MovieChat Forums > In & Out (1997) Discussion > This was made in 1997? I would have gues...

This was made in 1997? I would have guessed maybe 1957.

posted 18 years ago by mrb_unruh
28 replies | jump to latest

I saw the first half of this on the USA network last night and unless there are some serious changes in the second half, this movie is the most bigoted trash i have ever seen. It might as well have been about a guy who was accused of being half black and then all of a sudden his whole town begins to dislike him.

The most disturbing thing is that not one single character in the movie came out to say "well maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if he were gay." There isn't even a town with this high of a percentage of *beep* in the real world. In fact, i think it's safe to say that circa 1997 a town of that siz would have at least a couple homosexual citizens. Pretty much everyone acted like they just found out he was an alien or something.

Terrible film.

[–] VWaltz77 18 years ago

You'd be really surprised by Small town, U.S.A., there pal.

--

Frank: Are you sure you're ok with this, Blue?
Blue: Just ring the f---ing bell, you pansy

[–] scorzi 17 years ago

You'd be surprised at the people who turn against you. My mother came out as a lesbian when I was eighteen and we've always lived in a fairly liberal, arty town and a number of people cut ties with us. Small town life CAN be like this, but it isn't ALWAYS like this. I went to the Univ of Maine and for small towns, some Mainers are very very liberal while down South they'll spit on you for interracial relationships. It's all relative.

[–] RottenBeauty 12 years ago

Not just USA. I lived in a small town on the other side of the world and the one gay kid at my school copped a lot of punishment. I knew a bisexual girl who told me she was NEVER going to come out while she lived in this small town.

Click On My Clicky Click!
www.nuketheshark.net

[–] chronicbliss2 18 years ago

I live in a town of 4400 people in rural Illinois. Picture the town from almost any Stephen King book, take out all minorities, and surround it with corn and soybean fields. Believe me, when I came out 3 years before this movie was released, I PRAYED for people to be as open-minded as they are in the film. Sure, we had our gays. Ummm, that one truck-driver lady with the permanent cigar in her mouth. And the art teacher from Chicago who never actually came out and kept pictures of himself with his female friend on his desk to avoid suspician. Small towns in the bible belt are like the town in this movie, or at least some of them are.

I reject your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[–] marge1986 18 years ago

I'm going to agree with chronicbliss2 on this one. The original poster must not have been to, or lived in, the rural Midwest. Although I don't originate from those areas, I've been going to college in the "Bible Belt" for about 3 years now, and honestly, if the original poster thought the characters in this movie were intolerant, then he/she needs to visit one of these small towns. As ancient as it may seem, and as open-minded as our country seems currently (especially in big cities), there are people that go through much worse experiences than the one portrayed in the movie. My roommate, who is from rural Missouri, told me that students at her high school could not come out unless they wanted to be horribly victimized by harassment or violence. And as the last senate election proved in November, to my sincere dismay, Americans are obviously not as open-minded to gays and their rights, judging by the low results in passing gay marriage.

[–] nutsberryfarm 12 years ago

seems like an alternate time. i'm confused how in the movie that matt dillon's character won the oscar it looked like a 'nam movie & yet he has an autographed vhs copy of 'beaches'?

sake happens

[–] frogca 8 years ago

>'nam movie & yet he has an autographed vhs copy of 'beaches'?

A movie within a comedy movie isn't going to rely on facts, but which movie gets the biggest laugh. Apparently that was Beaches. :)

[–] Isaac5855 17 years ago

Small towns in the bible belt are like the town in this movie, or at least some of them are.

I agree...I think this film paints a very accurate picture of small town attitudes toward homsexuality.

[–] shakespear54 18 years ago

"I saw the first half of this on the USA network last night "

Myabe you should watch the whole movie before you start insulting it.

[–] Isaac5855 17 years ago

Myabe you should watch the whole movie before you start insulting it.

THANK YOU!!! What are people thinking posting opinions of movies that they have only seen half the film. People on this website love to do that. If you look at some of the TV message boards, especially for prime time sooap-0like shows like DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES or GREY'S ANATOMY, you will see people who watch half the show and then go rushing to their computers to post something about it...why don't you watch the whole show first?

[–] frogca 8 years ago

>Myabe you should watch the whole movie before you start insulting it.

Yes, but even so the first half of the movie doesn't make it appear to be a homophobic movie. It portrays a bunch of homophobic people. But it's a comedy and we know KK's character isn't going to be dragged behind a pickup truck to his death in this film - unlike what could really happen in a drama or documentary.

[–] skiop 18 years ago

Are you kidding? I think this was handled realistically. You had the mother who wanted a wedding and grandchildren. There were a couple of homophobic characters, who were shown in a bad light. Definitely, you should stick around until the end, where the whole town takes a stand against the discriminatory action against Howard (unrealistic, but necessary for a happy ending).

[–] lilgornie 18 years ago

In 97 the few gay people in a town that size wouldn't have come out. The Midwest isn't so open, even now. I live in the midwest. My high school's Gay Straight Alliance was barely tolerated when we started up in 2001.

[–] ABSteel1 18 years ago

My town (pop 10,000) didn't even have a GSA.

Good luck.

[–] alomba1328 17 years ago

Did you know that until 2003 the right to engage in homosexual acts in the privacy of your own home was not protected by the Constitution? So, intolerance in a small midwestern town is not such a shock. However, was there no teachers union in that town? Kevin Kline's character had been a teacher for many years and had to have tenure by then - he couldn't just be forced out like that. Some of you folks might quickly respond with "my district is union-free, so there is no union." Wrong. "Union-free" has nothing to do with the teachers union - it just means that the district has the authority to have secondary schools.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Isaac5855 17 years ago

The most disturbing thing is that not one single character in the movie came out to say "well maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if he were gay."

His father(Wilford Brimley)does...near the end of the film, he tells Howard that he will always love him, gay, straight or whatever.