Tootsie
This is probably a review I don’t have to do, as Tootsie is iconic for many of us. I know I grew up with this movie, as well as “Mr. Mom” and others of that ilk.
Regardless, since I just recently saw it again I am going to review it for you all.
In 1982 we were just starting to feel “Reaganomics” and find that the economy wasn’t exactly what we wanted it to be. People weren’t finding they had more money, just that they had more taxes and less jobs than before.
Tootsie Movie Poster
Michael Dorsey (played brilliantly by Dustin Hoffman) was living just at the edge of his means and he and his roommate Jeff Slater (Bill Murray) wanted to put on and produce a show that Jeff had written. Unfortunately without work, there was no way to get funding to produce this epic.
Into this mixture we throw Michael’s girlfriend and student, Sandy Lester (Teri Garr), who decided to go and audition for a TV Soap Opera called Southwest General, a direct parody of the real soap General Hospital. Because Michael needs work himself, he goes down as a female character, just to see if he could land the role. To his surprise and the shock of his agent the female character he invents to audition, Dorothy Michaels gets the role of Emily Kimberly on the show.
Yeah, it gets confusing.
Hilarity ensues and everyone has a good time. Most people get what they want, and Dorothy even gets proposed to by the father of her co-star on the soap. Finally to get out of the contract that has been picked up, forcing Michael to be Dorothy for another five years, Michael reveals that he’s a man on live TV.
Most of this movie is a huge romp of fun. There are many situations the characters are thrust into that demand that Dorothy take a back-seat and be a “good girl” which she categorically says “no” to, being the strong woman role model. She doesn’t let men kiss her just because they can, nor does she tell people to be good little meek girls when they are abused.
I have to say the costumes in this movie for Dorothy are excellent. I love the red sequined gown that is most often found on the front of the video. All of the costumes are modest, showing very little below her neck except her hands. But I have to say that the outfits fly by as you watch Dustin playing a female role.
I was somewhat miffed to see how he treated this gender-bending role. His actions and mannerisms, while female, are those of an uptight prude, who, while she respects herself, doesn’t wish to be a peacock for the men. I had the impression that she was uncomfortable being seen as a female, and as a result came across as hard as steel to deflect the soft femininity that Dorothy was supposed to have.
It is a comedy, make no mistake. For that reason I’m willing to give it a bit of credit and not grade it too harshly. There is very little time spent on introspection, although Michael does have several scenes where he has problems treating Dorothy as a separate person.
If you want to laugh and have a good time, then this should definitely be on your NetFlix list.
Joy Gives It: 
Mini-Biography: Joy is a transvestite who has been using her stories as a form of therapy. At this point she has no desire to undergo the full transition, but that might change some day. Read more about her story at My Story on this site. 
