Different For Girls (1996)

48% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(1,309 ratings)

The off-beat love story between Paul and Kim provides the framework of this quirky British melodrama. The two meet after the taxi in which the attractive Kim rides collides with manly courier Paul and his motorcycle. Paul is utterly fascinated with Kim and swears that he has seen her before. He has.… More The off-beat love story between Paul and Kim provides the framework of this quirky British melodrama. The two meet after the taxi in which the attractive Kim rides collides with manly courier Paul and his motorcycle. Paul is utterly fascinated with Kim and swears that he has seen her before. He has. In fact the two were childhood friends in Catholic boys school, but back then, before the operation, Kim was named Karl. Now as a woman, Kim works as a successful writer for a greeting-card company while Paul, still wild and irresponsible, gets work while he can. The two gingerly renew their friendship and eventually it becomes something much deeper. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Richard Spence
Written By: Tony Marchant
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 12, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Feb 13, 2001

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, Variety
Toplined by handsome Brit thesp Rupert Graves, offbeat serio comedy concerns the evolving friendhsip and eventual love between a rambunctious macho and a quiet insecure transsexual.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
The story has a TV movie shorthand calculation and slightness.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
One of the reasons why Different for Girls works is because of the caliber of acting.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
The subtlety with which Mackintosh conveys her complicated mixture of vulnerability, defensiveness and pride makes [Kim] one of the most fully realized characters to be portrayed on the screen in a long time.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
It's rather ordinary stuff.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
This irrepressible and sensitive romance brings new flavor to the term odd couple.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Charming, offbeat serio comedy about the relationship between a macho and a transsexual
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Different for Girls staggers around, keeping its lovers apart as in any conventional romantic comedy.
Brandon Judell, Critics Inc./America Online
What makes this wonderfully deranged film fly is Rupert ("Maurice"; "Where Angels Fear to Tread") Graves.
Shlomo Schwartzberg, Boxoffice Magazine
Bland and conventional, despite the sex-change angle, Different for Girls is ultimately not different enough.
Leslie Rigoulot, Film Scouts
The film engages the audience on a gut level so that we care about Kim and Prentice.
David N. Butterworth, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Richard Spence's film doesn't have the courage to examine forcefully the issues at its center.
, E! Online
Well-acted but essentially go-nowhere little movie.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
[Graves and Mackintosh] put in gobsmackingly good performances.
Rob Driscoll, Empire Magazine
This would be infinitely more likeable if it wasn't for some irritatingly unreal plot development.

Read all 15 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

Overall, this movie was ok. I never entirely bought Kim as a woman however. It just seemed like two dudes in a gay relationship, which was fine. My biggest problem with the film is one of expectation, I think. I expected better. While this movie didn't put me to sleep, the… More
Overall, this movie was ok. I never entirely bought Kim as a woman however. It just seemed like two dudes in a gay relationship, which was fine. My biggest problem with the film is one of expectation, I think. I expected better. While this movie didn't put me to sleep, the plodding story ultimately leaves you feeling like you could have done something better with the movie's running time of 96 minutes. Just sayin..
Leigh R

Sweet and funny.
Leo L

Hmmm....I could have sworn I rated this before. Oh well. Good movie. Good story plot.