Bicentennial Man
By: Kira Wertz
Tags: Life Lessons, Transgender, LGBTQ, Self, Movies

Bicentennial Man

The family-friendly film about transition that's full of feels

WARNING: Spoilers!!!

Recently a friend of mine pointed out the overwhelmingly relatable aspects of the film ‘Bicentennial Man’ as it pertains to the struggles that Trans people undertake in order to be seen as equally valued as everyone else. While I wasn’t dismissive about this idea of similarity, I also wasn’t convinced that one could equate the journey of a robot transitioning to live as a man to that of a Transgender person. But then I watched it…

The robot as a metaphor for a Trans person actually seems very apt, because as we transition we receive generalized resistance from not only our family, but also society, which sends a very specific message that being anything outside of what is deemed “normal” is wrong. In that regard, we as humans are persuaded to be something very cookie cutter, and generic; as if (ironically) mass produced on an assembly line.

Nothing outside of what is considered “normal” functioning is accepted; society places itself in the position of what could best be described as “quality control.” Though it would be more aptly described as “quality control through oppression.” As we all know, that oppression leads to more systemic issues such as ideation and self-destructive tendencies. This naturally becomes the cornerstone of mental tumult that those oppressing us weaponize as being inevitable, whilst they have become the very catalyst for that self-destruction.

In the movie we are introduced to a robot, who by some miracle has made it past the roadblocks of quality control, and into the home of a nuclear family from the future. This is easily equitable to a child who is born without any obvious defects beginning their life in a home where no one immediately notices their differences. This robot is subsequently given the name Andrew in its first scene after the family’s youngest daughter — Little Miss — mishears her older sister when she says “it’s an android.”

While in the lives of Trans people, it may take years or decades to manifest behaviors that are inconsistent with the norms of their assigned gender, the film wastes no such time. Before long, Andrew begins to demonstrate behaviors which are inconsistent with his expected robotic programming.

As Andrew integrates into the household, Sir’s eldest child attempts to kill Andrew by asking him to jump out of her bedroom window. When her attempt fails, the owner (Sir) explains that even though “Andrew is a form of property,” property is still important, and from that point on he instructs his children to treat Andrew as if he were a person.

The eldest daughter in this scenario is analogous to family actively attempting to reject their Trans family member, while the role of Sir takes the form of an advocate. However, it cannot be overstated that in situations where a youth desires to transition, a parent will often exert their own will to remain gender compliant; this would leave that youth feeling like a piece of “property” instead of a sentient human being.

Sir and Andrew meet with the representative (Dennis Mansky) from the company that built Andrew. — Bicentennial Man (1999)

Andrew begins to demonstrate empathy, initiative, humor, curiosity, introspection, and creativity. None of these behaviors were intended to be within the realm of his programming. This ultimately leads Sir to consult with the company that made Andrew in order to determine if any other of their robots have exhibited such conduct. The company representative (Dennis Mansky) is dismissive of Andrew’s obvious sentience, and chooses to refer to him as “it” — a common pronoun that is frequently used to dehumanize those in the Transgender community.

Mansky further dehumanizes Andrew by referring to him as a “household appliance,” another attempt to denounce Andrew’s uniqueness and disregard his value as being nothing beyond that of a common toaster. He subsequently offers to buy Andrew in an attempt to prevent this “anomaly” from existing in the world and potentially ruining the financial future of the company he works for.

Sir stands up to Mansky and insists that “there is no price for individuality.” Not only does Sir take the position of advocacy, he also assumes the role of protector because it seems evident that selling Andrew would most certainly end up in his destruction. The company would destroy this unique individual to maintain the status quo; no different than how some families see their Trans member as some “thing” that needs to be managed; perhaps by shame, guilt, or even conversion therapy — all things that can bring a person to self-destruct.

Sir talks to Andrew about sexual relations. — Bicentennial Man (1999)

Following the meeting with Mansky, Sir explains to Andrew that he is to cut back on his workload, take time every day to make something creative, and to spend some time each day in instruction with him. He goes on to explain that this is to teach him “all the things that haven’t been programmed into him.”

