“There’s never been a better time to tell this story.” – Tommy Dorfman
BY TED HILDNER
Inside the comfy, high-tech IPIC theater in the South Street Seaport, the Cinema Society screens I Wish You All the Best – Tommy Dorfman’s sharp, deeply moving directorial debut which he adapted from Mason Deaver’s novel. Sabrina Carpenter, Lena Dunham (who plays a feisty bohemian art teacher in the film) and breakout star Corey Fogelmanis are all there as well as costars Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Alexandra Daddario, Lisa Yamada, Lexi Underwood and Amy Landecker.
Dorfman, who is only 31, wrote, directed and produced the film. First gaining attention as razor-witted Ryan Shaver in Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, Dorfman has become a leading voice for trans visibility and a force of authenticity. Since coming out as a trans woman in 2021, she’s evolved from breakout actor to boundary-pushing filmmaker, redefining what identity and storytelling look like on-screen. Corey Fogelmanis dazzles as Ben, a nonbinary teen navigating identity, love and belonging with humor, grit and heart. Poignant and visually stylish, Dorfman’s anticipated debut delivers a new kind of coming-of-age story that couldn’t be more pertinent as the trans community comes under attack in the US. “There’s never been a better time to tell this story,” Dorfman tells the audience, adding “Fuck Trump” before the lights in the theater dim.
At the after-party at Gitano, Judson Mills, who plays Ben’s ultra-religious father, tells me: “The world feels so chaotic right now. I just hope this film gets seen widely by both kids and parents and helps open a few minds along the way.”
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID BENTHAL for BFA
