Wednesday, October 12, 2011

ESPN Films: Renee

Running on the treadmill, I watched Renee. This is an odd story. It looks at the life of Renee Richards, a transsexual who played in the 1977 U.S. Open. Although billed as the story of her struggle to enter the U.S. Open, the film is really a biography of her life. The film is airing as part of a series of seven documentaries that ESPN Films is running this fall.

I generally remember the story from the media coverage when it happened. What surprised me was the back story. Richard Raskind was 41 when he underwent sex reassignment surgery. The story of his life--who he was and what he had accomplished--was interesting. The director did a solid job telling the story.

Sans commercials, the film is roughly 80 minutes long. Unlike Catching Hell which seemed way too long, Renee used the length effectively.

In addition to being available from Amazon, Renee is also available on iTunes.

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