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ONCE "out" meant "not in". Gay bashers will say
that Nancy's boys are doing unspeakable things to the language. In an
attempt to distort prejudice with a little light comedy, Frank Oz, Paul
Rudnick and friends have concocted a piece of fluff that floats above
the issue like Barbra Streisand in her "What's Up, Doc?" mode.
It isn't sexy enough to blow a fuse, nor man enough to ruffle the plot.
It has the charm of a colour co-ordinated bathrobe.
Rudnick previously wrote "Jeffrey", a genuinely funny play/film
for gays. He wrote "In And Out" for everyone else. Queer jokes
aimed at Mr and Mrs Normal end up in a puddle with yesterday's tulips.
Avoiding the pain loses a lot in translation.
Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is the popular English and drama teacher
at Greenleaf, Indiana. He's about to marry Emily (Joan Cusack), who
has been waiting three years for their relationship to take its clothes
off, when one of his former pupils (Matt Dillon) wins an Oscar for best
actor in a gritty guy-loving war movie. In his acceptance speech he
thanks the home team - agent, lawyer, family - as well as that English
teacher who was not only an inspiration to him, but also gay.
Howard, Emily and the good citizens of Greenleaf are flabberghastlied.
TV crews, headed by Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck), descend upon the sleepy
town. Howard's pupils have trouble taking it in ("He was my hero...until
yesterday"), or believing what they have been told ("Mr Brackett's
not gay! He just likes poetry and Shakespeare and uses his napkin").
Howard is in a tizz. His mother (Debbie Reynolds) won't hear of canceling
the wedding. His fiancée doesn't know where to look.
Kline gives a clever performance, hinting at camp, but not redecorating
the tent. You are never sure whether Brackett has recognised his true
nature before Oscar night, or not, although assume so since he's the
slim side of 40 and still riding a bike. Cusack, who specialises in
jokey best friend roles, plays a devastated bride-to-be with toothsome
gutsiness.
Selleck is the TV action actor who never made it onto the big screen,
unless you're a "Three Men And A Baby" groupie and can't forget
his coochie coo. Without the 'tache he's a dead ringer for George Clooney.
He's comfortable with that, not to mention being macho and gay (who
isn't in this film?), which suits him. Rudnick in the mainstream is
like a shark on hunger strike. Sex makes no appearance (ref: 12 cert).
Oz likes his comedies clean and above board.
For Howard to come out, he has to admit he likes Barbra, dancing and
neat bowties. It's that easy. Small town America can breathe again.
The Wolf
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