The French film Tomboy thoroughly explores gender identity and nonconformity through the eyes of young Mickael. The movie begins with the move of his family to a new town one summer. It is soon found that Mickael is gender non-conforming. He was born as Laure, and is still addressed by this name and as a girl at home. As he introduces himself to new friends, Mickael chooses this name and presents himself as a boy. At the climax of the film, Mickael’s struggles with gender identity as they relate to his relationships with family and friends come to a head, and this consequently reveals stigma around gender expression that is still present in society.
In an interview with the film’s director, a deeper meaning behind its title is revealed. The phrase for “tomboy” in French is “garçon manqué”, which when translated directly back to English means “failed boy”. This phrase has a strong negative connotation, and its use is not only offensive, but a large setback for trans and gender-nonconforming communities. One of Tomboy‘s main messages appears to be the de-stigmatization of gender nonconformity, which is done by the assurance Mickael has in his identity at a young age. With this, even the film’s title in French is Tomboy. Tomboy in English holds a much less negative connotation, as it solely refers to a girl that does not conform to gender stereotypes. While Mickael does not identify as a girl, the English version of the word is more fitting for his story, as he is not a “failed boy”, but someone who is confident in their gender expression and identity.
The class’s week four lectures further discussed this film, and brought up topics such as performatives and gender normativity. While gender normativity refers to the stereotypes that society has for males and females, performatives are an explanation for why they have arisen. They are things that are commonly witnessed in society, and are consequently mindlessly upheld and seen as the norm. An example of this within Tomboy is Mickael’s style. He chooses to wear baggier clothes as it makes him feel more masculine, and is forced to wear a pink dress by his mother once she learns that he has identified himself as a boy to his friends. I saw the representation of style as a parallel to society’s common misconceptions about gender. There are many people who choose to dress outside of their self identified gender’s stereotypes simply out of personal preference and comfort. Within Tomboy, the abusive utilization of gender stereotypes by Mickael’s mother in an attempt to Mickael’s identity emphasized that while style is often an important part of gender expression, it is not the only part. Additionally, with this, the movie conveyed that one’s own gender identity is just that, something they decide on their own.