Queer Beacon

Off the Map (2003) - Shipwreck 4

Good movie.  I started thinking the movie was awful, really bad.  But it got better.  Here, Sam Elliott is battling depression.  Jim True-Frost is an IRS agent who goes to the middle of nowhere place where Sam Elliott lives with his family on a $5,000 income.  The IRS agent falls for Sam Elliott's wife, played by Joan Allen, and decides to stay.  Sam Elliott is pretty good in the movie.

There is quite a bit of male bonding in the movie, but nothing major, and far from gay.

But there is gay content.  Bad gay content.  In the first 10 minutes of the movie Sam Elliot's daughter, a girl played by Valentina de Angelis says J.K. Simmons' character is a "little light in the loafers."  J.K. is Sam's best friend in the movie.  When Joan Allen asks what's that supposed to mean, the girl goes: "it means he's queer."  The girl had been happy J.K. went way, although that could be because the supposed queer would be after her father - who is married to her mother.  But not nice in a little girl.  And the parents are super nice and grown up, not hicks, so it is a bit confusing that the girl got homophobia all on her own.  The Shipwreck rating is not lower because later in the movie we learn that the girl is very very fond of J.K.  Shame on the movie anyway.

Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005) - LightShed 9

The movie is a vehicle for Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, both excellent in their roles. In the movie Judi Dench loses her husband and tries to find fun things to do with all her inherited money. She buys a theater and gets Bob Hoskins to direct/produce musicals. Entertaining movie, very light fare (well, Bob Hoskins does go full frontal).

Our gay here is Will Young, who plays the lead in the musicals produced by Judi Dench. At one point, Judi Dench is watching some auditions with many young girls trying their luck onstage, and she asks Will Young which one appealed to him the most.  Will Young replied something like: “I have other inclinations,” and Judi Dench completed: “How delicious!” It appears she really meant she saw no problem with him being gay. Yay! I will make my parents watch the movie for that scene alone.

The grade of 9 is not higher because our gay gets no action, which is not really a big deal.  His character was not so central to the drama.

Special kudos to the movie because it appeals to an older audience, who tend to be more resistant to accepting gays.