Maybe it's just me as a gay man, but is anybody else sick of coming out stories? I wanted to like this, but I felt like this was re-hashing just about every other coming out story. The characters were stock figures and I felt letdown by the tacked on happy Hollywood ending.
Like I said, it could just be me, but did anybody else have a problem with this movie?
I just didn't buy any sort of emotional sincerity from this story
I personally didn't care for the ending myself. Loved the movie, but I really wish there was some real closure, though we're left to assume that with Che driving the car he built for his son to LA where he's going to college that he still loves his son and wants to be in his life.
Really wish there was more scenes with the two boys.
Yeah, I wanted more of a story about the son than the father coming to terms with his son.
I don't know, maybe it was the screening I was at, but most of the movie felt like missed opportunities and cliches.
[deleted]
I would say that it was just as much about masculinity (and the preconceived notions of it and how that plays into his son's sexuality) as it about his son's sexuality.
It may not have been your "standard" coming out movie, but it definitely is in several fashions. It has all the cliche markings of a coming out movie and yes, the son does come out.
I agree that it's not SOLELY a coming out movie, but it definitely is a coming out movie in part.
This isn't a coming out story. The way his father found out was not on the son's free will. It's not cliche, and it's not standard. It's far from that.
It isn't a coming out story. His dad already found out. There is a difference between coming out and being outed by circumstances.
This movie has told a story I haven't really seen before, and one I as a Latino can understand... you may not see this post but I feel like gay latinos are deeply underrepresented in movies. I see coming out movies and it's mainly with white men... I need to be honest. I don't mean any offense. But I feel like I can't really connect with those movies. This movie is less about coming out, and more about culture. I'm not one who comes from a rough neighborhood, but some of my friends are.
This is more a film about culture and reactions, and less of just a general coming out story. I recommend you watch it more closely again. Yes, there may be some cliche (even of Mexican-American culture specifically), but it is telling a underrepresented story of a father-son relationship focused more on the father.
I had certain expectations on me... what I'm supposed to be and having to deal with the great machismo.
I loved the movie. I dont think there is a "fair" amount of gay films, and the ones that are made are to expensive to buy, so with the library, I get to see a few. I agree it is mainly white boys coming out etc. I would love to see more gay latino men in films. Since my family is mixed with any group you can think of, I know that machismo, culture... I wish I had more experience with the culture as well and this movie shows some of it. I was thinking with the son in the hospital, that the father would pray for his son to live, just like the fathers brother did for his son... I also thought the dad would finally accept him after almost losing him. But that thought went out the window when the dad threatened the kids boyfriend in the hospital. The ending of the movie sucked big time, as I would have liked to see the guys relationship develop more, and the dad finally heading to LA, they could have shown the dad outside one of his sons classes.... Maybe they can make the sequal, pick up from the dad driving to LA.
Great movie, they just didnt finish it.
To answer your first question, no; as a gay man I'm not sick or even tired of coming-out stories. We all do it, and the basics are the same, but each one of us goes through it in his or her own way and has his or her own feelings. I think what you're tired of is cliche and repetition, but those are problems for the writer to solve. This was partially a vanity production, albeit one with high production values. Very often such productions bring to the screen stories or writing or directing that misses the mark. I rather like this one, but I can understand your disappointment if it didn't meet your expectations.
"The value of an idea has nothing to do with the honesty of the man expressing it."--Oscar Wilde
Thanks for the thoughtful response!
Yes, I'd agree with your assessment. It is mainly the cliches and just the sheer laziness of it. It feels like people are patting themselves on the back every time they try to write a fairly one-dimensional character. That being said, I think the young man who took the role did a solid job and did the very best he could with it, but there was something that I felt was insincere. I can't really put my finger on it, but I appreciate your response!
If anything, the movie is less of a coming out story for the son and more of a coming-of-age story for the father.
Yeah, the story of a kid coming out to his less-than-receptive family is a bit of a cliche now in Hollywood, but most of those stories have been about the kid and not the family, and definitely not about the single father who is so caught up in his macho mentality that he would utterly reject his own son for who he is. That's the original part of the film, as well as the neighborhood they are living in, which I've rarely seen, other than in drug or violence related TV shows.
Che is the main character of the film, not his son. When you view it like that, his son doesn't seem like such a "one-dimensional character", which I don't really think he was anyway. He just wasn't the main focus of the film.
When they're done right I don't mind
shareBeing a Hetero male in Australia, obviously this film delves into worlds that I have no experience and minimal understanding of. I really enjoyed the movie, perhaps because I caught it by chance and had no expectation (didn't even know what it was going to be about), but I thought the performances were quality and it was an eye opener. Really felt for the son, his companion and also his father for the battle he faced with accepting his lads choices, desire and preferred direction in life .. Really didn't know which way it would go, and whilst the feel good ending isn't often the best, it suited me best in this particular film. My commenting in here initially was intended to compliment and thank the posters above me - I haven't seen a lot of genuinely balanced discussion on the boards here, but I really enjoyed reading your collective take on this one, so thanks!
share