When struggling, out of work actor Michael Dorsey secretly adopts a female alter ego – Dorothy Michaels – in order to land a part in a daytime drama, he unwittingly becomes a feminist icon and ends up in a romantic pickle.
When struggling, out of work actor Michael Dorsey secretly adopts a female alter ego – Dorothy Michaels – in order to land a part in a daytime drama, he unwittingly becomes a feminist icon and ends up in a romantic pickle.
The film's left-leaning rating stems from its central premise, which highlights gender inequality and workplace sexism through a man's transformative experience, promoting empathy and challenging traditional gender roles.
The film features a predominantly traditional cast without explicit race or gender swaps of established roles. However, its central narrative strongly critiques traditional male chauvinism and explores gender roles, highlighting the challenges women face in society through its protagonist's experiences.
Tootsie features a male character who cross-dresses as a woman for a comedic plot device to secure an acting role. The film does not depict identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Its narrative focuses on gender roles and a man's personal growth, rather than exploring gender identity or sexual orientation.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film features a male actor who disguises himself as a woman to secure an acting role. This plot device, where a character's canonical gender is maintained despite an in-story gender disguise, is explicitly excluded from the definition of a gender swap.
Tootsie is an original film with no prior source material, historical figures, or established characters whose race could have been altered. All characters were created for this specific production.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources