Tomboy (2011)
90%RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: 10 wins & 6 nominations
Tomboy, the second film by director Celine Sciamma, is a poignant and nuanced exploration of childhood, gender identity, and self-acceptance. With stunning performances from its young cast, particularly Zoé Héran as the androgynous Laure, the film captures the fleeting moments of childhood innocence before the harsh realities of the world come crashing in. Sciamma’s direction is precise and observant, never preachy or heavy-handed, and she deftly weaves in allusions to gender roles and societal expectations. While some may find fault with the rushed third act, Tomboy remains a powerful and moving coming-of-age portrait that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.
Tomboy is a film that will make you laugh, cry, and question your own childhood memories. With a stunning performance by Zoé Héran, this coming-of-age story about gender identity is both subtle and emotional. It’s like getting a backstage pass to a childhood paradise, but with a twist. The film’s natural and believable performances from its adolescent cast will leave you feeling moved and inspired. And while the third act may be a bit rushed, it doesn’t take away from the film’s ample goodwill. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Seine-et- Marne, France
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):French
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Country of origin:France
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Nov 6, 2012
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Tomboy, drama, French-Canadian, 10-year-old girl, gender identity, childhood, coming-of-age, family, friendship, acceptance, gender roles, emotional, heartwarming, charming, natural performances, rogynous, non-binary, trans, Zoé Héran, Malonn Lévana, Sophie Cattani, Mathieu Demy, Jeanne Disson, Yohan Vero, directed by Céline Sciamma, written by Céline Sciamma, produced by Bénédicte Couvreur, reviewed by Chris Chang, Stanley Kauffmann, Jon Frosch, Joe Williams, J.R Jones, Brian Tallerico, Dustin Chang, Bianca Garner, Yasser Medina, David Lamble, Ian Thomas Malone, genre: drama, box office: $113.8K, MPAA rating: not rated
Worldwide gross: $1,437,501
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,892,467
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,430
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 206,376
US/Canada gross: $129,834
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $170,926
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,574
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,078
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $9,318
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,719
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): 1000000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $1,316,498
Production budget ranking: 2,065
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $708,934
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$132,965
ROI to date (est.): -7%
ROI ranking: 1,428
Malonn Lévana – Jeanne
Sophie Cattani – Mother
Mathieu Demy – Father
Jeanne Disson – Lisa
Yohan Vero – Vince
Director(s)
Céline Sciamma
Writer(s)
Céline Sciamma, Céline Sciamma
Producer(s)
Bénédicte Couvreur
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
10 wins & 6 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (70) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (67) | Rotten (3)
Since we are dealing with fresh-faced tweens, we are spared the gender histrionics to be found in the likes of The Crying Game or Boys Don’t Cry. Those are indeed bigger films. But sometimes small things can pay off quite nicely.
November 5, 2013
Chris Chang
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Tomboy is a lovely reminder that the French have long been famous for a quite different sort of film-about children.
June 19, 2013
Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Brisk, precisely observed, and bracingly non-preachy in its examination of a very tricky subject.
March 7, 2012
Jon Frosch
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
Writer and director Celine Sciamma adorns the thorny dilemma with resonant allusions to gender roles…
January 27, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Modestly conceived and executed.
January 26, 2012
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The film’s greatest accomplishment is writer/director Celine Sciamma’s stunning ability to draw natural, believable performances from her adolescent cast, who never hit a false note in this moving film.
January 26, 2012 | Rating: 4.0/5.0
Brian Tallerico
HollywoodChicago.com
TOP CRITIC
As with her debut, Celine Sciamma has a knack for getting amazing performances out of her young actors. Particularly, Zoé Héran is a revelation. Her portrayal of a confused child (not of her sexuality but the sexual politics) is touching and deeply felt.
March 21, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
Featuring an excellent and stunning performance by Zoé Héran, Tomboy is a film that needs to be seen by as many people as possible.
February 3, 2021
Bianca Garner
In Their Own League
‘Tomboy’, Céline Sciamma’s second film as a director, to me seems as a subtle and very emotional coming-of-age portrait of childhood, self-acceptance and gender identity. [Full review in Spanish]
January 9, 2021 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
Observing Laure (the impeccably androgynous Zoe Heran) interact with her loving parents and sassy but thoroughly feminine kid sister is getting a privileged, all-access pass to a childhood paradise immediately before the loss of innocence…
June 10, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Tomboy falls apart when it comes time to deal with the stakes at hand, an irresponsibly rushed third act that squanders the film’s ample goodwill.
May 9, 2020
Ian Thomas Malone
Ian Thomas Malone
For much of the film, Mikhael is prevailingly happy. They have no label for their new gender presentation, and perhaps it’s too early to define it, although as an adult, modern audience we may see them as trans or non-binary. [TOP 50 FILMS OF THE DECADE]
December 4, 2019
Orla Smith
Seventh Row…
Plot
A family moves into a new neighborhood, and a 10-year-old born Laure deliberately presents as a boy named Mickäel to the neighborhood children. It is heavily implied that Mickäel is a closeted transgender boy. This film follows his experiences with his newfound friends, his potential love interest, Lisa, his younger sister and his parents. It focuses in on the significance of gender identity in social interaction from an early age, the difficulties of being transgender and young, and how Mickäel navigates these in the background of childhood play and love.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Zoé Héran’s portrayal of Laure in Tomboy is described as “impeccably androgynous” by one critic.
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