MovieChat Forums > The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) Discussion > One thing about Patrick...

One thing about Patrick...

posted 12 years ago by mrsunshine7755
42 replies | jump to latest

There was just one thing about Patrick that really bugged me. In the book, Charlie is shocked when he find out that Patrick is gay, which gave me the impression that there was very little notion that would suggest that he was. However in the movie I felt Patrick was really flamboyant, and I didn't buy it for a second that Charlie could have thought he was straight. I didn't get a flamboyant vibe at all from Patrick when reading the book, but in the movie I thought it was really obvious right from the beginning that he was. I don't know, that's just my opinion. Maybe I was biased because I had read the book and knew he was gay before hand. To anyone, especially those who didn't read the book before watching, did you find Patrick's sexuality to be kind of obvious from the beginning? Other than that, I really enjoyed the movie.

[–] adresher-1 12 years ago

I saw the movie and I did not read the book. It was not obvious to me that Patrick was gay until we see him with Brad (the QB). It was obvious that he was quirky and an outcast from the start, but not that he was gay.

When I first saw the film, I remember saying to myself, that's odd that Patrick was that into the football game. I attended high school at the same time (graduated 1992) and most of the outcasts could have cared less about the football team (or any team), did not attend the games and did not have any "school spirit." However, the reason is explained shortly after when Charlie walks in on Brad and Patrick at the party.

[–] cj1117 12 years ago

He refers to himself as "the falcon", which is a gay term I believe.

Its funny that you mentioned he was into the football game, because I found it odd that he was into football, but only recognized Charlie's last name because his sister was dating pony tail Derek, and not by his brother who was obviously a very talented football player the year before.

[–] BlueCatsFan 12 years ago

I thought it was really obvious he was gay - just by the way he talked. Also the fact that I've never seen a straight guy act that flamboyantly.

[–] gayspiritwarrior 10 years ago

I'm gay, and I can tell you that one of the most effeminate men I've ever known was straight. You can't tell a person's sexuality from their demeanor. Even if 99% of effeminate men were gay--and not that many are--that last 1% would be proof that effeminacy doesn't predict gayness.

The value of an idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it.-Oscar Wilde.

[–] nmitrione (293) 7 years ago

Agreed. I think people come to the conclusion that if a man has feminine characteristics they must be gay.

[–] shonoffilm 10 years ago

Same. First time I watched the film I didnt pick up on him being gay until the Brad scene. Thought he was just over the top. However, the second viewing it was pretty obvious. In real life, everyones gaydar doesnt immediately go off when they come across a flamboyant male or butch female.

[–] SuspectVendetta 12 years ago

I agree with you; I didn't even think it was supposed to be ambiguous to the viewer. During the scene at the diner (CHARLIE: You guys look happy together. How long have you been boyfriend and girlfriend? (off their laughs)What? SAM: He's my step-brother. My mom finally left my worthless dad and married his nice dad 3 years ago.) I turned to my wife, she had read the books, and said they aren’t going out because he’s gay.

[–] monajaved 12 years ago

Yeah it was quite obvious that he was gay, the movie made sure we knew before Charlie finds out. Not just the flamboyant ways, they clearly show Patrick looking at brad (?) when he, Charlie and Sam are in the diner. That was my first clue that he is gay and is into brad

[–] usmc5855 12 years ago

My issue with Patrick was…I really do not see him being that openly gay at that point in time.

AIDS was still a death sentence at that point.

There were no major gay characters on TV or role models out yet. Honestly Rocky Horror was about it. They gated him up for the movie I think but in reality at that time frame his life would have been much different.

[–] theoffice11 11 years ago

Also in the books, Patrick used to be popular. I don't think he would have been so popular back then if he was openly gay and so flamboyant. Of course in the movie, he's the one who says that he used to be popular so maybe in the book Charlie only thought he used to be popular from what he heard Patrick say.

But yeah, in the book he was definitely not as flamboyant and also the actor Ezra is very outgoing but not flamboyant in real life so for some reason they chose to gay up the character for the movie, which I wish they hadn't done.

[–] ryobest902008 11 years ago

So every gay person has AIDS?

[–] usmc5855 11 years ago

Every gay person does not have AIDS.

But in the late 1980s and early 1990s before it was anything but a death sentence and before there were many real gay role models on TV in any way shop or form, or education, most straight people, in the United States, assumed being gay was just one step away from eventual AIDS.

AIDS had a positively chilling effect on people under 25 in that time frame. And a chilling effect on those older as they were really sick.

I remember seeing people come into a retail job I worked with KS.

Medication that stopped the death did not come until Mid 1990s.

[–] ryobest902008 11 years ago

What does that have to do with being gay? I'm gay and have never had sex with anyone and never will have sex with anyone. In the movie Brad and Patrick fooled around and it's safe to say that Brad hadn't been with anyone or at least not with a lot of people, so his having HIV/AIDS is highly farfetched. I don't see why Patrick being out would automatically make him at risk for HIV.

Anyone who is stupid enough to have sex with any person they see is an idiot and deserves HIV. Patrick did not come off as that kind of person to me.

[–] ChocolateButt 11 years ago

Why will you never have sex with anyone?

Expiration dates are mere suggestions! Like late fees and traffic lights.

[–] ryobest902008 11 years ago

No thank you to having something up my bum or butting something up someone else's. I'm much happier by myself.

[–] ChocolateButt 11 years ago

So...you are an asexual gay man.

Expiration dates are mere suggestions! Like late fees and traffic lights.

[–] ToHelenBackAgain 11 years ago

You know that not every gay man is into butt play, right? It isn't a requirement.

"You drank too much!" "That's a thing?"

[–] northernlad 11 years ago

Yes it is!! At least that's what the guy told me who converted me! Boy was that smarts too! Ouch!

Life ain't easy when you're a Froot Loop in a world full of Cheerios.

[–] badnixie 11 years ago

Anyone who is stupid enough to have sex with any person they see is an idiot and deserves HIV. Patrick did not come off as that kind of person to me.

Nobody deserves HIV / AIDS. Everyone in my immediate family has multiple health problems such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. I'm furiously sick of the prejudice towards people with health problems and disabilities, particularly the belief that people bring this upon themselves. It's bad enough that we have to live with these obstacles without having to hear such ignorant claims from our own family members.

You probably have some unhealthy habits yourself, and maybe even some unlucky genes, so be pretty careful what you say or nobody will feel bad for you when it's your turn.

[–] ryobest902008 11 years ago

Are you joking? You mentioned health problems that cannot be prevented. No one all of a sudden has signs of HIV one day. You get it from being a git. Yes, there are some people who are born with it or get it because they went to a doctor who didn't clean the needle, but the majority of people that have it have it because they decided it was OK to sleep around.

Being lazy is probably the only unhealthy habit that I have. If it lead to me becoming morbidly obese and unable to move, I wouldn't expect anyone to feel sorry for me. I don't ever want or need anyone's charity.

[–] smoothmove 11 years ago

In my opinion ryobest, you're oversimplifying things. People get HIV from a cheating partner they are in a monogamouse relationship with. People get HIV from someone they thought they could trust the first time they have sex. Then there is rape, broken condoms, and the list goes on. Furthermore, people who have unhealthy sex lives, do so for multiple reasons. Sexual abuse as a child, depression, and as before, I could go on and on.

So, what's my point? It's that life isn't black and white. People deserve empathy, especially those facing death. I hope you can openly recieve these words, I think it could add an interesting perspective to your world view. I don't expect you to necessarily agree with me, but I hope you can see where I am coming from.

[–] northernlad 11 years ago

But you're missing the point that people DO make mistakes! No deserves any kind of disease regardless of their life choices. People are people and we should be compassionate to all of them!

Life ain't easy when you're a Froot Loop in a world full of Cheerios.

[–] mylovelyfate 11 years ago

I sincerely hope that you're young and you grow out of this harmful thinking.

~*~
I mean it's crazy. We finish each others sandwiches.

[–] HalJordan77 11 years ago

I did not have any notion that Patrick was gay until I saw him kissing Brad. I've never read the book.

[–] QcLoser 11 years ago

same thing for me didnt see it coming

[–] gumbyandpokey 11 years ago

How could anyone not see that guy was gay? He was the annoying flamboyant gay best friend from the first moment you saw him. You wanted to punch him in the face.

[–] Kariann1964 11 years ago

Yes, it was pretty obvious he was gay, but I wasn't sure until he was with Brad.

Anyone who is stupid enough to have sex with any person they see is an idiot and deserves HIV. Patrick did not come off as that kind of person to me.
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I find this to be a very cruel statement.

[–] AdamMitchell 10 years ago

You are advised to explore why you are so fearful of anything gay. You are advised to learn to be true to yourself, and accept yourself without fear or projected hatred.

[–] vencyber 11 years ago

I didn't read the book before watching the film, neither found that Patrick was obviously gay from the beginning...

[–] That-Writer-Girl 11 years ago

I think I would have spotted it even if I hadn't read the book first, although I didn't in the book until Charlie tells us.

Also, I think I should mention that even a flamboyant person wouldn't have necessarily been pegged as gay (in the 90s) because there wasn't a whole lot to compare them to and Charlie struck me as someone who would have been very naive to such things.

*Lindsay*

[–] ToHelenBackAgain 11 years ago

I think the film purposely made Patrick's sexuality noticeable to the viewer, but I would have been a little surprised if naïve, sheltered, Catholic high-school freshman Charlie had picked up on it on his own.

"You drank too much!" "That's a thing?"

[–] meadowlark54 11 years ago

I haven't read the book, and it didn't occur to me that he was gay until the kissing scene with Brad, but I was not surprised by it.