In & Out: Is Being Gay all About Barbra Streisand?

[@pvuccino]

As someone who was also deeply in denial about being gay and actually thought he was straight, I find the lack of physical affection on his part very realistic. He's only just began to come to terms with it and any sort of action that would showcase he had feelings for another man would just send him to panic mode. These things take time and you can't force somebody to accept something so huge, especially if they've been trying to shove it in the back of their head their entire life! It took me 10 years of therapy to even be able to hold hands with a man in public, without running in terror!

[@JunoAuerWatson]

"It's a screwball comedy without the screw" definitely needs to be a boilerplate quote for this movie

[@Franchifis]

The sexless gays are really annoying, though I guess it was a necessary middle step to climb before full representation in media could be achieved. Still, I remember being so annoyed at the show "Will and Grace" for the lack of gay relationships, which only seemed to happen in between episodes rather than on-screen, while Grace's dalliances were explored in excruciating details.

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

You know it's funny but when I read your post I was sure you were wrong but thinking about it you're right. I mean yeah Will and even Jack sometimes dated (or in Jack's case had some guy with him he would briefly introduce) and I remember Will dating a cop for awhile but was mostly depicted as just hanging out or having meals together. I don't think they ever did much more than that. I know they couldn't get super graphic but, at least, with Grace and her guys they would show them in bed or in various states of undress to at least imply they had sex or were about to.

[@Pablo360able]

As a sexless gay myself, I… …yeah, I'm pretty annoying.

[@Udontkno7]

Pablo360able wow a mood

[@oscarfun100]

Haha, I found that interesting as well. I mean Will Truman, a handsome guy in Manhattan, with zero love life. I guess the network thought the fact that he's gay is enough, at the beginning. But then he had relationships, and I guess his relationship with Vince was one of the firsts on national television.

[@Lee-Yut-Lung]

@@Pablo360able I came here to say that

[@natalieshark]

My mom went to see In & Out when I was a kid. When she came home I was like "How was it?" She said "It was cute, but it was kind of weird because at the end of the movie, he stayed gay." Oh mom...

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

That reminds me of when I went to see the stage play "Children of a Lesser God" about a deaf woman who fights back against being forced to conform to the hearing world. Part of this involved her breaking off the lessons intended to "improve" her speech. It was quite a liberating idea, but on leaving the theatre I heard an old woman nearby say "Well that wasn't very good, I was hoping to hear her talking normally at the end'.

[@cardboardbelt]

Thanks so much for this review. It's funny that you point out the reliance of the film on reductionist stereotypes rather than on what it really is that makes a person gay. I am a straight male who had a few minutes of doubt about my orientation when I was in college based COMPLETELY on the fact that I liked certain things and didn't seem to fit in with our country's ideas of ideal masculinity. It was only when I asked myself the question whether I was sexually attracted to men that I realized I was maybe just a different kind of straight man. It was also when I realized that the bullies and jerks who had been attacking me by assuming I was gay and using those epithets towards me were going to be at odds with me whether I was gay or not and that if I was a true American it was my responsibility to support my fellow citizens who just happened to be gay by being their ally. Now that's a word I didn't really use at the time (it was 1989), but that's where it has taken me. I have just today made the call to my congressmen to ask them to block Trump's anti-gay appointments which you suggested in another video and have shared that video with my friends in hopes that they will do the same. Thanks for your videos!

[@stormcloudsabound]

Daffy Stardust Yes, thank you for virtue signaling. No one asked, sir.

[@chikkiboo]

@@stormcloudsabound dudes could use more actual role models saying shit like "im a dude and i actually thought about my feelings once" instead of "im a dude and this is my favorite gun" tbh. im a dude and i approve this message v(._.)v let a guy "virtue signal" in a youtube comments section, no one asked your opinion of his comment either if you're gonna play THAT stupid game.

[@wasteland70]

In fairness, I'm a bi guy and I think the film using stereotypes in a mainstream movie was trying to make the subject more approachable. The joke isn't on being gay, it's on the reaction to the people around him. Please keep in mind the scene when his father say, "I'm a farmer. I'm just trying to understand.". That's a lovely scene and one that "educated" or "cosmopolitan" parent's haven't given.

