BECOMING CHAZ (TV)
Summary
This documentary film explores the life of Chaz Bono, born Chastity Bono to Cher and Sonny Bono, as he transitions from female to male.
The program begins as Bono discusses being in the spotlight from a very young age, explaining that he tried to "stay under the radar" and always secretly wished to be a boy. Bono, who lives with his partner Jennifer Elia and their many pets, has been on male hormone therapy for six months and is soon to have "top surgery" on his chest to remove his female breasts. He explains that transgenderism was not an openly discussed idea during his childhood and that he chose to present as a masculine-appearing lesbian woman for many years, uncomfortable with the idea of making physical changes. Elia discusses their five-year relationship, stating that Bono told her six months in that he would need to transition "at some point." Bono recalls that the two of them initially fought about the topic, but Elia soon came to accept the idea and is now supportive.
Bono, Elia, and their dog Rocco head to San Francisco to meet with surgeon Michael Brownstein, who discusses the medical community's gradual acceptance of transgender issues and procedures. Dr. Richard Horowitz, who provides Bono with hormones, explains that the process is like a "second puberty." Bono talks with his aunt and grandmother about his fears of transitioning in the public eye due to the family's celebrity. Cher explains that she always viewed her child as a "tomboy." Bono was four when his parents divorced, and his stepmother Mary Bono Mack notes that Sonny "allowed him to be a boy." As the day of the surgery dawns, Bono explains that he abused painkillers and became a "shut-in" for a long time after the death of a girlfriend and is now concerned about relapsing; Elia adds that she dislikes hospitals and also has issues with alcohol. The surgery goes well, however, and Bono is pleased with his more masculine body, though the recovery process proves difficult. He later chats with Masen Davis of the Transgender Law Center, who comments on his own coming-out process. When Bono gets together with Brownstein again, he states that he now feels "like a complete person."
Bono meets with his sponsor, Jane, who also loaned him money for the surgery, and she reacts with joy to seeing his changing appearance. Bono discusses his emotional changes since starting hormone therapy, noting that he is now the only male in the support group. He remains at home post-surgery and spends time playing video games, which Elia dislikes, explaining how it has long proved a useful distraction from drug use and depression. Bono then meets with publicist Howard Bragman and tapes a segment with "Entertainment Tonight," having decided to come out in a public way in order to help others, aware that he will face media attention either way. Elia then assists Bono with his hormone shots, which he must take twice a month from now on; she comments on the changes in their sex life and the different "energy" in their relationship since the process began. She notes Bono's increased "assertiveness" and other minor body changes, admitting that she is not entirely happy with his increasingly masculine nature. As Bono shops for a suit for an upcoming event, Cher explains that she has not seen her son since the surgery and is still uncomfortable with the situation, recalling her distress at hearing Bono's former female voice on an answering machine.
Bono notes that younger people seem to accept the idea of transgenderism with more ease, and his stepsiblings Chianna and Chesare agree that it is "not that big of a deal" to them to accept their "new" brother. Cher notes that Sonny, who died in 1998 in a skiing accident, was more accepting of Bono's lesbian identity than she herself was. Bono listens to his 1965 song "Laugh at Me," which deals with ideas of societal rejection. Later, Bono legally changes his gender and name, taking "Salvatore" as a middle name in honor of his father, and is hounded with questions from paparazzi outside the courthouse. He attends a rally in Hollywood and states his commitment to fighting for transgender rights. He begins reconnecting with old friends who knew him as Chastity, including his first girlfriend Heidi Shink, with whom he formed the band Ceremony, a "tremendous failure."
Elia receives her master's degree from UCLA and states that she has begun drinking heavily again, feeling overwhelmed by the combination of school and Bono's transition. She states that she misses the person she met five years ago, and the couple argues as they prepare for a brunch celebrating her graduation. Elia discusses her extreme anxiety about telling her parents of Bono's transition, though they were ultimately unfazed by the news. Bono later heads to the annual Southern Comfort Transgender Conference in Atlanta without Elia; he meets many other transgender individuals and explores his options for "bottom surgery," observing that the female-to-male procedures are still not very promising and that many transmen choose not to alter their genitals. Cher admits that she still struggles with "remembering" to refer to Bono by male pronouns, though she does so a few times while chatting with David Letterman. Bono notes that she is making an effort. He meets with the members of Transforming Family, a support group for young transgender children and their parents, commenting on the importance of beginning hormone blockers at puberty to simplify one's transition later in life.
Later, Elia gets sober and explains that she and Bono are getting "reacquainted" and adjusting to their new life, and they attend the GLAAD Awards together. Cher states that she is trying to put herself in her child's position to understand his feelings, and Bono throws a "maniversary" party to celebrate one year of transitioning. The program ends with Bono and Elia attending the red-carpet premiere of Cher's film "Burlesque."
Details
- NETWORK: OWN
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:25:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 116784
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: LGBT Collection; Public affairs/Documentaries; Biography
- SERIES RUN: OWN - TV, 2011
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Fenton Bailey … Producer, Director
- Randy Barbato … Producer, Director
- Chaz Bono … Producer
- Mona Card … Co-Producer
- Howard Bragman … Associate Producer
- Dina Lapolt … Associate Producer
- John Blair … Associate Producer
- Thairin Smothers … Field Producer
- Ashley York … Field Producer
- David Benjamin Steinberg … Music by
- Chaz Bono … Interviewee
- Jennifer Elia … Interviewee
- Richard Horowitz … Interviewee
- Michael Brownstein … Interviewee
- Cher … Interviewee
- Masen Davis … Interviewee
- Howard Bragman … Interviewee
- Mary Bono Mack … Interviewee
- Chesare Elan Bono … Interviewee
- Chianna Maria Bono … Interviewee
- Heidi Shink … Interviewee
- Sonny Bono
- David Letterman