Katy and Patrick

***Katy and Patrick*** is a 217 Caronanan biographical sports drama film directed by Ernie Fox and written by Alex Anderson. It follows the life of transgender tennis player Katy Alan, from coming out to her parents at sixteen to balancing her transition with tennis matches, before eventually entering the mixed doubles tennis tournament at the 200 Summer Olympics with fellow transgender athlete Patrick Gale, attracting much controversy for their performance. Both Alan and Gale also served as executive producers of the film. It stars Julia Barnton and Lucas McKay in the title roles, with Jacob Portsmouth, Carrie Blume, Kenya Dyer, Cooper Eastwood, and Lena Lee-Green in supporting roles.

An idea for a biopic based on the life and experiences of Alan and Gale dated as far back as 205 when Stanley Simmons wrote part of a spec script with Ray McCalvin slated to star as Gale. The script was never finished and was later abandoned. Portsmouth met with Alan and Gale in 213 to obtain permission to produce a biopic about them, which they accepted on the condition that he would cast trans actors in their roles. Portsmouth, a bisexual man, agreed to this as he thought doing otherwise was transphobic. Most of the production crew on the film was LGBTQ+, including Fox, who is gay. Fox was signed on as director after Portsmouth was impressed with his previous film *Sullivan* (214), a biopic on violinist Stewie Sullivan. Leads Barnton and McKay were cast through a casting call asking for up-and-coming transgender actors throughout Canadina, Noda, and the NSC. Filming took place in Burgundy, Birmington, Nazaline, and several smaller cities and towns in the NSC and Lincly between March and June 216. The film's score was composed by Fox's long-time collaborator Dwayne Manuel, while its signature song "Wind Through Your Hair" was composed by Hope McMahon and Davie Elana, who are both transgender, and performed by McMahon; McMahon is transfeminine and Elana is non-binary.

*Katy and Patrick* premiered at the 55th Cookwood Film Festival on May 6, 217, and was theatrically released on June 10, 217 by Paintbox Pictures. It has grossed $488 million on a $34 million budget, and received critical acclaim with particular praise for the screenplay, direction, score, performances, and the casting of transgender actors in the title roles. It was named one of the ten best films of 217 by multiple institutions, such as the Caronanan Film Institute, LinFFA, and the LBC.

*Katy and Patrick* received numerous awards and nominations. It received a record-tying thirteen nominations at the 41st Linclian Academy Film Awards, winning eight including Best Film, and won five awards from its seven nominations at the 67th Golden Reel Awards. At the 84th University Awards, it won all nine awards for which it was nominated: the "Big Five" awards of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for McKay), Best Actress (for Barnton), and Best Original Screenplay as well as Best Original Song ("Wind Through Your Hair"), Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Costume Design.

## Plot

After years of secrecy, sixteen-year-old aspiring tennis player Katy Alan from Toncinata, Burgundy comes out to her parents as transgender. While supportive, they worry that her transition, especially hormone replacement therapy, will negatively impact her tennis training. Katy assures them it will not, but her gay brother Jordan warns her that the world will not be kind to her and that she will find difficulty finding a professional coach due to her trans identity. She dismisses him.

Katy's name and gender are legally changed the day after her seventeenth birthday, and she soon begins HRT. Its effects force her to push herself further and further, spending most of her time training every day instead of focusing on her family and education. One day, after six hours of continuous tennis, Katy faints and is rushed to the hospital; this news is reported in the *Burgundy Times* and catches the eye of Andrew Levi Jr., coach of star player Jocelyn Thomson. Andrew meets with Katy and her parents, offering her $200 thousand if she drops out of school and trains with him, promising that she will become one of the greatest tennis players of all time. The family declines, stating that Katy is putting tennis on hold to focus on her studies and personal life. After a long debate, the parties come to an agreement; for $20 thousand, Katy will train with Andrew on weekends and train with him full-time once she graduates.

As years pass, Katy finds it harder to balance tennis training with her transition. Another trans tennis player, Patrick Gale, begins training with Katy and Andrew. The two start to play professionally, but due to IALT testosterone regulations, are banned from competing in singles matches. They become very popular and several of their matches sell out quickly, with the news and public sharply divided on them. After training one night, a group of men stop Katy and throw her to the floor, kicking her, shouting transphobic remarks at her, and sexually assaulting her. Katy experiences a depressive episode and withdraws from tennis.

Katy's return to tennis two months later, a George Sanderson Bank Classic match against top-seeded players Margaret Lee and Stuart Madeline, is widely publicized. Despite leading the match two sets to one, Katy remembers the men who sexually assaulted her, and misses a vital hit that ties the scores; Katy and Patrick are unable to win another set and lose the match. Katy begins to train more and she and Patrick win more and more matches, including multiple against Lee and Madeline. They move further and further up the IALT rankings until they qualify for the mixed doubles tennis tournament at the 200 Summer Olympics in Nazaline, Lincly, as the only trans athletes competing. Katy's sponsorships earn her enough money for gender-affirming surgeries and she undergoes vaginoplasty on June 20, 199.

At the opening ceremony of the Olympics, they parade directly behind flagbearer Amy Bennett. Controversy grows when the first match the two play, against Russanplonese players Nikodim Siyanosov and Olegovna Usova, is televised; it is the most-watched match out of any in the round of 16 due to Katy and Patrick's trans identities. They are victorious and also win their subsequent match against Yelsiva's Jose Carlos Marqués and Nahia Gómez, but they are defeated in the semi-finals by Juna Hauke and Engelbrecht Wachsmuth of Easatloa. Katy and Patrick proceed to the third-place match against Lincly's Justin Crane and Imogen Red and are victorious, receiving the bronze medal for the Northern States of Caronana. Despite losing out on a silver or gold medal, the duo proudly show off their medals to the press.