[@gcecg]

I've watched several of your videos today, Matt, as KZbin decided that they conform to my previous views, or something like that. I really appreciate that you're making this kind of video, showing some of the truly pioneering movies and TV shows for gay awareness, gay rights, etc. I will mention, with great respect, that you look pretty young - and perhaps you don't have strong memories of how things were before 2000-ish. Movies like "In & Out" were ground-breaking. They laid the groundwork for what is possible today. They simply didn't have the option of being too risqué, or they would have been doomed at the box office... or perhaps nixed before they even started production. Try to keep that in mind when you make your analyses. Peace.

[@natalie8212]

Say what you will, Joan Cousak killed in this. Just like every other role she's done. Come to think of it, she's really underrated!

[@markpettis2896]

Natalie 82 Is everybody in this town gay? Joan really killed it you are so right that was the funniest line in the movie

[@natalie8212]

@@markpettis2896 I just love her! Oh no! Am I gay! Lol!

[@WoodysAR]

Come to think of it, she really is,. I adore her work. What is the film where she has huge 80's 'headlight hair' and is like a 'funny best friend'? was it working girl? or Who's that Girl? Didn't she do a movie with Madonna (if she didn't she should have! :)

[@luvbearbut]

Love the Joan!!

[@luvbearbut]

Can't believe the writer of those other great movies, wrote this turkey. The only thing I found amusing about it while seeing it with my friends were the Bab's references since I've always been a Barbra fanatic (and they hate her). The rest of the plot is just an eyeroll.

[@SeanAllenEntertainment]

You nailed it on the head. This movie lacks any kind of gay affection. Very strange, but at the time, the movie was still kind of a big deal. I remember seeing it in the theatre when i was still in the closet and feeling a little uncomfortable, but also seeing myself in the main character and wondering if anyone else saw me too :)

[@crazykenna]

I love Kevin Kline so much, even when the movies are terrible he's still so charming. I kind of hope that they remake this movie and add more substance. It could tell a great story if it was executed better (and was allowed to talk about homosexuality beyond show tunes and bicycles). But the forced kiss trope is even more problematic these days, with recent events and changing cultural awareness. Oh well, RIP Debbie Reynolds.

[@ThreadBomb]

I don't think the movie could be remade, because its whole premise is that gays are identifiable by stereotypical behavior. If you remove that aspect, there's no plot.

[@valeriamedina94]

As many non americans, or even people who grow up in conservative households, this kind of movies are a great first step into discovering about other sexualities and gender expression when nothing else is available. I watched this move at 13 and it was one of the first times I was told that being other than straight is ok. I loved this movie and whenever it was on tv, I stop everything and hide into a magical world were being gay was ok. I know it lacked a lot but I like to remember the positive side of this movie.

[@brentbraniff]

I remember seeing "In and Out" in the theatre here in Minot, North Dakota.....and by saying "Minot, North Dakota" Im fairly sure you can imagine the reaction to the kiss. I remember the groans emanating from the audience took me completely out of the moment and landed me right in the middle of homophobe central. I wonder if the same film played here today (yes, I still live in Minot...low self esteem will do that to a person) would the reaction change. I'd like to think so, but who knows. I saw "Brokeback Mountain" here and the very small audience comprised of a few women dragging their boyfriends to the movie and the entire population of out gays at the time (probably 5 or 6 of us) received the movie favorably and I was free to crumble into an emotional wreck at the "Jack, I swear" line. Thanks for this. "In and Out" is one of those films that made big news at the time but was nearly forgotten about afterwards. It was interesting to remember the press around the time of this film. I think Tom Selleck had rumors of his sexuality floating around at the time so this was a great way to confront them by just going out and doing it. I think the rumors died off after this movie, the media being satisfied with seeing him kiss another man. Seems like the speculation of someone's sexuality is far more titillating than the reality. As always, thanks for this! Have you done a video on "Another Country" (1984)? I still love that film.

[@lakv126]

As much as I hated this movie, your story reminded me why such a gay sexless film was sometimes needed. The film was made for the Minot's of the nation not the Los Angeles'.

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

So if Tom Cruise kissed a guy in the next "Mission Impossible" movie that would kill the stories? Seems as good a reason as any. :) I guess if nothing else this movie sort of laid the ground work. By being minimally to zero offensive it got the ball rolling.

[@simplyjuannie5128]

I'm sorry this comment is late. I wonder why they wanted to see the movie In and Out if they didn't want to see the kiss?

[@Tustin2121]

Chris McWilliams - This comment makes me wish there was normal gay relationships in otherwise usual action schlock movies. Like if in Ocean’s Eleven, the main character’s ex-wife was actually an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend instead, and none of the characters reacted differently to it.