Sir tells Andrew that he is unique, and that he feels responsible to help him become whatever he’s able to be. Essentially, Sir has chosen to see Andrew as his child, and he is going to do everything in his power to help Andrew become a man, even if neither of them realizes how completely Andrew will transition. This feels like the love of a supportive parent, or that of the mentors I have encountered throughout my own transition. Such mentors are bridges leading to self-discovery, and Sir is choosing to help Andrew across this bridge. All trans individuals — especially children — should be so lucky.

Andrew goes on to learn the clock-making trade which is Sir’s (unseen) profession. He eventually fills the house with so many clocks that a discussion is broached regarding their dispersal. Sir suggests selling the clocks, while Little Miss (now an adult) says that Andrew should receive all the proceeds from such sales.

Sir’s wife has not come to see Andrew as an individual, and through her mild disgust, has proven to be the equivalent of a parental gatekeeper. Sir tells Little Miss that he’ll do what’s right for Andrew, but he then falls short when he tells her, “at the end of the day we’re talking about a machine; you can’t invest your emotions in a machine.” This will eventually come back on Sir later when he realizes he did become emotionally invested in Andrew.

Sir introduces Andrew to the family lawyer. — Bicentennial Man (1999)

In an effort to help Andrew achieve his own financial independence, Sir takes Andrew to visit the family lawyer. The reason for this visit is to establish the legality of Andrew being permitted to have his own bank account. This is indicative of some of the legal challenges that Trans people often encounter while trying to establish the legitimacy of their identities within the eyes of the law. When asked why Andrew would ever need a bank account, he responds that he wants to “pull his own (weight).” Such as Andrew seeks to become a fully functioning member of society, so too do Trans people. Traversing these legal hurdles allows trans individuals to do this.

It can often be a very orchestrated process when a trans person starts to consider the various steps they must go through in order to receive recognition as their authentic self. For example:

A name change facilitates an ID change. The name and ID change facilitates changes to one’s social security number. A name, ID change, and supporting counseling letters can facilitate the changing of a birth certificate (depending on birth state — surgery may be required); while a corrected birth certificate facilitates gender marker changes on a primary ID, and allows for passports to be issued with the corresponding gender marker.

So this moment in the film is a small nod to the many legal hassles one might need to tackle during transition.

Little Miss, seemingly in love with Andrew, tells him she’s going to marry her boyfriend. — Bicentennial Man (1999)

There comes a point where Little Miss goes to Andrew to discuss the marriage proposal given to her from her boyfriend Frank. While she seems to love her boyfriend, she tells Andrew that she has a friend she’s in love with; the implication — of course — is the friend she’s referencing is Andrew, a fact he seems oblivious to. He goes on to tell Little Miss that she should marry the friend and not Frank.

While never directly telling Andrew that he’s the friend she loves, she goes on to say that she cannot marry the friend, but she stops short of giving an explanation why. This seems born out of a societal need to adhere to what is deemed as normal; how can the world accept a marriage between a human and a machine? This, of course, echoes the stigmas that arise when any cisgender person sees a Trans individual as worthy of marriage. Sadly, instead of accepting that stigma and being with those who make them happy, many will not follow through with such a marriage. This is the choice Little Miss makes as she opts to marry Frank instead of Andrew.

Andrew returns with Sir to the company that made him in order to secure a repair for a damaged thumb. During this interaction Andrew expresses that he wishes to have some of the cosmetic upgrades which are available on newer versions of the robot. He states that he would like to have the ability to have his thoughts and feelings be expressible on his face.

The company man (which is still Dennis Mansky) seems quizzical about why a robot would want this; Andrew swiftly retorts by saying he’d like to be able to express the same contempt that Manksy is showing on his face.

Here we have that first surgery being sought and rebuffed as superfluous by what might be best described as a gatekeeper. As many of us know, gatekeepers come in all sorts of varieties, from religious leaders to family members, and yes, even to medical professionals.

That being said, Andrew is prepared to bear the brunt of whatever financial burden comes with this; and this brings us to how many deem the cosmetic needs of the Trans community as something rooted in vanity, and not worthy of being covered by insurance.

