This is usually reviewed as a gay/trans film, a man unable to come to terms with his gay sexuality, or a film about a boy coming of age, but those are smokescreens and it's about something else entirely.
It's about a heterosexual man who is Autogynephilic - a propensity to be sexually attracted to himself as a woman - and his attempt to project it onto another male Host, via friendship and coercion. rather than containing it within him. The 'Babe' character is Liam's female identity, his 'created woman', and the object of his sexual and romantic desires - his narcissistic self.
Liam exhibits all the classic signs of autogynephilia... the ETLE - Erotic Target Location Error.. without autogynephilia, he would be attracted to Owen's sister. His NPD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder and NRA, Narcissistic Rage Attacks.
Projecting it onto a Host, he tries to get his 'created woman' to live off and consume the Host - Owen - not himself.. carrying his obsession forward to a full heteronormative relationship with the object of his narcissistic desire, himself as a woman. As long as the Host maintains the illusion, that is the issue here.
He has no sexual attraction to Owen. When they have sex, it is Liam making love to himself as a woman. When he tells Owen he loves him, he does so only to keep him as the Host, he cannot allow Owen to escape.. his love is unconditional only on that aspect..
Narcissistic Rage Attacks occur when the 'created woman' is dismissed as 'not real' or 'only for a laugh'.. evidenced by the stripping of Owen at the sea, the intense verbal attacks, and in the hotel fight on the floor.. An autogynephilic cannot accept that his 'created woman' is not real. Resenting advances from other heterosexual males and purging of clothes by dumping in a rubbish bin, are other hallmarks of their autogynephilia, both hinted at in this film.
The wedding dress scene at the end is tragic for Liam, as when the wig comes off Owen, the Host has reasserted his own identity and rejected the 'created woman' and effectively sent it back to Liam - it's now his problem again.
Liam is one of the most complex and misunderstood characters ever to be portrayed in a film I think, and brilliantly acted by Christian Cooke, who seemed to understand the role perfectly, although his post film comments suggest he thought otherwise about the characters motives..
The screenplay writer seemed to know all about it.
It's about a heterosexual man who is Autogynephilic - a propensity to be sexually attracted to himself as a woman - and his attempt to project it onto another male Host, via friendship and coercion. rather than containing it within him. The 'Babe' character is Liam's female identity, his 'created woman', and the object of his sexual and romantic desires - his narcissistic self.
Liam exhibits all the classic signs of autogynephilia... the ETLE - Erotic Target Location Error.. without autogynephilia, he would be attracted to Owen's sister. His NPD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder and NRA, Narcissistic Rage Attacks.
Projecting it onto a Host, he tries to get his 'created woman' to live off and consume the Host - Owen - not himself.. carrying his obsession forward to a full heteronormative relationship with the object of his narcissistic desire, himself as a woman. As long as the Host maintains the illusion, that is the issue here.
He has no sexual attraction to Owen. When they have sex, it is Liam making love to himself as a woman. When he tells Owen he loves him, he does so only to keep him as the Host, he cannot allow Owen to escape.. his love is unconditional only on that aspect..
Narcissistic Rage Attacks occur when the 'created woman' is dismissed as 'not real' or 'only for a laugh'.. evidenced by the stripping of Owen at the sea, the intense verbal attacks, and in the hotel fight on the floor.. An autogynephilic cannot accept that his 'created woman' is not real. Resenting advances from other heterosexual males and purging of clothes by dumping in a rubbish bin, are other hallmarks of their autogynephilia, both hinted at in this film.
The wedding dress scene at the end is tragic for Liam, as when the wig comes off Owen, the Host has reasserted his own identity and rejected the 'created woman' and effectively sent it back to Liam - it's now his problem again.
Liam is one of the most complex and misunderstood characters ever to be portrayed in a film I think, and brilliantly acted by Christian Cooke, who seemed to understand the role perfectly, although his post film comments suggest he thought otherwise about the characters motives..
The screenplay writer seemed to know all about it.