IN & OUT 1997
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1997 Timothy Voon
1 :-) for coming out of the wardrobe but not out of the wedding cake
Cast: Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley, Bob Newhart, Shalom Harlow Director: Frank Oz Screenplay: Paul Rudnick
This comedy about coming out is in many ways both right and wrong. It supposes that a man in his thirties, who has remained a closet homosexual for most of life, needs to come out and announce to the world that he is gay – on his wedding day. My point is we don't see the average heterosexual needing to affirm their sexuality on their wedding day, even when there has been a sudden change of heart. I don't think the words ‘I'm sorry I can't marry you but I'm straight by the by' are in any ways familiar. So why does Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) a clean-cut, neat, prissy looking bachelor feel the urge to stage a fanfare of excitement before his wedding? The business of ‘coming out' is as baffling as it comes. We don't see heterosexuals needing to affirm their sexual orientation to friends and family, so why does a homosexual need to. You're either straight or gay and some fall in the shades between, but really it's your own business wherever you lie.
So it comes as a big surprise to all concerned when Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline), ordinary schoolteacher of Green Leaf Indiana, is pronounced gay at the Academy Awards. Kline's wonderful comic talents are used to highlight the none-to-subtle stereotyping of gay men. The floppy hand gestures, tilted stance, Streisand loving, music funking demeanour are entertainingly underlined by Kline, but I'm sure that these quirks are not true of all gay men. Unfortunately most of this movie's most humorous scenes are overexposed in the trailer, and if you've seen the trailer once too often there isn't much to look forward to in the movie.
Of note is the 20-30 second, much talked about kiss between Kline and Tom Selleck. The audience gasps with shock, but soon the moment is swept to the back of the mind along with any embarrassment it may have caused. Really there wasn't much to see to begin with. There was no licking tongues rolling about, no undue smooching or necking, no heavy breathing. It just looked like too grown men giving each other mouth to mouth from a distance – not a defining hot kiss by any means. Then there's a rather amusing discussion between schoolboys about the ‘In' and ‘Out' holes. That in-holes are meant for putting things in and out-holes are not. So what do you do for a severely constipated person in need of a good enema?
In Conclusion, IN AND OUT is not the hilarious comedy that I had hoped it would be. However a good point is made at the end, when the whole town announces they are a gay to down the fallacy that homosexuality is an infectious disease. Perhaps next time more fun could be generated from a gay man suddenly realising he's straight – that way we can explore the themes surrounding the cupboard heterosexual – they wear ties, carry mobile phones and like to listen to the artist formerly known as Prince.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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