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

@@simplyjuannie5128 I'm even later with this comment - maybe it was one of those places where people just go along to see whatever movie is on at the single screen cinema on the High Street/Main Road, no matter what it is because there's nothing else to do of an evening.

[@dennyii5292]

Matt Baume, I love your videos and your insights, so you can say what you will about this movie, but I loved it. More importantly it was the movie that I watched with my Mother and subsequently was able to "Come Out" to her. She grew up in a small town and lived a small town life, I was VERY afraid to tell I was gay, but the simple sweetness of this movie allowed me to open up to her, and in time she accepted her gay son......and we became closer from it..................years later she even tried to fix me up with a co-worker of hers. Now THAT story would make a great comedy......such a crazy and funny time in my life. Thanks, Peace & Love 2 all.

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

Talking of funny workplace meetings, I heard a gem on the radio a couple of years ago. The presenter could barely read it out for laughing. A gay man fell for a coworker, a man of smaller stature. Warwick Davis or Peter Dinklage stature. They finally came together through the matchmaking of their colleagues and went to a work's firework display. Our hero felt so happy that he grabbed his new boyfriend, picked him up in front of everyone and swung him around like someone would do with a small child. His beloved never spoke to him again.

[@Blondegenius3]

All your criticisms about "In and Out" are valid. At the same time, this movie was a step in the right direction. Movies during the Motion Picture Production Code and even somewhat after portrayed gay people as either depraved villains that would die at the end of the movie or a tragic character to be pitied that also died at the end of the movie. In and Out doesn't do any of that. In and Out shows the gay character as a normal, everyday guy- not the villain, is portrayed positively, he doesn't die and the homophobia against him is portrayed as being wrong. In the movie, he gets fired and that is portrayed as wrong and unfair. It was a necessary step.

[@ToruKun1]

Everyone saying they're gay feels like a seriously cringe-worthy homage to "I am Spartacus"

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

That's because it is. I guess it could be intended to be supportive but there are probably better ways to show that in a movie.

[@Romancefantasy]

Or a scene from south park, "I BROKE THE DAM!"

[@EyeLean5280]

It's obviously an homage to Spartacus.

[@choryferguson2196]

It was clearly an homage to Spartacus, and South Park…considering it occurred AGES before either.

[@AllthePrettyPurses]

@@choryferguson2196 Spartacus came out in 1960.

[@lakv126]

I think one of my favorite movies that depicted gay attraction, relationships, and even families was Torch Song Trilogy. Sure, it had similar tropes and cliches to In & Out, but it showed gay characters as flawed and fully human. Plus it was made ten years before In & Out, and featured a rising straight movie star, fresh off the fame Ferris Bueller, playing an out gay man 20 years before Brokeback.

[@tdali8347]

Bob Newhart asking Kevin Kline to walk so his level of straightness can be assessed reminded me of the scene from 1956's Tea and Sympathy, where the kid whose father is terrified his son is becoming a "folk singer" is also viewed with suspicion by teen male classmates, one of whom tells him it's the way he walks.

[@ThreadBomb]

Yes. I saw that scene in the Celluloid Closet documentary.

[@sdarms111doug9]

In and Out was hilarious. I almost choked during the Joan Cusack freakout scene at the wedding! Have you ever seen a movie called "Pit Stop?". Very low budget and low profile but heart rending IMHO.

[@SirSeabass]

"I also sleeps with men.... But that's a little too advanced for this movie"😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@rebelaxesix3496]

Could you please do one on Torch song trilogy? It is so good & so overlooked. It was written by & stars Harvey Fierstein & co stars a young Mathew Broaderick as his lover & Anne Bancroft as his mother.

[@BitsyGem]

OMG yes! Love Torch Song Trilogy!

[@joachimschoder]

To be honest: I love movies that use stereotypes as a punchline. They take the power away from the stereotype and show that there are more than one way to be "a real man". It gets problematic when they enforce a stereotype and I am pretty sure that things I see as reducing a stereotype others see as enforcing the stereotype.

[@suzawilo]

Joachim Schoder Exactly 👍👍👍

[@jonathanschweizer3631]

A colleague told me she had recently seen this movie online for the first time (she had never heard of it before), and asked me if I was as offended by it as she was. :-) After loving the fact that she cared enough to immediately recognize all the stereotypes, I told her I hadn't seen this movie since it came out (true) and had kind of forgotten about it. In hindsight and in watching this, I think it was representative of its time and now looks incredibly dated and silly. I think most movies and TV shows have to be viewed through the lens of when they were made. Also, I love Matt Baume's insights on this stuff. Keep it up!

