SDH Captioned
Study Guide
Grades 6 - 12, College, Adults
Directed by Sharon Shattuck
Produced by Martha Shane, Sharon Shattuck
DVD Purchase $350, Rent $95
US Release Date: 2017
Copyright Date: 2015
DVD ISBN: 1-941545-83-1
Subjects
American Studies
Anthropology
Counseling
Education
Family Studies
Film Studies
Gender Studies
Human Rights
Law
LGBT Studies
Parenting
Psychology
Sociology
Awards and Festivals
National Broadcast on PBS's "POV"
New York Times Critic's Pick
Video Librarian's 2018 Best Documentaries List
Best of Fest/Audience Award, Anchorage International Film Festival
Science Books and Films Best Films List 2017
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Hot Docs
DOC NYC
AFI DOCS Film Festival
OutFest LGBT Film Festival
Frameline LGBT Film Festival
Tells the story of a love, and family, that survived the most intimate of transformations.
 |
"A beautiful and honest portrayal of one family's experience navigating a parent's gender transition." Krysti Ryan, Sociology, UC Davis |
With her own wedding just around the corner, filmmaker Sharon Shattuck returns home to examine the mystery at the heart of her upbringing: How her transgender father Trisha and her straight-identified mother Marcia stayed together against all odds. From This Day Forward is a moving portrayal of an American family coping with the most intimate of transformations.
As the film evolves into a conversation about love and acceptance in a modern American family, it raises questions relevant to all of us. As individuals how do we adapt to sustain long-term love and relationships? Where do sexuality and gender intersect? And how do families stay together, when external forces are pulling them apart?
Reviews
"Illuminating documentary...Explores the familial ramifications when a loved one is transgender...Shattuck lets this profile slowly blossom, moving beyond a pleasing surface to discover stories of damage and strength...Offering an eye-opening look at the complex realities behind one family's acceptance of a transgendered member, this is recommended."
Video Librarian, voted for Video Librarian's 2018 Best Documentaries List
"From This Day Forward is a resonant aria on what it means to love--as a family, as a spouse, and as a parent--in the starkest and most honest terms...Its lessons on love and struggle are powerfully instructive and deeply relevant...This video would be valuable viewing in community and/or higher education contexts to prompt thoughtful conversations about families, change, gender, parenting, relationships, and more."
Dr. Sally Galman, Associate Professor of Teacher Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Principal Investigator, Gender Moxie Project
"Sharon Shattuck's gently winning documentary, an account of having a transgender parent, is effective for what it is not: a flashy portrait or big-city story...In marriage and parenthood, one size doesn't fit all."
Andy Webster, The New York Times NYT Critic's Pick
"A beautiful and honest portrayal of one family's experience navigating a parent's gender transition. This is a wonderful educational tool for anyone who teaches on the topics of gender, the family, or intimate relationships. I look forward to using it in my courses!"
Krysti Ryan, Sociology Department, University of California, Davis
"Recommended...Shattuck's strength in this film is showing the extraordinary that lives within individuals by sharing the ordinary elements of everyday life. From This Day Forward is appropriate for courses in gender studies, family studies, psychology, and sociology and is a good accompaniment to other films that focus on transgenderism or gender identity issues."
Kathleen Spring, Educational Media Reviews Online
"This is a documentary that not only seeks answers, but ultimately some closure for this family. And it does this brilliantly."
Daniela Costa, AfterEllen.com
"A very impressive achievement. The story is unique - a married couple that remains together as a couple after one of them transitions. The struggle that each goes through at every step of the way is palpable. The filmmaker has captured this tension extremely well."
Terry S. Kogan, Professor of Law, University of Utah
"Honest...A warm family portrait that explores issues of love and acceptance."
Sarah Stone, School Library Journal
"A very intimate look at the life of [Shattuck's] transgender father that we may not find anywhere else. That makes this film one to watch."
William Brownridge, Toronto Film Scene
"[An] interesting twist on transgender relations, told with sympathy and insight."
Candace Smith, Booklist
"Most documentaries that feature transgender issues focus primarily on individuals who identify as transgender and the process of coming out. From This Day Forward moves beyond the discussion of gender identity to how gender intersects with the multiple identities we have in the course of our lives. This touching film delves into the complexities of family relationships through the lens of gender. This is not simply a film about gender identity, but one that explores marriage, parenting, love, commitment, and the human spirit. A great film for any gender or family studies course."
Sara Raley, Associate Professor of Sociology at McDaniel College
"[Shattuck's parent] Trisha is a pleasure to spend time with-goofy, honest, and brimming with different talents."
Sherilyn Connelly, SF Weekly