
Synopsis/Details
All Accolades & Coverage
COVERAGE INK
OVERALL
DANNI KALIFORNIA energetic script that does well in putting the protagonist’s journey at the core of the narrative. While there are some intriguing shades of movies like BOYS DON’T CRY, ANIMAL FACTORY, and BOOGIE NIGHTS, the script never completely falls in line with a particular genre and instead chooses to follow its manic and constantly evolving protagonist. This decision allows for a dynamic movie in the style of something more profound in a three act structure.
While the structure feels solid and the overall story works, the script could use a shuffle with regard to where certain scenes occur in order to make the journey more effective.
With that said, this is a great effort that never struggles to find its identity. Let’s crack it open and see how it can be made even better…
NICHOLLS COMMENTS:
The premise for Danni-XY Kalifornia was interesting - a young man feels he is in the wrong body and is bullied for his difference. He shoots his abuser and goes to prison. When he gets out he becomes a well-know alternative porn star. Danny/Danni was a mostly likable protagonist - he struggles with his identity, isn’t supported by his father and has to learn how to protect himself/herself.
Overall, the script does a good job addressing a very difficult subject matter and exposes the prejudice and abuse of being trans-gender in the mid 1980’s. This is a timely, topical script with some important subject matter. And I think the script does a really solid job of conveying the struggles of Danny’s childhood before he realizes he’s trans-gender.
Structurally I think the story works pretty well. There’s a solid shape here and looking back at the narrative everything fits together pretty well, even though it feels like it’s broken into three episodic sections — childhood, prison, and porn.
Thematically there’s a lot of nice work done on trans-gender awareness, identity struggle and anti-trans sentiment. The voice is engaging and the world feels well-realized and mostly grounded. Each character has a unique voice. The description is clear and it’s easy to visualize the settings and characters. There’s definitely something here.