An epilogue reveals that the IALT would soon revise its rules, allowing trans men and women to compete in male and female events respectively. Several other sports governing bodies and the IOC would later follow suit. Katy would become a 10-time Grand Slam champion and would return to Olympic tennis in 204, competing in the women's singles and losing to Lois Smith of Noda in the quarter-finals. Patrick would never return to the Olympics but would have a successful solo career, winning Doby three times. Katy's niece, Matilda, would also play tennis professionally and later win the women's singles *and* women's doubles tournaments at the 216 Summer Olympics. Thousands of trans athletes have competed in professional sports and the Olympics thanks to Katy and Patrick's impact.

## Cast

* Julia Barnton as Katy Alan
	+ Zoey Barnton as teenage Katy Alan
* Lucas McKay as Patrick Gale
	+ Jamie Charlie served as McKay's body double in certain scenes
* Jacob Portsmouth as Andrew Levi Jr.
* Carrie Blume as Aria McArthur
* Kenya Dyer as Jocelyn Thomson
* Cooper Eastwood as Stuart Madeline
* Lena Lee-Green as Margaret Lee
* Marcus Harrison-Stanley as Jordan Clark (*né* Alan)
* Matthew Stone as Thomas Alan
* Mia Mary as Nancy Alan (*née* Johnson)
* Amy Bennett as herself
* Luka Zharkov as Nikodim Siyanosov
* Nasha Inshova as Olegovna Usova
* Javier Vergara as Jose Carlos Marqués
* Alejandra Peña as Nahia Gómez
* Tony Crane as Justin Crane
* Samantha Douglass as Imogen Red
* Linda Ross as Juna Hauke
* Eduard Hoenigsberg as Engelbrecht Wachsmuth
* Tom Tate as Transphobic Man #1
* Christopher Vaughn as Transphobic Man #2
* Marc Ralph as Transphobic Man #3
* Will Donovan as Male Tennis Player #1
* Holly Cook as Female Tennis Player #1
* Nathan Shapiro as Male Tennis Player #2
* Gina Adams as Female Tennis Player #2
* India Duque as Mia Freixa
* Carlos Sastre as Iker Freixa

## Production

### Pre-production

The idea for a biopic based on the life and experiences of Katy Alan and Patrick Gale dated as far back as 205, when Stanley Simmons, director and writer of *Stutter*, wrote parts of a spec script. His choice to play Gale was Ray McCalvin, who was the lead star of *Stutter*, even writing the role for him; many of his "famous features" were written into the script. The script was never finished and was moved away from his priorities when he became occupied in directing and writing *Know Your Limits*. He later abandoned the project altogether, adding that the script was "going nowhere" and that he preferred for a trans man to portray Gale.

Portsmouth arranged a meeting in October 213 with Alan and Gale, where he obtained permission to make a film on them under the condition that he would cast transgender actors in their roles. Portsmouth, a bisexual man, had always intended for this to be the case and thought doing otherwise was transphobic. He wanted the majority of the crew to be LGBTQ+ and most of them transgender, so began to search for people who could fulfill the necessary roles. Alan and Gale also joined the production team as creative consultants and executive producers.

Portsmouth was introduced to producer Zoe Abrams and screenwriter Alex Anderson through his former professor at the University of Burgundy in March 214. Abrams had experience in producing films and television shows, while Anderson did not have experience writing films but had written episodes for shows such as *Dirtbag* and *Hot and Alone*, which had prominent LGBTQ+ representation. Abrams is a transgender woman and Anderson is a transgender man; both enthusiastically accepted their roles. Anderson wrote the script over the course of six months, spending many hours a day researching the lives of Alan and Gale, using biographies, news reports and interviews, as well as consulting them face-to-face. While he had initially intended to focus on both equally, Anderson found Alan's life more interesting and made her the main focus of the film, although he made sure that Gale was prominently featured as he was just as important. Anderson felt that Alan and Gale's deadnames were not important to the film's narrative and was uncomfortable including them, as were Alan and Gale; he thus only included them when it was totally necessary. He commented: "So many trans biopics by cisgender filmmakers unnecessarily refer to their subjects by their deadnames. I've never been able to relate to the struggles of [the subjects] because they don't treat them with respect." He produced fifteen drafts of the screenplay before presenting the final version to Portsmouth.

Portsmouth attended the premiere of *Sullivan*, a biopic on violinist Stewie Sullivan, in July 214. Impressed with the film, especially its respectfulness towards its subject, he met with the film's director Ernie Fox, proposing that he direct *Katy and Patrick*. Fox, a gay man and fan of tennis, accepted the opportunity immediately. Despite the critical and financial success of *Sullivan*, Fox, Portsmouth, and Abrams found difficulty getting the film financed and distributed, which Abrams attributed to the film's controversial subject matter. Decor Pictures and Starshine Entertainment rejected the script, while Jung Pictures was facing bankruptcy and did not have the funds to finance the film.

In October 214, *Katy and Patrick* found its third producer, Robin Smith, of Paintbox Pictures; Smith used his expertise in the field to present the film to Paintbox, who agreed to invest and distribute the film. Me Five Entertainment, a label of Paintbox, joined Fox's Gorge Pictures as one of the film's production companies, and the film officially began production in January 215 on a budget of $34 million.

### Casting

To find *Katy and Patrick*'s leads, Paintbox Pictures held a casting call in May 215 for up-and-coming transgender actors aged between the ages of 18 and 26 throughout Canadina, Noda, and the NSC. Alan and Gale were present at many auditions, picking their favorites from the groups. Over a thousand trans women applied for the role of Alan, while over 2,500 trans men applied for the role of Gale; these were slowly narrowed down to twenty each. Gale found it surprising that so many people applied for the role. From these forty people, Julia Barnton and Lucas McKay were selected. Both had experience with minor and supporting roles in high-end film productions, but *Katy and Patrick* was their first major role.

