Watch A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story For Free

I love this movie so much

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Captivating movie !

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Excellent depiction of the case of a teenage transsexual who was killed in California in 2002.Mercedes Ruehl is believable as a single mother struggling to cope with a son, who, from an early age, would rather wear a frilly pink dress and sleep with a Barbie doll than practice his baseball swing. One truly feels for her as she tries to understand a condition for which there is no parent's manual.The young actor who plays Eddie as a child is excellent, as is JD Pardo as the more grown-up Gwen. Corey Stoll also does well as an ex-Marine who is Gwen's first and only boyfriend. (Did he know, or not? In a discussion between Mrs. Araujo and her younger son, the film grapples with this question.) Directed by Polish-born Agnieszka Holland, whose own father died in police custody in her native Poland, this film is helpful in explaining how transsexualism can occur- - when a boy's sexual organs develop but masculinization of his brain never takes place.The action of this movie switches from courtroom scenes to flashbacks, and we gain some inkling into how societal prejudices may have had an effect on the verdicts. Two of Gwen's four assailants were convicted in the killing, but hate-crime charges weren't applied.This powerfully tragic story has taught me a lot.

I saw Gwen's story on Lifetime, and I was moved beyond words. I am not a trans gendered teen myself, however I hurt the way they do, only from hearing the horror stories, and seeing the pain. Honestly I cried like a baby during and after this movie, just because I saw how painful it can be to live as a trans gendered teen. As a 3rd party I don't know the whole story, however I do know that I am a proud trans gendered supporter, and I will continue to feel like a friend of Gwen in some ways. I would have loved to meet her, and in watching this movie I felt like we would have been friends, good friends! Congratualations to the family of Gwen, you should be very proud!

I am a Transwoman from Southwest Wisconsin and was glad to finally see the movie about Gwen. I changed my name legally from a male name to a female name in Sept. 2002. A short time later I learned about Gwen's murder. The 4 guys that did this should have been put to death! This is only my feeling but I'm sure that there are other Trans murders that have happened in the U.S. and none have gotten the coverage that Gwen's did but finally there is a movie about Trans People. In my home state there is a Hate Law but I don't think that there is strong enough sentences for Hate motivated crimes in this Country. There needs to be a Uniform Sentences & Laws that will help protect us whether you are Gay, Lesbian or Trans. After all we did not choose this life it was chosen for us! I wished that people were not so narrow-minded and just leave us alone but that will never happen. Thank You for Your Time, Ms. Brianna L. Rieck

6 stars out of 10 This film, based on a true story, tries hard, and it IS well told, but it is definitely NOT the best vehicle to carry the message of tolerance and acceptance.I have friends who are transsexuals, so I do know people who have dealt with this problem in their lives. None of them, however, ever tried to deceive others in regards to themselves. Also, all of them eventually had sex reassignment surgery - something that was never even mentioned in this film. Nor was hormone treatment even mentioned.So while I definitely have strong sympathy for transsexual people, Eddie's deceitfulness is not going to "win friends and influence people", as the old cliché goes.Of course it is horribly wrong to mistreat someone simply because they are somewhat different from the mainstream group, and it certainly is past time that kind of thinking ended.Nonetheless, there are also the realities of life, and Eddie/Gwen absolutely and totally refused to accept that. With Eddie/Gwen, it was "my way or the highway." This led him to a great deal of unnecessary suffering. A transsexual person can suffer enough without adding to their own woes.The mother does come to accept Eddie as Gwen, but makes the huge mistake of turning her back on a therapist who could have offered a great deal of help to both herself and Eddie/Gwen.How much more beneficial a film on this subject COULD have been if it had revolved around a character who was honest about himself---and tried to fit in, but was still discriminated against--now THAT kind of film could have possibly opened a few minds. As it is, many people who see this film aren't going to bother to look beyond Eddie's misrepresentation of himself to others.