In this situation Andrew has ample funds to afford these upgrades, but this is not the case for the vast majority of Trans people who — by the sheer virtue of being Trans — are underemployed and thereby indirectly gatekept from having access to income or insurance which would cover transition related care.

Andrew sporting a tuxedo and his upgraded face while attending Little Miss’s wedding. — Bicentennial Man (1999)

Following his facial upgrades, Andrew attends Little Miss’s wedding while wearing a tuxedo. This is the first time that Andrew is seen in male clothing. Along with the happiness that is now evident on his face, one can see a mirror for how Trans individuals feel when presenting as the people they identify as. I personally still have a very strong memory of the day I first dressed up and finally saw my true self in the mirror; I cried. It’s a powerful moment in any Trans person’s life, but it’s a small step on the path to becoming.

From this moment on, Andrew continues to wear clothing, as his gender presentation will be a context clue to the world that he is indeed a man.

After the wedding, Sir asks Andrew to play back the events of the day. A holographic depiction of Sir dancing with his newly married daughter is projected over their palatial swimming pool, and gives rise to Sir’s reality that his children have all left him. Whether he’s aware of it or not, Andrew is the only child he has left; the one he advised Little Miss not to become emotionally invested in is now his only remaining emotional investment in the household.

Andrew projects Sir’s wedding dance with Little Miss. — Bicentennial Man (1999)

More than a decade later, we find Andrew enjoying a day at the beach with Little Miss and her two children. Little Miss’s son Lloyd sneaks up on Andrew while he’s engrossed in a novel and subsequently dumps a shovel of sand in his lap. Little Miss immediately corrects Lloyd and insists he apologize to Andrew. He rebuffs by saying he won’t apologize to “it” while Little Miss corrects Lloyd by referring to Andrew as “him.”

Here we see the classic manner in which many of us trans people have been demeaned. The irony of it being done by a child is not lost on me, since willfully choosing to deny us our personhood is childish in its very nature.

It is during their time at the beach that Andrew engages Little Miss in a discussion about freedom. He acknowledges that while neither her or Sir have commanded Andrew to do anything for years, he is not free because he is still expected to carry out a command should they choose to give him one. He goes on to say”

“Terrible wars have been fought where millions have died for one idea — freedom… It seems that something that means so much to so many people would be worth having.”

As Trans people, we often don’t feel free to be ourselves, and this is directly connected to why we spend so much of our lives hiding who we are. Just as Andrew reaches this impasse about his own ability to truly be free, so too must we, and doing so often means going against the wishes of our family.

Andrew presents Sir with a check made out for his entire savings in an attempt to purchase his freedom. — Bicentennial man (1999)

Seeking to buy his freedom, Andrew eventually approaches Sir with a check made out for all the money in his bank account. Sir believes Andrew is asking to leave, but Andrew rebuts him saying that nothing would change about their dynamic; he would simply be free. Sir is visibly wounded by this and questions why Andrew would ask for this if nothing would change. Little Miss emerges from behind a door, and Sir accuses her of putting the idea into Andrew’s head. She insists that Andrew makes his own decisions, and that it was actually Sir who put the idea in his head. She says that it’s through Sir’s years of tutelage that Andrew has grown as a person, and is now every bit as complex as they are.

The following morning, Sir returns Andrew’s check to him; tells him he’s free now, and that he must now leave the house. Andrew reiterates that he does not wish to leave, but Sir goes on to say “You wished for freedom; you must accept the consequences.”

This is painfully analogous to the rejections that Trans people often receive from their immediate families upon choosing to assert their own will regarding their own destinies. The family, no longer able to pull the strings on these individuals, often chooses to cut ties entirely. Lamentably throwing out a person whom they can no longer exert control over goes a long way towards demonstrating just how hollow and conditional their love was in the first place.

Andrew accepts the consequence of his freedom and leaves, while Sir stands utterly alone, broken by his own emotional petard. The man who lamented his children leaving of their own accord has now forced his last child to leave rather than accept that the keystone of individuality is one’s ability to make their own decisions about their life.