Expressions hosts "From This Day Forward"
Moving portrayal of an American family coping with transformation
by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief
With her own wedding just around the corner, filmmaker Sharon Shattuck returns home to examine the mystery at the heart of her upbringing: How her transgender father, Trisha and her straight-identified mother, Marcia stayed together against all odds.
From This Day Forward is a film which portrays an American family coping with the most intimate of transformations. It will be shown at Expressions Community Center on November 19 at 7 p.m. in honor of Transgender Awareness Month.
“We were contacted by a group that was promoting From This Day Forward trying to get this movie seen at a community level,” said Pastor Neill Coffman of Expressions. “They were contacting LGBTQ welcoming congregations across the country to see if any would be interested in hosting the documentary. We were one of the churches chosen. Last year we hosted the viewing of Lady Valor for Transgender Awareness Month, so it just seemed natural to show this at the same time this year.”
Coffman said he thinks on the surface the film shows the complexity of a family who has a loved one coming out as transgender.
“Just as much as the documentary is about that, I think it is also very much a movie about relationships within a family,” added Coffman. “What can be more real than that? It may not be everyone’s reality, but it is definitely this family’s reality. Whether you agree with everything you see, I think the viewers will see a family who, at times, are at odds with each other, who sacrifice for each other, and ultimately love each other.”
In a release, filmmaker/director Shattuck said, “When I was growing up, there were no families that looked like mine on TV or in the movies. I would watch Full House or Family Matters and daydream about what life would be like if I had a normal family, where my mom would pack me lunches, and my dad would come home from work in a suit and tie. What I didn’t realize at the time is that no one really has a normal family—mine just stuck out a bit more than most.
“Growing up with a transgender parent was challenging for my sister and me, mostly because we cared so much what our friends and neighbors thought. But as we got older, we realized that in our small town, everyone knew about Trisha. Though some townsfolk shunned us (and still do to this day), our close friends didn’t care—and that made all the difference.”
The film will show on Nov. 19th at 7 p.m. at Expressions Church located at 2245 NW 39th in Oklahoma City. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Copyright 2016 The Gayly – November 7, 2016 @ 11 a.m.