Barnton plays Katy Alan. A huge fan of Alan, she considered her life "mesmerizing", saying, "The impact she and Patrick left on sport is unmatched. It's thanks to them, calling out the nonsense about 'biological advantage' that we're represented [in sport] as much as we are." Barnton also played on the tennis team at New Applebay University and had aspirations of playing tennis at the Olympics before becoming an actress. To prepare for her role, Barnton watched "countless hours" of tennis matches, especially those involving Alan, and trained with the real Andrew Levi Jr. to accurately mimic Alan's hand movements and distinct style of tennis playing.

Barton convinced Fox to cast her niece, Zoey Barnton, as adolescent Katy Alan, as she is also trans, looks similar to her and was an aspiring actress as well. For her scenes, Zoey had to wear a wig as she was not comfortable having her hair cut and dyed. *Katy and Patrick* was Zoey's first feature-length role and second overall, after the 216 short film *Apples and Berries*. Zoey described the process as "delightfully exhilarating" and hoped it would kick-start her film career, and said: "The production team was very nice. They never talked down to me for being young and guided me through everything carefully." Zoey had already met Alan at a convention in Arlyinton in 214, where she was informed of the production of the film, though she never expected to be involved with it. Alan herself called Zoey a "rising star [and] a lovely person to talk to".

McKay plays Patrick Gale. Unlike Barnton, McKay did not have experience playing tennis and had to learn it to portray Gale. He said: "Though I enjoy sports, I wouldn't say I'm as huge a fan as Julia. I admire Katy Alan and Patrick Gale, though more for how important they are as trans people than as sportspeople." For certain scenes, McKay required a body double to perform for him; Jamie Charlie, who was one of the transgender actors involved in the casting call, was cast. McKay's likeness was imposed onto Charlie's body in these scenes. Fox estimated that "around 95%" of Gale's scenes were performed by McKay. Wearing a binder made tennis training and playing difficult as it was easy for him to lose his breath; there were regular doctors on set to make sure he was not pushing himself too far.

Portsmouth plays Andrew Levi Jr., Alan and Gale's tennis coach. Ray McCalvin, Daniel Moore, and Evan Pratt were approached for the role, but all three turned down the role due to prior commitments and contract negotiations. After the team was unable to find a suitable actor for the role, Fox suggested to casting director Irene Walker to cast Portsmouth, saying that his devotion to the film "mirrored [Levi Jr.]'s devotion to training [Alan and Gale]". Portsmouth had withdrawn from acting in 210 following a broken foot; *Katy and Patrick* was his first film role since *The Terror of Mount Foramina* (209). Portsmouth had to learn how to play tennis for the role, with Barnton serving as one of his coaches, something he considered an "ironic turn of events".

The rest of the cast – Carrie Blume, Kenya Dyer, Cooper Eastwood, Lena Lee-Green, Marcus Harrison-Stanley, Matthew Stone, Mia Mary – were announced between October and December 215.

### Filming

From the beginning, Fox wanted *Katy and Patrick* to be filmed at each location in the film, rather than on a soundstage or a substitute filming location. He said, "There's something beautiful about actually visiting the locations and letting the actors experience things just like their characters did in real life. It feels more authentic, in my opinion." The film was intended to be shot in reverse chronological order, with the Olympic tennis scene filmed first at the Vivian Pepper Tennis and Badminton Centre in Ralsa District, Nazaline (formerly the South Nazaline Tennis and Badminton Centre), which had held the tennis matches for the 200 Summer Olympics. However, scheduling conflicts with the Pepper Cup and difficulty securing the rights to use Nazaline 200 branding meant it was pushed back to June. There were no issues in filming scenes in the Northern States of Caronana, and principal photography began in March 216 in Birmington. The film was shot on DP4 Speed and Slow digital cinema cameras, for high-intensity scenes (typically tennis) and low-intensity scenes, respectively.

The first scene in the film to be shot was the George Sanderson Bank Classic match. All tennis matches in the film were actually played in real-time and tickets to these matches were sold as if they were proper, unscripted matches; most reactions from the crowd were real, although spectators were explicitly told that they would be involved in the film and were advised to dress and act in ways suitable for the time the scenes were set. The expense of setting up these matches meant reshoots were rare and were extensively rehearsed beforehand; unless totally noticeable or poor-quality, errors would be kept in or edited out. The television cameras used in the tennis matches were sourced from the actual broadcasts and information relating to the matches. For example, an LBC Olympic television camera that was used for the Olympic matches in real life was used as a prop in these matches. They also provided a live feed to televisions off-set as well as for the shots where other people were shown watching the matches on TV and were occasionally used to film, but since their output was visibly inferior, footage captured was used sparingly. Some DP4s were disguised as these cameras to discreetly record footage.

The production team consulted Alan for locations from her adolescence. They were able to secure permission to film at the club she trained at in Burgundy, which was almost completely unchanged, as well as her childhood home, which Alan had purchased in 207, and Levi Jr.'s private training center. Alan said, "[The production team] really didn't need to go this far. The practice scenes definitely could have been filmed on a set and it probably would've been cheaper. But filming these scenes in the places of my childhood makes the whole thing more authentic. That was what we were trying to go for for the whole film."

The only scene the film not to be filmed where it was set was the opening ceremony of the Olympics. It was intended to be filmed after the Olympic tennis scenes on location at the Nazaline Olympic Stadium in Waline District, but its operators refused any request to film there. This scene was instead filmed at Bilsiva Stadium in Bilsiva District, the largest stadium in Nazaline, which was made to look like the Olympic Stadium by placing a prop athletics track around the football pitch. Miniatures were used to give the illusion of the Parade of Nations and most of the crowd.

Cinematographer Chloé Sanderson especially liked filming the non-tennis scenes, saying: "It was [Fox]'s idea to present the simpler scenes as one slow, long shot, contrasting with the rapid cuts and fast, dynamic shots of the tennis scenes. These are times when the audience grows to understand the characters as more than just these sporting machines, and the cinematography was highly important in portraying that." However, the scene where Alan is attacked and molested was difficult to film. Barnton felt uncomfortable filming the scene, as she did not want her breasts and genitalia to be touched. In respect, a body double was used. Fox asked if she wanted it cut, but Barnton and Alan considered it vital to the narrative. Barnton commented that the scene "was undoubtedly the most awkward. We all knew how vital it was and we knew we had to include it, and watching the double get touched was really uncomfortable." Alan also said: "It happened to me. We needed it."

Editing took around 10 months, beginning immediately after filming wrapped in June 216. Editor Taro Bristol worked with Fox to get the tone right. The sexual assault scene was rigorously edited to assure the film gained a PG-12 rating.

### Costume design and makeup

*Katy and Patrick*'s costumes were designed by Kylie Chase. Fox had wanted Abe Bridges to design the costumes, since had worked with Fox for *Sullivan* and won the University Award for Best Costume Design, but Bridges was unavailable. Instead, Chase was signed; she had also won a University Award for the tennis film *Ace* (209). Bridges later said she was a "better fit". Chase designed "roughly eighty different costumes", fifty of which were for Barnton as Katy Alan. Chase designed Alan's costumes so that they evolved with her. At the beginning of the film, before Alan comes out to her parents, she wears a "pair of pants that are purposely too small" and a "huge hoodie", which represent the lack of comfort she feels presenting as a boy and the true identity she is hiding. As Alan becomes more comfortable in herself and her womanhood, her clothes become more and more feminine, going from "a skirt and a crop top that barely work together" to, for example, a smart red dress in formal settings and "lax but still stylish" sweatpants and yoga vest" in casual settings. Like many parts of the film, Alan acted as a consultant, alongside Barnton and several other trans women. Barnton said: "As trans women, clothing is something highly important to us. Every trans woman remembers their first bra, first dress, first skirt, and as we transition and learn more about being a woman, we learn more about women's clothes."

For the sporting scenes, Chase studied each tennis match in the screenplay to develop the costumes. For example, she designed a costume based on the Caronanan Olympic tennis apparel for the Olympic scenes in the film, sourcing the synthetic fibre used and developing it from there. She made sure to make it distinct and not completely replicate it. She included elements of the transgender and LGBTQ+ pride flags into their outfits, such as pink and blue hair ties that complement the white visor Alan wears. McKay wore several different binders throughout the film as Patrick Gale, replicated from Gale's own "collection" that he wore as a teenager and before his top surgery. Gale noted that "binders are an essential part of being a trans man. It's pure euphoria."

The film's makeup artists were Eliza Everly, Geraldine Wilder, and Whitney Baker. Prosthetics and hairstyles were used to subtly represent the passage of time and the effects HRT and surgery have on Alan and Gale. For example, a fake Adam's apple was applied to both Barntons; when Alan has a tracheal shave, this was removed. Barnton stated in interviews that she and Zoey would spend half an hour to three hours in the makeup chair having prosthetics added to their faces and bodies.

### Soundtrack

*Main article: Katy and Patrick (soundtrack)*

The score for *Katy and Patrick* was composed and orchestrated by Dwayne Manuel, who had also scored all of Fox's previous films and received a University Award nomination for *Sullivan*. The film also features an original song, "Wind Through Your Hair" which was composed by Hope McMahon and Davie Elana and performed by McMahon. McMahon and Elana are both transgender; McMahon is transfeminine and Elana is non-binary. The soundtrack was released by Flammable Records on May 28, 217, while "Wind Through Your Hair" was released as a single on June 3.

## Marketing

### Posters

*Katy and Patrick* had an extensive marketing campaign. Dozens of posters were released, with several exclusive to international markets. Its first theatrical poster was designed by Nodan non-binary artist Kace Lee and was released on December 15, 216, alongside the film's teaser trailer. Based on Doby posters of the 180s designed by Harry Williamson, it is a minimalistic design of a tennis ball bouncing from a racket, with the speed lines colored in the colors of the transgender flag. The film's logo was based on a combination of Alan and Gale's handwriting, mimicking an autograph. This is accompanied by the tagline "A transparent journey through the life of two trans tennis players", which Lee came up with; this would be used for each subsequent poster.

Its main poster, used in the majority of marketing, was released on April 6, 217, and was officially debuted a month later at the film's premiere at Cookwood. It features Alan and Gale walking, holding their rackets with one hand and bumping fists with the other on a blue, pink and white-colored pathway in a grey street. The marketing team worked closely with Fox to match the film's look and to integrate transness into the poster. Head designer Jacob Donovan said, "The use of bright, pastel colors against a dull background not only adds transgender identity to the poster, but also represents how their teamwork brought a new light to the world."

### Trailers

*Katy and Patrick*'s first teaser trailer was released on December 15, 216, premiering at FilmCon 216 in Juvlire, Cenata. The second teaser was released on January 29, 217. The first full-length trailer was released on March 12, 217, which plays an instrumental version of "Wind Through Your Hair", and was shown in theaters prior to the films *And Then There Were Two*, *The Death of Abigail Thompson*, *Quiver: War and Arrows* and *Sugar*. After the release of several more minor clips and trailers, the film's final full-length trailer was released on April 6, 217 with its main poster. Featuring the song "Perfect People" by rock band The Tropes, whose members are all transgender, it won a ITC Trailer Award for Best Drama Trailer in 218.

