Critical response
The film received mixed reviews, with some praising Bradley for creating an honest and dynamic portray of the struggles faced by the transgender community, and others criticising her use of humor as a vehicle for discussing serious transgender issues.
Writing for the National Post, Rebecca Tucker states that by placing the focus of the film on Adam and Miriam's love story, rather than Adam's sexual reassignment surgery, is "what makes the film work ... The habit [of film] to focus specifically on transition –on treating the bodies’ of trans people as physical curiosities open for discussion –is wickedly dehumanizing."[5] Bradley’s highlighting of a transgender character within "the greater context of humane experience, not just trans experience, is important particularly as a means of garnering greater acceptance, understanding, and tolerance: simply put, it communicates rather bluntly that trans people are people, too."[5] Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail also gave the film a three out of four stars rating, stating that while "the acting is uniformly unforced and the tone is gentle throughout the turns" there is fault in how the "highly awkward situations are resolved with an efficiency that is more wishful thinking than reality."[6]
Susan G. Cole, a feminist writer for NOW Magazine, describes the film as having issues with tone, stating: "this is supposed to be a comedy, but the struggles of transgendered people are very real and not funny. And writer/director Bradley gives us an easy ending that makes it look like transphobia doesn’t exist."[7]
Accolades
At the 2015 Leo Awards, Two 4 One received 5 nominations, including: Best Motion Picture, Best Director (for Bradley), Best Screenplay (for Bradley), Best Casting, and Best Costume Design.[8]
At the 2015 Available Light Film Festival, Victoria Film Festival, and Vancouver International Film Festival, the film won Best Feature/Canadian Fiction Film.[9] Additional awards include Outstanding Performance, Male Category, for Gavin Crawford at the ACTRA Toronto Awards, and a nomination for Best Emerging BC Filmmaker for Maureen Bradely at the Vancouver International Film Festival.[9]
The film gained international recognition through screenings across North America and the UK, garnering award nominations and wins at: Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival (Audience Award for Best Comedy), Chicago International LGBTQ+ Film Festival (Special Jury Prize), and Translations: The Seattle Transgender Film Festival (Audience Award for Best Feature Film).[9]