In & Out
Chad'z rating: ** (out of 4 = fair)
1997, PG-13, 90 minutes [1 hour, 30 minutes]
[comedy]
starring: Kevin Kline (Howard Brackett), Joan Cusak (Emily Montgomery), Tom Selleck (Peter Malloy), Matt Dillon (Cameron Drake), written by Paul Rudnick, produced by Scott Rudin, directed by Frank Oz.
With the wave of political correctness sweeping Hollywood it was just a matter of time before a mainstream, "family" comedy dealt with the issue of homosexuality. You wouldn't know it from the way "In & Out" has been marketed, but it's actually one big political statement. Not only that, but it's poorly scripted, over-acted, and unfunny.
Everyone knows the setup to the story - Howard Brackett (Kline), a high school teacher in a generic suburban town is "outed" by Cameron Drake (Dillon), a former student of his who goes on to win an Academy Award and tells the world his "gay" teacher was his inspiration. Howard must then explain to everyone he's not gay, but when they think about it, it seems like he would be from the way he talks, dresses, and acts.
The first act does a mediocre job in defining the all-American (read: "conservative") community in which the story takes place. When the media flocks to this small town and ambushes Howard it's done so supposedly as satire, but doesn't have any wit to it. Then the one-joke "mistaken identity" premise comes into play and repeats itself over and over and wears out quickly. There are a few funny one-liners here and there, but the characters that say them seem like cardboard cutouts, not real people.
After only 40 minutes it's clear the film has run out of ideas and just wanders aimlessly. It throws in a few scenes about Howard's inability to "be a man," but the film's definition of "a man" is the kind of stereotypes and cliches stand-up comedians talk about. In one scene Howard plays a self-help tape, "Exploring You Masculinity," which includes: untucking your shirt; belching; saying "Yo!"; and refraining from dancing. This might have been funny on a sit-com, but it's lame and silly for such a major motion picture.
But the film presses on and starts to make supporting characters more important. Howard's fiancee Emily (Cusak), is a recovering over-eater who panics at the drop of a hat. Cusak is a good actress but she over-acts so much it's exhausting (and another example of the cartoony/sit-com-esque atmosphere). There's also Tom Selleck as Peter Malloy, a gay tabloid TV reporter who wants to exploit Howard, but Selleck doesn't play this character nearly as sleazy as he should have. This character is used supposed in a satirical manner, but the script is so bland you can't appreciate it.
The mid-section of the film seemed to wander a bit, which was tolerable, but the entire last act rapidly deteriorates. A major twist in the plot occurs which completely contradicts the premise of the film! Howard is almost completely forgotten about and minor characters carry the story. By this point there are no jokes left to tell and the few attempts at comedy through gags are pathetic.
I hold the screenwriter, Paul Rudnick, responsible for the film's substandard quality. Rudnick is an open homosexual and it's obvious this film is his way of making mainstream America deal with homosexuality in a supposedly funny and entertaining way. The problem is, his political statements are so blatant they kill the comedy. The last few scenes illustrate this perfectly as the entire town rallies around Howard after he is fired. Howard was fired because the administrators think he's gay, but everyone wonders what that has to do with anything. The movie becomes a big talk show and you can tell it's supposed to make you deal with the issue yourself, but because it's so one-sided and stupid in its delivery, it can't be taken seriously.
"In & Out" turns out to be a real mess of a movie. It has potential, but it assembles its pieces poorly and fails to be thought-provoking nor funny.
e-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com (C) 1997 Chad Polenz
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