Review of In & Out (1997) by David A — 20 Apr 2010

(from The Watermark, 09/14/97).

Another pleasant comedy that proves gay-themed films can be mainstream. Dillon is a Brad Pitt-esque young movie star who wins an Oscar for playing a gay role. In his acceptance speech, he thanks his high school English teacher, a gay man, who inspired him. But this creates a problem: The teacher (Kline) isn't gay. And now his small town of Greenleaf, Indiana thinks he is. As does the rest of the country thanks to a huge flood of media attention. Selleck is one of the hungriest media hounds, who is determined to coerce Kline out of the closet. And this happens the very same week that Kline is planning to marry his longtime girlfriend (Cusack, who nearly steals the film). The screenplay, written by Paul Rudnick (who wrote the Addams Family flicks and Jeffrey), is chock full of funny situations and lines, most of which challenge conventional gender norms (i.e. a bachelor party that ends up becoming an argument over which is Barbra Streisand's best film). Satire is Rudnick's forte, and it is used to good effect as he sends up the movies, the news media, midwesterners, self-help tapes, and much more. The only problem is the film's third act, in which conventional Hollywood formula takes over. We have Kline at a podium in front of a cheering crowd who accept him no matter who he is. For a film that is trying to shatter stereotypes, why such a stereotypical ending?

QUEER QUOTIENT: (**SPOILER ALERT**): Kline eventually realizes that he is gay. The story then abandons him, and never really follows what goes on with Kline after the big discovery. This is a man in his forties who has believed all his life that he is straight. As a plot twist, it's great, but as a plot device, it needs a whole other movie to explore it. Yes, the film does argue acceptance, but is it a good thing to do so by making light of the coming out process?