Elliot Page
Sam
Overview
A trans man returns to his hometown for the first time in years. On his journey, he confronts his relationship with his family, reunites with a first love, and discovers a newfound confidence in himself.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readThe Unscripted Weight of Coming Home
There’s a moment in Close to You that feels like it was stolen from real life. Sam (Elliot Page), a trans man in his late 30s, sits at his parents’ dinner table, surrounded by relatives who haven’t seen him in years. The conversation is polite, strained—until it isn’t.
Someone makes a comment about his transition, not cruel but thoughtless, the kind of remark that lands like a pebble in a still pond. Sam’s face doesn’t change, but his hands do. They tighten around his fork, just for a second, before he sets it down and says, quietly, "You weren’t worrying about me when I was actually not okay." The room goes still.
The camera, hovering just over his shoulder, doesn’t cut away. It doesn’t need to.
This is the kind of scene Dominic Savage’s film excels at: the quiet, aching kind, where the real drama isn’t in what’s said but in what’s left unsaid. Close to You is a film that unfolds like a memory—messy, nonlinear, and deeply personal. It’s also, by design, a film that resists easy categorization. Is it a drama?
A romance? A character study? The answer is yes, and also none of the above.
It’s a film that feels less like a story being told and more like a life being lived, in real time, with all the awkward pauses and unfinished sentences that entails.
That improvisational quality is both the film’s greatest strength and its most glaring weakness. Savage, known for his I Am… anthology series, has built a career on this approach—working from an outline rather than a script, encouraging actors to find the truth of a scene in the moment. It’s a method that can yield extraordinary results, as it does here in Sam’s interactions with his family.
The dinner table confrontation, for instance, crackles with tension precisely because it feels unscripted. The dialogue isn’t polished; it’s halting, repetitive, the way real conversations often are. But the same approach that makes these scenes feel so alive also leaves the film feeling uneven, as if it’s constantly searching for its footing.
Take the subplot involving Sam’s reunion with Katherine (Hillary Baack), a childhood friend and former lover. Their scenes together are tender, even sweet, but they also feel like they belong in a different movie. The romance is underdeveloped, almost an afterthought, and the chemistry between Page and Baack, while warm, isn’t given enough room to breathe.
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsElliot Page’s Improvised Journey in Close to You
Elliot Page’s first lead role as a trans man in Close to You (2024) isn’t just a career milestone—it’s a deeply personal project shaped by improvisation, collaboration, and a shared vision with director Dominic Savage. The film, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival before its 2024 release, follows Sam, a trans man in his late 30s returning home for his father’s birthday after years away 
. latestnetflix.com's take is that what unfolds is a raw, intimate exploration of family, identity, and the quiet tensions of reconnection, all captured through a largely improvised process.
A Story Born from Conversation
Close to You is entirely fictional, but its origins lie in a real-life creative partnership. Page, who co-wrote the story with Savage, was drawn to the director’s work after seeing his 2010 anthology I Am… . The two developed the film’s premise through conversations, with Page’s own experiences as a trans man subtly informing the narrative—though the character of Sam isn’t a direct stand-in for the actor . The result is a script that feels lived-in, even if the specifics are invented.
The film’s improvisational approach was key to its authenticity. Page and Savage worked closely with the cast to shape scenes organically, allowing performances to evolve naturally rather than adhering to a rigid script . This method gave the film its documentary-like immediacy, with Page’s portrayal of Sam earning praise for its emotional depth 
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Behind the Scenes: A Collaborative Process
The production leaned heavily on trust and spontaneity. Page and Savage discussed the film’s themes extensively before shooting, but much of the dialogue and interactions were developed on set . This approach extended to the supporting cast, which includes Wendy Crewson, Peter Outerbridge, and Daniel Maslany, all of whom contributed to the film’s naturalistic tone .
One standout detail: the film’s title, Close to You, wasn’t just a thematic choice—it reflected the cast’s tight-knit dynamic. Page described the experience as deeply collaborative, with Savage fostering an environment where actors felt safe to take risks . The result is a film that feels less like a traditional drama and more like a series of real, unscripted moments.
Reception and What’s Next
Close to You has been met with critical acclaim, particularly for Page’s performance. Roger Ebert’s review called it a "quietly powerful" exploration of trans identity, while Variety praised its "palpable personal investment" . The film’s improvised nature has also sparked curiosity about its making, with outlets like Dazed highlighting how Page and Savage’s creative process shaped its authenticity .
As for what’s next, there’s no word yet on future projects from the duo, but Close to You stands as a testament to their shared vision. For Page, it’s a rare leading role that aligns with his identity, while for Savage, it’s another entry in his filmography of intimate, character-driven stories.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.