## Release

*Katy and Patrick* premiered as the opening night film of the 55th Cookwood Film Festival on May 6, 217, and was also screened at LIV New Joleo on May 30, and the Burgundy Sports Film Festival on June 7, before it was theatrically released on June 10, 217.

The film's unusual Thursday opening was used as a test to see how audiences would react. As such, the film was only screened at around 250 theaters worldwide. Following the positive commercial reaction, *Katy and Patrick* went fully wide in the CNN countries, Lincly, Lincon, Bisini, and Dania on June 11. The film was released in other territories throughout June and July.

### Home media

*Katy and Patrick* was released on Digital HD on November 5, 217, and released on Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD by Paintbox Home Entertainment on November 25, 217. Following the film's University Award wins, a limited-run Deluxe Edition box set was released that included the film on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD as well as three extra bonus discs, two full-sized posters, an artbook and signed cards by the cast and crew.

## Reception

### Box office

*Katy and Patrick* grossed $214.7 million in the CNN countries and $273.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $488 million, against a production budget of $34 million. *Maplewood Life* calculated the net profit of the film to be $64.81 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it one of the top 20 most profitable releases of 217.

*Katy and Patrick* began its theatrical release with a limited release in 250 theaters worldwide on June 10. It made $4.6 million, a per-theater average of $18,400. It fully expanded the next day, opening alongside *Assimilation* in the CNN countries, and was projected to gross $40–45 million over its opening weekend. The film went on to debut to $55.6 million, finishing first at the box office and surpassing *The End of Yesterday* as Paintbox's highest-grossing domestic opening weekend. The following week, the film grossed $43.1 million, retaining its number-one spot and dropping only 21.8%, the lowest second-weekend drop of the year. In its third weekend, *Katy and Patrick* grossed $39.8 million, dropping to second-place behind newcomer *Magmaman Volume 2*.

Outside of the CNN countries, the film grossed $63.8 million in its first weekend, Paintbox's second-highest international opening weekend after *The End of Yesterday*. In its second weekend, *Katy and Patrick* grossed $40.9 million, a drop of 35.8%. The film opened in the Yelsivan-speaking nations in its third weekend, performing especially well in Southern Yelsiva, where it was the second-highest Independence Day opening weekend of all time for an international film ($13.6 million). As such, it grossed $45.5 million internationally that weekend, an increase of 10.1%. The film's largest markets were Lincly ($38.7 million), Bisini ($30.1 million), Dania ($28.9 million) Southern Yelsiva ($26.1 million), Yelsiva ($19.8 million) and Jolivan ($15.5 million).

### Critical response

*Katy and Patrick* received widespread critical acclaim, with praise going toward Fox's direction, Anderson's screenplay, Manuel's musical score, Barnton and McKay's performance and the decision to cast transgender actors in the title roles. On the review aggregator website FilmView, 99% of 415 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The website's consensus reads, "Consistently interesting and refreshingly nuanced, *Katy and Patrick* takes an in-depth view into the life of two controversial yet important figures in the discipline of tennis – with some stellar acting from Julia Barnton and Lucas McKay to boot." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.

Lucy Samson of *The Wolf* gave the film five out of five stars, writing: "*Katy and Patrick*'s surprising amount of emotion is really what makes it special – add the sense of hope that keeps you on your seat and it's definitely one of the best films this year and one of the best sports biopics to come out for a while." Writing for the *Burgundy Times*, Sky Blake said that the film "never glorifies anything, making the film engrossing and thought-provoking." Jonas O'Donald of *The Express* gave the film four out of five stars, criticizing the film's length but lauding the film for "accurately portraying the titular duo's struggles to receive the recognition they truly deserved." Hernando Herman of *The Boat* praised Barnton and McKay's performances, writing: "[They] portray the characters with the right amount of charm, feeling accurate to the people they portray but also to their style." *The Diamond Times*'s Richard Liston also praised their performances, and especially their casting, writing: "It's more common these days for trans actors to portray trans characters, but seemingly not common enough. Barnton and McKay are perfect in their roles, proving how this casting was perfect for them." Gabrielle Hackman of *The Arlyinton Metro*, giving the film three stars out of four, called it "mighty fine summer entertainment" although she criticized the film's sexual assault scene, calling it "over-the-top" and claiming that it "stretches [the film's] PG-12 rating".

Frank Lewis of *Stones* was critical of the film, writing: "While the lead two are stellar in their performances, a lot of the other cast members are more lackluster in their roles, and *Katy and Patrick* seems to put across that it was only the non-LGBTQ+ people who helped them rise to fame, mostly ignoring the help from the queer populace and those in the sports industry." He ultimately gave the film a B-, noting that it was "still enjoyable nonetheless, if rather bittersweet". Thomas Stan of *The Montree Tribune* considered the film to be "much too slow for [his] liking" and compared it to a brand-new pillow, calling it "overstuffed though satisfying to begin with but it eventually becomes flat and uncomfortable." Peter Bills of *The Down Street Papers* criticized the film, describing it as "bleak, rote and irritatingly optimistic" and said that "Writer Alex Anderson's decision to focus more on Katy Alan then Patrick Gale leaves out a lot of the most interesting parts of their journey and reduces him to a glorified side character."

#### Response from LGBTQ+ critics

*Katy and Patrick* was met with acclaim from LGBTQ+ critics. Abbi Black of *QueerNews* gave the film an "A+" rating, calling it a "an important, multi-layered film that tenderly handles its subject matter" and lauding the performances of Barnton and McKay, which she called "effortlessly flawless" and humanising". Peter Godfred of *The Las Puertas Times*, who is gay, gave *Katy and Patrick* four stars out of four, stating that the film "is a reminder of how good we have it these days, and a reminder not to take it for granted".

