In A Kid Like Jake, adapted from the play by Daniel Pearle, Claire Danes and Jim Parsons play Brooklyn parents trying to get their gender nonconforming preschooler Jake (Leo James Davis) accepted into private school.
Ultimately, A Kid Like Jake isn’t really about the kid, but is more of a nuanced look at the parents who, while supportive and progressive, screw up out of misunderstanding and fear.
Jake likes to wear dresses, refuses to be anyone other than Rapunzel for Halloween, has the full Disney princess DVD collection.
While both Danes’ Alex and Parsons’ Greg are the epitome of woke Park Slope parents who embrace their kid’s gender-expansive play – often with a little educational help from their lesbian friend Judy (Octavia Spencer) – they also struggle with how to raise Jake.