[@choryferguson2196]

At the same time as all your assertions are valid; as an out, queer dude in 1997, this movie felt really affirming and validating.Visibility serves a vital purpose. And, to this day, I treasure Kevin Klein for taking on this roll. He was one of the first actors who I ever saw portray a gay character…in "A Fish Called Wanda", I would DIG your impressions on that!

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

I think "In & Out" is a really good comedy film, and as much as it does play on stereotypes rather than the reality of being gay, I think it works well at promoting the idea of acceptance. In 1997, I don't think they could have made a mainstream movie that was as open to LGBT lifestyles as they could if they were to do so today. People were much less open minded 20 years ago and I think films like this would have played a small part in opening some of those minds. It shows that there is more to being gay than sex, that gay people are people, which is something that really shouldn't have needed saying, but it did for some people. So I'd say that the film probably had an overall positive message and a lot of people who saw it that may have had issues with LGBT people may have come away from it with a much better understanding of the situation.

[@a1t3rmusic]

I agree 100%

[@mpdalyful1]

Kevin Kline was outstanding. I loved the Scene with book tape.

[@lpforever6273]

Matt: anymore incisive, entertaining, well-researched, well-presented, well-edited, lively, on-the-money vids like this and we are definitely going to lose you to one (some?) of the big networks and you'll have to give up your day job yk.

[@singe0diabolique]

When Joan Cusack screamed, "Fuck Barbra Streisand!" I gasped out loud in the theatre. LOL

[@lordrazalas7441]

Wonderful video (like all of your work). I'd love to see you discuss Hitchcock's 'Rope' as a homosexual narrative slipping through the Hays Code in Hollywood in the late 40s. Stay awesome!

[@ren6885]

I don't know why I love this film so much but I've seen it sooo many times!

[@KTBroadcasting]

I actually really liked this movie, but only because of the incredible cast and it's obvious good intentions (keep in mind this was 1997, and while men daydreamed about lesbians, gay men were considered scary). Still, I recognize it's glaring failures, but still find it to be fun and entertaining.... But I take your point. Another insightful take on entertainment, Matt!

[@misscleo378]

Movies like In & Out and The Birdcage weren’t really made as gay liberation movies, but it doesn’t make them any less important for LGBTQ community. These are what I call “palatable” movies for heterosexuals. These are the movies you can take your 80 year old, Protestant granny to and even she ends up cheering for the gay protagonist. This is a nice introduction to gay tolerance for the otherwise not so tolerant.

[@dontcallmelil8619]

I LOVED THIS MOVIE AS A KID. I knew I was a bit different when after my mom rented this from blockbuster, I kept asking for her to rent it again and again. Such a funny movie, but I did always want him to get married at the end, those old people getting hitched was cute, but we know how it should have ended.

[@Lionkingview]

Sure, that kiss was meant to be comedic BUT something in my pants didn't think so back when i first saw the movie.

[@Scixxy]

How about Boys in the Band? A very bitter gay film, but seminal (heh) in the genre, in my opinion.

[@ultimateninjaboi]

I will say. I know at least 3 former mild homophobes turned staunch allies (well, one turned out to be in the closet, and had a FABULOUS coming-out when he came to terms with himself) whose journies to acceptance ABSOLUTELY included this film. So for that, at least, i will always be glad for its existence

[@InimicalWit]

Reminds me of “Stonewall” (2015). EDIT: It’s not a movie for the LGBT. Its a movie for getting the non-LGBT a little closer to accepting “that part” of the society we both live in. In fact, I used this movie to find out whether it would be safe to come out to my parents before I was a legal adult.

[@MacMorrighan]

It's been YEARS since I've seen this movie (I think it was my first year in college when I was able to rent it), but while I didn't think about it then, I couldn't agree with you more...

[@UntitledShowwithBobandPat]

This is the movie that made me want to write a screenplay that was a by-the-numbers romantic comedy about a gay or lesbian couple that have nothing to do with being gay. I thought it would be interesting to have a movie where being gay never factors into the plot. They don’t face any prejudices, no ones coming out, in fact the word gay is never brought up. It’s a basic Rom-Com about a gay couple that never addresses its about a ‘gay’ couple. I told this idea to a friend of mine who was gay, he thought it would be a groundbreaking movie back in the early 2000s. I hadn’t thought about that idea in years. I should look into writing that script.

