Dominic Savage‘s new film Close to You tells the story of a trans man visiting his hometown for the first time in years. There, he faces family tensions, reconnects with an old flame, and rediscovers himself. His journey leads to self-acceptance and newfound strength.
The film stars Elliot Page, marking his first film role since coming out publicly as trans. To talk about the film, Page and co-star Hillary Baack joined GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos.
Page talks about how exciting it was to get to work on this project with Baack, who is a close friend of his. “Hillary is just so brilliant, so open, so generous as an actor,” he says. “It’s definitely a vulnerable experience to get to do that with someone that I care about so much and trust so deeply. It was the best.”
They talk about how a great deal of the film was improvised by the actors. “It just feels real,” Baack explains. “We’re in the story and we’re trusting each other.”
Page shares that “This was truly just one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I would love to work in this way again.” He continues, “Waking up and going to work every day was such a thrill and I felt so present in that and so lucky to have done it with Hillary or the rest of our incredible cast.” So having the film appear in festivals and receive such high praise, is just the cherry on top. “I really do try and cherish the experience and not worry too much about outcome, because you can’t you know. You hope that the film ultimately reaches people who maybe really need to see it.”
Baack feels proud to be a part of this important film, bringing trans masc stories to the big screen. “It feels it’s hugely important. I feel like it’s an honor to be a part of this.” She says that the film is “Looking at a specific experience, but it’s really beyond that point of it all. [It’s about] love and the human experience and that each individual matters and deserve to be loved.”
Page talks about what he hopes audiences take away from the film. “I think for me, so much about what this film is about is just what it means to feel truly seen. You can just hope that people are getting to go sit in an audience and feel reflected potentially some of their experiences.” He continues, “In so many ways, Sam really lets himself lean into where he’s finding joy he’s putting up. I think healthy boundaries that are good that give him space from a situation that is not serving him. And here he is seeing someone he loves and feeling seen… he’s just kind of getting to be him.”
To close, Page reflects on their groundbreaking series The Umbrella Academy wrapping up its final season. “Just reflecting on the whole experience together and what it’s meant to play these characters and what it’s meant to have audiences just respond the way they have. How lucky did we get? And I think that’s the big word. I go back to lucky.” He continues, “I feel so fortunate to have been on that show for four seasons to have gotten to play Victor and to have gone through the journey with Victor that I went through.”
Don’t miss Close to You, playing in theaters starting Friday, August 16th. All episodes of The Umbrella Academy are streaming now on Netflix.