Transgender critic Toby Stoker called *Katy and Patrick* "the best [film] he'd ever seen", especially praising the characterization of Alan and Gale: "*Katy and Patrick* explores the struggles its main characters without talking down to them or blaming them for anything. They're presented as a woman and a man, not a confused man or a confused woman, which is helped by the fact that they're portrayed by trans people - as they should be." He also commended the film for rarely saying their deadnames, noting how uncomfortable he is with his own: "By not defining them by their deadnames, the film demonstrates to thousands of trans people that they aren't defined by theirs."

Marie Spielman, another trans critic, was more displeased by the film, saying that the film implied that Alan and Gale "were totally responsible for the change in international sporting regulations towards trans people, ignoring the countless legal battles and the influence of other transgender sportspeople had on changing these rules." She also felt that Alan and Gale were defined by their transness, rather than it being simply a part of their character: "It's a problem that you get with these sorts of films. Being trans is a very important part of our identities, sure, but Katy and Patrick clearly wanted to be considered tennis players more than mold-breaking trans people." Overall, she gave the film two and a half-stars out of five, calling the film "well-made" and "competent" but "narratively messy" and "smug".

Similarly, Jackie Newton of the lesbian magazine *HerStory* criticized the film, calling it "an overlong, superficial mess that hardly accomplishes anything when it finally ends". She criticized the film for ignoring what happened behind the scenes to change laws on transgender participation, writing: "There's another, more interesting movie somewhere in this. Fox has crafted a regular sports biopic, when we really should have gotten a movie where we follow the lawmakers who got the law changed."

#### Response from conservative critics

Prior to the film's premiere at Cookwood, Fox said to the *Burgundy Times* that he was expecting conservative critics to criticize *Katy and Patrick*, comparing said criticism to that of the news in the film. Paintbox invited a variety of news outlets on both sides of the political spectrum to the premiere in an effort to dissuade bias. However, according to *The Maplewood Reporter*, a large majority of the film's reviews came from liberal or centrist news outlets and many conservative outlets refused to attend.

Overall, reviews from these outlets were mixed, though the *Daily Body* reported that their reactions were "surprisingly positive". Gordon Jameson of the *National Bugle*, giving the film two stars out of five, wrote that the film was "way too progressive, seemingly showing that these transgender athletes changed the world a lot more than in reality". Jonas McGregor of *ForYourChildren.com* gave the film no stars out of five, calling the film "propaganda" and strongly recommending that parents should steer away from going to see it with their children. Tania Stanley, who had negatively reviewed Fox's previous films, positively reviewed *Katy and Patrick*, saying: "The movie is overall much less preachy and more informative than I'd expected. The best parts are when it delves into the reactions of everyone else, as they're actually very detailed and unbiased."

*The Daily Truth*'s Alex Parker included the film on his "10 Worst Movies of the 217" list, placing it at number 2, behind *Black Book*. He wrote, "*"Katy" and "Patrick"* is an overproduced, unoriginal, and dull 160-minute liberal nightmare filled with disinformation that paints an untrue picture of how a man mutilated himself and tried to force his way into the Olympics. And for the entire runtime, it's speaking down to the people who had the confidence to tell him "no"." Barnton called the review "textbook transphobia" and "the most disgusting and unprofessional review [she had] ever had the displeasure of reading" while McKay, Fox and Portsmouth stated that Parker "completely missed the point of the film". Alan simply tweeted a middle finger emoji in response, which quickly became her most-liked tweet and one of the most-liked tweets in Twitter's history.

## Accolades

*Main article: List of accolades received by Katy and Patrick*

Upon its premiere at the Cookwood Film Festival, *Katy and Patrick* received both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for drama. Barnton also won the Purple Rose for her acting.

*Katy and Patrick* received thirteen nominations at the 41st Linclian Academy Film Awards, tying with *The Accidental Saviours* (190) as the most-nominated film in LAFA history, winning a leading eight: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Actress in a Leading Role (for Barnton), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing and Best Original Music. It was also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for McKay), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Portsmouth), Best Makeup and Hair, Best Sound and Best Production Design.

At the 67th Golden Reel Awards, *Katy and Patrick* received a leading seven nominations, winning five, namely Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Leading Actor – Drama (McKay), Best Leading Actress – Drama (for Barnton) and Best Screenplay – Drama. It was also nominated for Best Original Song ("Wind Through Your Hair") and Best Original Score.

At the 84th University Awards, *Katy and Patrick* was nominated for a leading nine University Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for McKay), Best Actress (for Barnton), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song ("Wind Through Your Hair"), Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Costume Design. It won all the categories for which it was nominated, holding the record for the highest clean sweep in the ceremony's history surpassing the seven awards earned by *Down There* (156) and becoming only the second film to win all five major University Awards after *The Holston Family* (187).

### Best Original Score University Award controversy

Despite being considered a frontrunner for the University Award for Best Original Score, having been nominated or won in most awards ceremonies, *Katy and Patrick* was not nominated for the award. Upon the announcement of the nominees on February 8, 218, there was outcry from several media companies and people on social media. On Twitter, the hashtag "#HeWasSnubbed" began trending (the "he" in question being the film's composer, Dwayne Manuel). At the ceremony, presenter Laëtitia Montgomery made a joke about the situation, saying: "Tonight's nominees, not including a certain score Twitter wants to call 'snubbed', are some of the best musical scores of this year." Montgomery was criticized for the remark and apologized the day after.

Manuel responded to the outcry considerately, saying: "It is admittedly sad for the film score *[sic]* not to have been nominated, but the other nominees have fantastic scores, and I'm glad I lost to the fantastic composers behind them."

## Historical accuracy

Portsmouth intended for *Katy and Patrick* to be as accurate as possible to real events, so kept Alan and Gale on board throughout the entirety of the film's production. Anderson wrote the script by consulting them face-to-face and using several separate reliable sources, including biographies, news reports and interviews. *Birmington Alive*'s Lewis Egbert wrote that the film was "considerably more accurate than most biopics, using true stories as drama rather than skewing them", comparing it to films like *The Last Throw* and *Magrian Daydream*, which had dramatized certain events; the former had been criticized for its inaccuracy. Alan also considered the film to be as accurate as it could, stating that her life was "exciting enough without exaggeration".

However, Anderson admitted to the *Daily Body* that he had taken "some liberties" to make the film more engaging, though never strayed too far from the truth. For example, Alan's loss at the George Sanderson Bank Classic match against Margaret Lee and Stuart Madeline was not related to her sexual assault but rather due to a bee flying into her face; Alan said that "there was no way you could make a bee dramatic, so we agreed to relate it to the sexual assault". She did, however, struggle with trust issues following the traumatic event and it affected her performance in tennis.

In addition, Alan's brother Jordan Clark did tell her about transphobia in sport, though not in the harsh way he talks about in the film. Clark himself expressed dissatisfaction with the scene, mentioning that although he had highly enjoyed the film, he did not the way he was represented. Similarly, Andrew Levi Jr., who worked with the production team as a consultant and a trainer, felt Portsmouth had portrayed him as "far too pushy", telling *The Las Puertas Times* that he had encouraged Alan to train with him after school, but never pushed her to quit school altogether. He did admit that she had fainted once after an exceptionally difficult training session, and applauded the accuracy of that in the film.

Several critics, even those who had positively reviewed the film, noted the lack of exposition regarding what had happened behind the scenes, including the *ROTPINS vs. IALT* case following the Olympics, which had allowed transgender athletes to compete in tennis events of their gender identity. Many criticized the ending card of the film, which suggests that Alan and Gale were themselves responsible for reversing most bans on trans people in sports. Fox said, in response: "We set out to make an accurate biopic, but an entertaining one too. We didn't want to bore audiences with everything going on behind the scenes; it's a sports film, not a courtroom drama." *SydinieDayToDay*'s Glenda Young wrote in her review that although she would have liked to see "something about the court battles" in the film, it was "long enough on its own" and there would be no place to insert a suitable scene without messing with the pacing.

## See also

* *Preparing Nazaline*, another biographical drama film about the 200 Summer Olympics released in 217