[@lizhaydon7092]

please do ! i love that idea and i would totally watch that

[@wiseforcommonsense]

see this idea here would just normalize a gay couple as just a couple. this is what we need. not big drama stories or big PSAs. Just simple, silly love stories.

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

@@wiseforcommonsense I can't remember the series, but there was a British sitcom that had a gay couple as supporting characters. They were just treated as an ordinary couple. The show was pretty forgettable though. The only thing I can remember is that the gay couple ran a restaurant and in one episide they split up. When presenting a meal to the main character in the restaurant, the abandoned partner said "That was his favourite dish. Towards the end, I always used to spit in it when I made it for him.". The punchline was that the customer just sat staring at the meal warily.

[@geneseewood9865]

That was 1997. Almost 20 years ago. They could barely show gay intimacy in a mainstream movie. Personally, I loved it. I laughed my ass off.

[@geo-george2639]

Yes, it was a great movie and daring for the time.

[@killerfoxraspberryplays8903]

geo-george2 edge of seven teen also came out 1998 (I think ) and that did have gay sex and clubs

[@Puerco-Potter]

@@killerfoxraspberryplays8903 and literally 1/10 of the audience... Sometimes you haave to compromise to change people opinions, is easier to move someone from a 10 to a 9 than to a 1...

[@ThreadBomb]

Bear in mind Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks came out 4 years before this movie.

[@dmark1922]

I would have expected the "W of O" to be one of the first you reviewed! Looking forward to your take of that one!

[@MattBaume]

I've covered that one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e323lKuZhdiiaas

[@dmark1922]

Yes, I found it soon afterward (embarrassed!) hidden in with the other bizarre OZ takes!

[@michaelkantner6420]

I went and saw In & Out in the theaters, and when the scene between Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck, where they kissed, happened a lot of people in the theater groaned or said "yuck" to which I replied "Oh grow up!".

[@kristavaillancourt6313]

After watching this movie as a kid I asked my parents what gay actually was cause this movie was so confusing. Riding a bike? Pulling your socks up?! I was 7.

[@jdominoes6191]

This movie is actually quite charming to be honest.

[@AxelQC]

Paul Rudnick wrote the funniest movie of all time, "Addams Family Values".

[@susieq8424]

Man, I would love to have a Streisand themed bachelorette party! 😝

[@aslemke7341]

I saw this movie at the theater with my mom when I was 10 in Brazil, a country I guess is more homophobic than the US. I remember I loved it. I think this kind of sexless gay comedy helped me to see gay people as normal.

[@kiddDEVY]

Nailed it. Could list the titles of the clips from the video.

[@markpettis2896]

The best part of this movie is When the bride who is left at the altar tries to pick up the reporter because she wants sex on her wedding night and when he tells her he’s gay she screams something like is everybody gay in this town. That’s not exact quote quote

[@Caroleeena]

Would you do a review of the movie Maurice from 1987? I love that movie and it was the first time I ever saw Hugh Grant in a film.

[@bisquintana326]

Have you ever seen Big Eden? That's a movie that's interesting. For some reason it reminds me a bit of In And Out, a tiny bit, but it's really good. Also, it's one of very few queer movies I've seen where one of the main characters in the relationship is a person of color (Like, I don't think I've found any lesbian movies with a main character who is a person of color.)

[@davidthaler7018]

Wellll....yes and no. Whoopi Goldberg played a lesbian in "Boys on the Side." Queen Latifah's character in "Set it Off" was a lesbian in a relationship. Frida Kahlo was allegedly bisexual, which we see in the movie "Frida."

[@nbearj]

I love “Big Eden”. I think it is one of the best gay movies. It is a true “fairy” tale (in both senses of the pejorative term). It is about a gay man looking for love and a story tale about a place where townspeople look out for one another whatever their sexual orientation. I find it strange that this film is seldom mentioned. The cast is absolutely great including many broadway stars.

[@JeffBazell]

Trivia: The priest taking confession was in For Pete's Sake, a Streisand film. Bob Newhart was in On A Clear Day, a Streisand film. Debbie Reynolds was a HUGE, lifelong Streisand fan who used to do impressions of Streisand in her nightclub act.

[@MaestroFriedrich]

This movie IS funny, even if it isn't socially responsible, and all those A- list stars. I think it made a statement in its time, but you are right about it being sexless.

