They begin as friends, which is the story's nicest touch. Teens will appreciate the romance, the gags and the eclectic rock soundtrack, some of which Sandler wrote and performs. They were protesting Brazil's military dictatorship, of which Elbrick himself disapproved. The film tells its tale without sensationalism and from all points of view. Occasional profanity and a muted bedroom scene earn the rating, but brief moments of police torture are thankfully understated.
Dialogue is mostly in Portuguese with English subtitles.
A gentle little boy named Ludovic likes to wear girls' clothes. He thinks he'll grow up to be a woman. The film never explains the source of his feelings, it just accepts them. His parents are at first bemused, then embarrassed, then furious. The story is told from the child's point of view, and when those he loves are mean to him, he hurts and escapes into fantasy.