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In recent years, there have been a flood of critically acclaimed transgendered stories making waves in film and television. TRANSAMERICA, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, and most recently TRANSPARENT have all told the stories of men who feel they have been born into the wrong bodies, and make the brave decision to begin to live their lives as they feel they always should: as women.

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD tells a similar story with a distinct difference: normally in these trans stories we see the marriages of transitioning men break apart after the revelation is made. Of course, this is understandable: no matter what amount of love exists in a marriage, there are a lot of women who would find it difficult to wake up one day and find that the man they married is actually a woman. That change affects the entire family, and the change is nothing if not tumultuous.

When director Sharon Shattuck found out that her father was transgendered, it was soon after her parents announced they would be divorcing. But then it never happened, and decades later her parents remain married. The only difference now? Her father is Trisha, and lives as a woman.

The film examines her family’s life, from it’s inception to the point it arrives at in the present. Marcia is an accomplished doctor, and fell in love and married Trisha (then Michael). She did not know at first of his secret desire to be a woman, but he eventually shared this secret and she was faced with a choice: stay, or leave.

At first, she stays for the children. Their marriage already had a somewhat unconventional style for the time; Marcia worked and Trisha was a stay-at-home dad. After abandoning their divorce, Trisha slowly began to transition with his wife and young children’s support. But still, it is a confusing concept for a child to grasp (some adults still struggle with it). Sharon delves into this confusion, with both her and her sister frankly and openly explaining their own struggles to accept that their father was so “different”. In a lot of ways, the sisters were going through puberty at the same time as their father.

All of these conflicts are brought to the surface when Sharon embarks on the journey towards her own marriage, and reflects upon that of her parents. This juxtaposition, along with the beautiful artwork of  Trisha’s that peppers it’s way through the story, is a beautiful backdrop on which to tell a truly unique story of love, acceptance, and family.