[@Vampirech1ck]

I remember seeing this in theaters ( I was 13) and the whole time though it was actually about a miss understanding like Kevin Kline was was actually a straight dude who liked show tunes. Because like who can someone tell you you’re gay, with out you realizing.

[@aiberlane3390]

That actually happened in a book called Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe. But it was handled SO well. The character just had a friendship that deepened so gradually that he didn't realise it had reached the point of becoming romantic. It seems unrealistic in this movie though.

[@purplegrrl711]

The year I came out to my parents and family was taken to this movie 3 times by different members of my family lucky I like it lol

[@therongjr]

When this movie came out, I was 16 and still coming out to myself. Other the drama club thing, I didn't feel that I feel any stereotypes other than being attracted to my male classmates (and in love with one of them) . . . and I *hated* this movie! I couldn't put my finger on why, but I think you explain it well: all about the affectations but nothing about affection.

[@neilsunn]

Have you already covered "The Women" yet? The 1930s classic that fascinates gay people to this day.

[@kaniamia]

As someone who was a kid when this movie came out, this was the first movie I ever saw that addressed being gay as more than just a single throwaway joke. This movie still holds a place in my heart, and I actually really like that Howard doesn’t end up quickly shoehorned into a relationship at the end. The guy has literally only just begun to figure out who he is; give him some time to just enjoy that freedom to be himself.

[@abramring2801]

OOOHhhhhhh, they were just trying to warm the public up to it.. lol.. I mean, what year did this come out again?

[@mastermarkus5307]

I don't even know what "Gypsy" is... See, while _you_ related to it, these weird stereotypes and nothing else made me feel like "Oh, I can't be gay, I what I like is too subdued and masculine." I wouldn't even consider myself super masculine, I'm just not prancing around like the guys in these movies - listening to nothing but showtunes and Barbra Streisand.

[@secondaryactons]

Speaking of Streisand....would love to see your take on Yentl!

[@heltaku9397]

This film is cute. It's like "Good try, Hollywood. You're completely off the mark, but that was adorable and at least you tried." I'm sure the making of this film was hilariously fraught with tension from the censor board.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

Went looking for one of your videos I hadn't already seen. Here it is. Good work.

[@jimjimmyjames59]

Tom Selleck was at his romcomic best in this and Joan Cusack was brilliant. What I really want to see you cover is Pacino’s “dancing” in Cruising.

[@mikelberke8239]

this movie is so funny i laughed all the way through

[@taylortuuny]

Please talk about "but I'm a cheer leader"

[@organisedmess725]

Me: sharpening a pencil 4:57 : "I'm gay" Me: spits everywhere as a I try to stiffle a laugh with my arm in the middle of the night

[@sebastianfuller]

Okay, but I would like to say that I felt personally attacked when that scene in the movie played and the voice said "Stand straight and tall. Untuck your shirt" lol, because I constantly need my shirt to be tucked in and I'm bout gay as hell. And then I thought about it and all my gay friends also always have their shirts tucked in. W o W

[@yasha.hartberg]

I realize this video is a couple of years old, but in it you invited viewers to mention movies they'd like you to review. An old movie that seems to have been forgotten is Mass Appeal (1984) starring Jack Lemmon. I saw it on HBO as a child and, for some reason, it's always stuck with me. If you're still reviewing LGBTQ+ representation in movies, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one.

[@MattBaume]

Oh I'm not familiar with that one! I'll check it out.

[@sparkers70]

Scavenger hunt while watching a movie is BRILLIANT. I've got several movies I'll be rewatching over the next few weeks. ;)

[@ThirdOfJune4444]

Hi Matt, as a new subscriber to your channel, I would *LOVE* to see a movie review/commentary for "To Wong Fu, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar". I watch it all the time and Stockard Channing's character always tugs at my heart strings. Actually, it's more than a tug...more like a waterfall.I feel such anger & hatred towards her narcissistic, abusive, and filthy trailer trash husband. To this day, I could never understand why abused people remain with their spouses out of fear. I just don't get it. I'm not an expert on psychology, but if you are afraid of something, wouldn't you just leave? Thank you again for your wonderful, insightful, and thought-provoking videos. A new fan. --Todd from Canada

[@Serai3]

+TODD M If you don't understand why they stay, you've never been in that situation. You have no idea how completely it can change you, and if you were already someone who wasn't very strong or assertive (which is what those assholes deliberately look for), it can be impossible to even _consider_ trying to leave. Abusers like that build walls around their victims that are every bit as solid as a real concrete wall would be - even more so, because they build them in part by using what the victim already has inside them.