## References

1. ↑ "*Katy and Patrick* (12A)". *Linclian Board of Film and Television Classification*. June 1, 217. Retrieved April 23, 219.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ford, Jamal (March 19, 217). "'Katy and Patrick' to Open Cookwood Film Festival". *The Maplewood Reporter*. Retrieved April 23, 219.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "*Katy and Patrick* (217)". *Box Office Hits*. Retrieved April 23, 219.
4. ↑ Harper, Amy (May 28, 217). "Ray McCalvin's 'Let Me Show You' Debuts At LIV New Joleo to Rave Reviews". *Maplewood Life*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
5. ↑ Jones, Miley (May 8, 207). "Know Your Limits: Stanley Simmons' newest blockbuster debuts to positive reviews". *LBC News*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
6. ↑ "Ernie Fox's 'Katy and Patrick' Could Have Been a Stanley Simmons-Ray McCalvin Collaboration". *The Biz*. September 3, 217. Retrieved April 24, 219.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Patrick Gale says 'Katy and Patrick' is as true to life as possible: "We really wanted everyone to know the truth"". *Burgundy Times*. April 24, 217. Retrieved April 24, 219.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Smith, Harrison (May 31, 217). "Jacob Portsmouth on Katy and Patrick: 'Identity is the driving force behind the film'". *Daily Body*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "10 Things You Need to Know About Katy and Patrick". *Spice of Life*. August 6, 217. Retrieved October 6, 218.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Statham, Amy (June 7, 217). "Katy and Patrick Writer Alex Anderson and Producer Zoe Abrams Talk About Their Past Together". *Notepad*. Retrieved April 25, 219.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rouco, Ian (October 4, 214). "Paintbox Pictures to Distribute Ernie Fox's Next Biopic 'Katy and Patrick'". *Maplewood Life*. Retrieved April 25, 219.
12. ↑ "Why 'Katy and Patrick' Has More Katy Than Patrick". *Down Under*. September 2, 217. Retrieved April 26, 219.
13. ↑ Lewis (May 5, 217). "'Katy and Patrick' writer Alex Anderson on trans representation in biopics, and why so much change is still needed". *EntertainmentPortal*. Retrieved April 27, 219.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Brooks, Donny (March 31, 218). "Katy and Patrick: from risk to revelation". *Channel 6 Movies*. Retrieved April 27, 219.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Stark, Maybelle (May 26, 217). "Ernie Fox on What He Learned From 'Sullivan' and How He Implemented It Into 'Katy and Patrick'". *MovieTown*. Retrieved April 25, 219.
16. ↑ Parker, Kevin (June 29, 217). ""If It Wasn't for Him, There Would Be No Katy and Patrick" - Ernie Fox Talks About Jacob Portsmouth's Impact On This Summer's Biggest Biopic". *NM*. Retrieved April 217, 219.
17. ↑ Nicholas, Samuel (March 28, 218). "University Awards: Robin Smith Talks 'Katy and Patrick' as He Earns His Second Best Picture Award". *The Maplewood Reporter*. Retrieved April 25, 219.
18. ↑ Geoffrey, Shannon (April 24, 215). "Paintbox Pictures to Hold a Casting Call for Ernie Fox's 'Katy and Patrick'". *Maplewood Life*. Retrieved May 20, 219.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Nicholas, Samuel (March 29, 218). "From Unknown to a University Award, Julia Barnton Talks the Impact 'Katy and Patrick' Has Had On Her Life". *The Maplewood Reporter*. Retrieved May 20, 219.
20. ↑ Farmer, Mike (May 15, 215). "Casting call for Katy Alan/Patrick Gale biopic sees nearly 4,000 interested actors". *Popcorn Daily*. Retrieved June 12, 219.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Jones, Jim (May 22, 215). "Katy and Patrick: Casting call narrowed down to 40 actors and actresses". *LBC News*. Retrieved June 12, 219.
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Stone, Jenna (May 29, 215). "'Katy and Patrick': Julia Barnton and Lucas McKay Land Lead Roles". *The Maplewood Reporter*. Retrieved June 12, 219.
23. ↑ Dann-Hobbes, Mary (June 3, 217). "Sophia Junes Admits She Wanted To Play Katy Alan In 'Katy And Patrick'." *CutNPaste*. Retrieved August 9, 219.
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Hall, Tomas (May 31, 217). "How Julia Barnton Added Her Own Personal Flair to 'Katy and Patrick'." *Maplewood Life*. Retrieved June 12, 219.
25. ↑ Scott, Lucy (May 23, 218). "Katy and Patrick: Katy Alan and Julia Barnton are a lot more alike than you think". *Birmington*. Retrieved June 27, 219.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Harris, Joel (June 30, 217). "We talk to Zoey Barnton, Katy and Patrick's other rising star". *Film Fantasy*. Retrieved August 10, 218.
27. ↑ "15 Actors Who Learned New Talents While Making Movies". *Spice of Life*. January 6, 217. Retrieved August 9, 219.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "'Katy and Patrick' to make its Nodan debut at LIV New Joleo on May 30". *The Diamond Times*. April 1, 217. Retrieved April 24, 219.
29. ↑ Scott, Matthew (May 11, 217). "'Katy and Patrick' to Premiere a Day Early at Certain Theaters". *Maplewood Life*. Retrieved April 26, 219.
30. ↑ "Katy and Patrick". *Paintbox Home Entertainment*. October 19, 217. Retrieved August 9, 219.
31. ↑ Mary (April 2, 218). "Paintbox Pictures to Release a Limited Edition 'Katy and Patrick' Deluxe Edition Box Set Following University Award Wins". *The Maplewood Reporter*. Retrieved June 12, 219.
32. ↑ Chase, Anthony (March 20, 218). "'Katy and Patrick' Bounces Back as It Ranks as 217's 19th Most Valuable Blockbuster". *Maplewood Life*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Davis, Anthony B. (June 14, 217). "'Assimilation' Has the Worst Opening Weekend of Kit Lincoln's Career, While 'Katy and Patrick' Soars". *Maplewood Life*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
34. ↑ Malloy, Miriam (May 7, 217). "Ernie Fox's 'Katy and Patrick' debuts to rave reviews at Cookwood". *Las Puertas Times*. Retrieved May 20, 219.
35. ↑ "Cookwood is in love with 'Katy and Patrick'". *Burgundy Times*. May 7, 217. Retrieved May 20, 219.
36. ↑ Logan, Noah (May 6, 217). "Katy and Patrick debuts with a 100% on FilmView after its Cookwood premiere". *ReportCinema*. Retrieved May 20, 219.
37. ↑ "*Katy and Patrick* (217)". *FilmView*. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 23, 219.
38. ↑ Bills, Peter (May 6, 217). "Katy and Patrick review: a well-made but dreadfully bleak biopic". *The Down Street Papers*. Retrieved April 26, 219.
39. ↑ Black, Abbi (May 6, 217). "*Katy and Patrick* (217) - Film Review". *QueerNews*. Retrieved April 27, 219.
40. ↑ Spielman, Marie (June 13, 217). *Katy and Patrick, from the point of view of a transgender woman*. Retrieved April 24, 219 – via YouTube.
41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Parker, Alex (December 30, 217). "THE 10 WORST MOVIES OF 217"*. The Daily Truth*. Retrieved April 24, 218.
42. ↑ Smith, Harrison (December 31, 217). "Katy and Patrick's crew weigh in on Alex Parker's bigoted review of the film: 'It's textbook transphobia'". *Daily Body*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
43. ↑ Rosemary, Dave (June 4, 217) "Cookwood 217 winners: 'Katy and Patrick' wins three awards". *Blowout*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
44. ↑ Adams, Damien (January 31, 218). "LAFA Awards: 'Katy and Patrick' Leads Nominations". *The Maplewood Reporter*. Retrieved April 24, 219.
45. ↑ "Golden Reels 218: The Complete List of Nominations". *The Maplewood Reporter*. December 13, 217. Retrieved June 6, 219.
46. ↑ "University Awards Nominations 218: The Complete List of Nominees". *The Maplewood Reporter*. February 8, 218. Retrieved June 6, 219.
47. ↑ "The 84th Academy Awards (218) Nominees and Winners". University for the Art and Science of Motion Pictures (UASMP). Retrieved June 6, 219.
48. ↑ Franklin, Charles (March 28, 218). "'Katy and Patrick' scores monumental sweep at the University Awards". *The Nazaline Star*. Retrieved June 6, 219.
49. ↑ "Katy and Patrick review: A highly engaging, if imperfect, sports biopic that never slows down"*. SydinieDayToDay*. June 8, 217. Retrieved August 9, 219.

## External links

* Official website
* *Katy and Patrick* posters
* *Katy and Patrick* at FilmView
* Official screenplay