Stream It Or Skip It

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone’ on Netflix, an Inspiring Glimpse Into the Life of the Famed Australian Transgender Advocate

Now on Netflix, The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone is a mini-biography of one of Australia’s most influential transgender rights advocates. Now 22 years old, Georgie is a Human Rights Award-winner who, as a teenager, successfully campaigned to change the laws preventing young trans Australians from acquiring stage one hormone-blocking treatments. She co-wrote this 29-minute film, which captures key moments of her life in a quietly profound fashion.

THE DREAMLIFE OF GEORGIE STONE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: “I’m a girl. Maybe not on the outside, but on the inside, I feel like a girl.” That was Georgie speaking, at nine years old, in a home video. Next we jump to a decade later, on the day of her gender affirmation surgery. She sits in the car with her mother on the way to the hospital: “I keep thinking about the moments that led me here,” she says. She looks a little nervous; maybe she didn’t sleep well the night before. They get her prepared in the hospital room. Her mother brushes her hair and strokes her arm lovingly. Then we jump back to Georgie as a child, playing with her twin brother Harry, five years old, on their first day of school. Then back to age nine again, where she talks to the camera about boys at a swimming pool teasing her when she tried to find a space to change into her bathing suit.

As she readies for surgery, the movie flashes back and hops around to Georgie at various ages, cutting in glimpses of her public advocacy, where she explains how anxious she and her family felt when she, her parents and doctors had no say over what she can and can’t do to her own body – they had to wait for the court to decide if she could proceed with stage one treatment. She doesn’t want anyone else to have to go through with that. We see her meet Australia’s Prime Minister; we see her receive awards for her advocacy; we see her speak in front of people. And then she’s back with her mother prior to surgery: Today is “just you,” her mother says. “It’s just for you.”

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Dreamlife opens with a quote from actress Laverne Cox, so the Netflix documentary she produced about trans representation in TV and film, Disclosure, fits the topic. Also, Hulu doc Changing the Game focuses on trans teens participating in school sports.

Performance Worth Watching: Georgie’s confidence and vulnerability are on display throughout the film; both are inspiring.

Memorable Dialogue: Nine-year-old Georgie talks about how she feels safer after having visited the doctor.

Off-camera voice: You didn’t feel safe before that?

Georgie: Well, no. Not that many people understood about me.

Sex and Skin: None

Our Take: In a short amount of time, Dreamlife covers the gamut of Georgie’s experience, from public to personal. It’s subtly insistent in its advocacy for bodily autonomy, and that’s consistent with Georgie’s personality, which is upbeat, outgoing and matter-of-fact without being confrontational or overly righteous. She bravely shares intimate moments illustrating the emotional complexity of her decision to pursue gender affirmation surgery, and the absolute certainty she carries with regards to her identity. It’s easy to see why her advocacy has been successful so far, and the film feels like her next step in that pursuit. It doesn’t weigh itself down by presenting facts and data or delving into the topic of trans persons’ trauma; it’s more of an intuitive glimpse into one person’s life, how she changed it for the better, and how she hopes to help change others’ lives as well.

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone is a humane and heartfelt look at the Australian advocate’s personal experience as a trans woman.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com.