[@ThreadBomb]

Living in fear cripples your will.

[@rosieoutlook905]

It is an American take on Pricilla, Queen of the Desert. It has all three characters basically being transgendered, unfortunately, but the version of the lost desert town is better than a Filipina who shoots ping pong balls from her cooch. I dont think you would find an almost completely male town in the lower 48. That said, I revisit both movies fairly often because I enjoy the cultural peculiarities of both. As to the Channing character, well, you need a sense of self-worth to leave and it the first thing such men destroy. If you arent worth anything, there is no reason to look for anything better. Me, I would have hit him upside the head with a number 14 cast iron skillet. But thats me.

[@gretchenbaker7435]

Ohh pleas do the movie cruising, just to see Al Pacino dancing again!

[@BjoernarEricSven]

Yes the movie has serious flaws and could have been more "daring", but I like it anyway, and Kline and Selleck would make a cute couple.

[@rickodean6775]

Me being gay is all about Barbra Streisand! What a very cute video! I cannot believe you do not have more followers. You're smart and you're witty and you're cute and you're funny! I'm glad I found one of your videos by accident.

[@MattBaume]

Awww yay glad you're here! :D

[@PeBoVision]

Yes there is a movie I'd like you to talk about.... Richard Benner's 1977's quiet Canadian gay/drag gem, "Outrageous". Because no one talks about it, and they should. It is a legacy performance that Craig Russell left us, and we should honour his talent by not letting it fade into obscurity. (Plus it is the ultimate movie about being one's self and embracing one's inner madness.) It is also one of Hollis McLaren's best performances as the mentally disturbed young lady who is no more disturbed than any of us. Filmed at Toronto's "The Manitee" it features a crew of extras comprised of all of my 'club-friends' at the time...a first (and last) in a major motion picture (I'm still ready for my close-up Mr DeMille)

[@philippdaphiladelphia4440]

Having been out -- and active! -- at that time, I can certainly agree with your analysis, but you are forgetting the historical times AND Hollywood's cowardice. This was progress ... at Hollywood's pace, a baby step at a time, with frequent steps backward. "Will & Grace" was just about as sexless. When told about W&G, I watched it for a month, still wondering if it was really a gay series. Sexless. A hetero- woman and a gay man, neither of whom ever had sex but lived together. "In & Out" seemed actually a bit more advanced. Yes, from today's perspective, "gay" without the acting on it, but could hetero-america then been able to handle it?!?

[@apathy2673]

i dance like Al Pacino in Cruising. It's a curse. I wish you would do one about preteen metalheads discovering Judas Priest and finally putting 2 and 2 together. That's when I realized I wanted to be a good little leather boy like Rob Halford. Accept's Balls to the Wall sealed the deal.

[@wasteland70]

I think the title is a reference to all the characters, to one degree or another, looking at themselves. His coming out is the catalyst for everyone "coming out", admitting who they are and finding themselves.

[@939bb]

I'd love to hear you talk about the 1996 British film, "Beautiful Thing," a nuanced, sensitively handled, coming-of-age and coming-to-terms with being gay drama in a working-class setting (something we don't see too often) with a wonderful Mama Cass sound track and a wonderful happy ending (another thing we don't see too often in gay films--so this one is appropriately titled).

[@sfkeepay]

Yet another fun (and worthwhile) review. However: “...what gay people actually do.” Like what? I think I know what you mean, but I’m gay, and I’ve been celebrate for over a decade. There are a near infinite number of “ways” to be gay, including being gay while not “doing what gay people do.” No big deal, just my two cents.

[@ThreadBomb]

I think Matt expressed himself imprecisely, but it's pretty clear he's saying that gayness is defined by sexual attraction, regardless of behavior.

[@sfkeepay]

@@ThreadBomb, Well, I just re-watched the video, and I think you’ve tipped me over to your side of the argument, and I was probably misinterpreting him. I’d delete the comment, but it’s likely better left up as yet another example of me being wrong. Thanks for your comment and constructive correction.

[@mickstery6]

and how do you get a gay man to punch you? six simple words "she was too old for Yentl" - classic!!

[@gameshowjunky]

Will you ever talk about the roles LGBT folk in the Star Wars Universe?

