MovieChat Forums > In & Out (1997) Discussion > Question about the student yelling out "...

Question about the student yelling out "I'm gay" at the end

posted 9 years ago by punkgirly
4 replies | jump to latest

During the graduation ceremony, Cameron Drake comes in and asks the seniors something like, "Well, you all had Mr. Brackett for English. Did he influence you?"

During the chaos, one of Mr. Brackett's students, Jack (played by Shawn Hatosy), stands up and shouts "Excuse me, I'm gay!" When pressed, the student says something like "Well, it must have rubbed off. Cause now I'm gay." Mr. Brackett smiles at him.

Here's what I'd like to know: was the student really gay or just saying that out of solidarity? I'm assuming he's just saying it (falsely) to support Mr. Brackett. But how would Mr. Brackett know if Jack was lying or coming out? When Jack says it, Mr. Brackett looks at him with shock and then smiles. How would Mr. Brackett know if Jack was really coming out, or just saying it.

Then when the girl does it (Alexandra Holden), how does she know for sure that Jack did it to be supportive (rather than coming out)? She goes along with it, but she seems to be doing it to totally support Mr. Brakett.

I guess one can't tell if Jack was honestly coming out or just doing a good deed to support his teacher. So how do we know?

[–] astockton_uk 9 years ago

It's a parody of the scene from Spartacus when the Romans demand that the captured slave army tell them which one is their leader, Spartacus. One by one, the hundreds if not thousands of slaves stand up and shout, "I AM SPARTACUS!!!" knowing that it means that they are condemning themselves to horrific death by crucifixion.

As a drama teacher, Howard would be familiar with that scene.

[–] kidwiththering 9 years ago

:sigh: People.
People who need people.

[–] puirt-a-beul 9 years ago

I guess one can't tell if Jack was honestly coming out or just doing a good deed to support his teacher. So how do we know?

I don't think we do.

He was clearly having a mental struggle in the moments before he stood up, and when you add that to his hesitancy in the hall before the ceremony, where he looked like he was trying to say something to Mr Brackett but couldn't quite get it out ... I'm inclined to think perhaps he really was gay, but coverd it with a slightly flip manner. And then when his (girl)friend saw the effect it was having, and joined in, he looked like he'd had a rock lifted off him.

But maybe he meant it only as support for Mr Brackett, and was really scared that people would get the wrong idea about him, and that was why he was anxious about it. I guess we'll never know.

You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

[–] punkgirly 9 years ago

Hey, I like your take on that scene! I felt like everyone must know if the student really was admitting he was gay or not and I didn't know. I'll have to watch it again the next time it's on. If the student was gay, there would've been some more "patting him on the back" or his friends talking with him after, maybe.

Thanks!