The Joneses (Documentary)

I didn't really expect much going into watching this documentary, but I have to say that this ended up being an extraordinary story of a trans female in her 70s living in Mississippi, her 4 sons and her grandkids. The director apparently filmed this over a period of 5 years during which they deal with questions of sexuality, religion, family history, and self-discovery. I can totally see this film being made to a movie. In fact, the name is missing me, but I do remember an old American film , where the father comes out as someone who works in a factory and loves to cross dress at almost retirement age.

70-something Jheri is unique and very openly talks about her life as a man. We get to know his time as Jerry Jones, who was married once , had 4 boys but couldn't lie anymore. Jerry ended up divorcing his wife then but because of hims wanting to transition and dressing up as a woman, his ex-wife sort of forbade him to meet the kids. Now that the wife is passed on, the documentary focuses on Jheri's relationship with her sons and her grandkids. Two of her sons now live with her and are going through their own struggles, including the youngest son coming out gay. A good part of the story also focuses on the fact that it's time to tell Jheri's grandkids who are 14 and 13 respectively to tell the truth about their grandma.

To be honest, I can't even imagine what Jheri's life must have been been in those days. Coming out as transgender, and going through the surgery eventually at the age of 60, things must not have been easy. In a belt where people are conservative and religious, the documentary actually never ficuses on Jheri's struggles as a trans female. Instead, the director is very clear that he wants to focus on the Joneses as a family unit. It is not easy when amongst all four grown up boys, two of her sons living with her in her spacious mobile home, another in a home for the mentally unwell, and the fourth (the one with the grandkids) living away from home but nearby, and in my opinion the only one true settled. The film’s best moments do involve the normally confident Jheri admitting her fears of broaching the subject of her transgender life, but like in most places, the younger generation isn’t nearly as closed minded as their adult counterparts, and they seem delighted to finally have their long-burning questions about having an extra grandmother answered. The Joneses moves from low-level tension to heartwarming family drama quite beautifully. It is a compelling documentary about an unorthodox family and the deeply complex personal bonds that make or break us. The movie also doesn’t forget to let us see the family having fun with each other. It’s not all one emotional crisis after another, and whenever Jheri turns on some music and starts to shake it, you can’t help but smile. The Joneses is a sweet, intimate work with modest storytelling goals centering on one family but representing a much bigger one. (6.5/10)