how to be just a little better. Thank you Harper Steele for offering up this experience so that so many of us can learn a little bit more and perhaps make this world a bit safer and a bit more loving.
Will & Harper
Starring: Will Farrell, Harper Steele
Director: Josh Greenbaum
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