[@MattBaume]

+Davira Kuy Oh that's a good idea! I don't know a lot about that, aside from the new character in the novel and the fuss over Makeb. Also of course Juhani. Am I missing any?

[@gameshowjunky]

That is the one that I know of. A few years ago, I spoke with an author who wrote many of the Star Wars books. He kinda felt like the droids and non-human inhabitants were oppressed and didn't have equal treatment under the laws of the Galactic Republic. And of course, I also felt like The Emperor was a screaming queen (Have you seen his robes in Revenge of the Sith?)

[@MattBaume]

+Davira Kuy Oh lord yes the Emperor. I cite him as an example whenever I talk about that type of gay villain.

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

Well yeah the droids are horribly mistreated. They're intelligent and self aware but they're bought and sold like property and C3PO's reaction in "Revenge of the Sith" when they say they're going to wipe his memory. Imagine if they were talking about flesh and blood people. "oh and take this guy and mess with his brain with an ice pick. He has things we don't want him to remember". Chilling.

[@TheRyanBTV]

I love this movie. I get that it's a sexless stereotype but it's still great to me

[@PaulineMontagna]

Thanks, Matt. They were my thoughts exactly about this movie. However, as a woman, I did enjoy the relationship between Joan Cusack and Matt Dillon. What older woman wouldn’t want a young movie star to have a crush on her and love her just as she is?

[@VeronicAM313]

Holy Taylor Swift. I was thinking of this movie as I was driving to my house and it's crazy good that I saw this recommendation. I wanted more and he was so sexless.

[@kylenoe2234]

Modern family is also guilty of this stereotyping gays...

[@aiberlane3390]

I don't know why that show is considered progressive. It makes them into a joke but using every ridiculous stereotype.

[@mayess1632]

"But I'm a Cheerleader" has always been my favorite lgbtq movie.

[@a1t3rmusic]

paused and went to watch the movie... totally worth it❤️ great video too❤️

[@ArtistAllanWest]

“…a screwball comedy without the screw.” LOL!

[@jwb52z9]

+Matt Baume If I didn't know better, it would, in a weird way, seem like you are going back to the idea that some people have that being gay is what you do and not who you are as a person. I know you didn't intend anything like that, but if you were anyone else, I'd almost think that idea was somewhere in there.

[@ThePigskincop]

Anyone remember the movie Making Love from 1982, I took my high school to,o it. She was my first, and last girlfriend I’ve ever had.

[@hedwigkiesler]

When I watched this one in theaters at 16, I was offended to the core. Of course I loved Barbra, but apart from that I didn't want to have anything in common with that stuck-up and narrow-minded character Kevin Kline played - he made being gay look so square.

[@thebunnyfoofoo]

Do The Talented Mr Ripley!

[@bekindrewind9675]

I wonder if you talk about The Sum of Us, a very early Russell Crowe film where he plays a gay football player. It's wonderful and Australian. Groundbreaking in its time I think.

[@daniel72908]

I being watching some of your videos. In this one you asked for movies to talk about. How about: The Falls trilogy. About gays in the Mormon church. The are great movies.

[@InfernoMutant]

I think you didn't give this movie enough credit. While showcasing the stereotypes of what it means to be gay, it illuminates the idiocy of not only the belief that a, b, and c = gay, but that anyone should care to begin with. It's not meant to be a serious movie, but it's meant to show how ridiculous these ideas are and that you can learn to understand something that was previously something entirely outside your comfort zone. I dunno, I love this movie.

[@suzawilo]

InfernoMutant My thoughts exactly 👍👍👍

[@littlekiwi9724]

Hey Matt! Is the 1976 movie "The Ritz" worth a review?

[@MattBaume]

Yes indeed. Particularly for that glorious "I HAD A DREAM" number.

[@DavidDagninoV]

Do some controversial ones like Latter Days

[@drbowater]

had you done videos on The Matthew Shepard Story and Prayers for bobby?

[@ZipplyZane]

Only one of those Jimmy Stewart kisses was forced, though. The first and last he embraced her and then they both lean in for the kiss. I mean, yes, that is a trope, but two of three examples weren't actually clips of that trope. Was it all for the joke at the end?

[@exchangediary968]

I do love this movie I renmber when I was young I just finished watching that dreadful insulting I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry'' and heard that the producers were too scared to even have the two characters kiss and then my parents put on this movie for me and I was shocked and happy how they showed a gay kiss

[@93MANIAC]

I would love to see you doing a review of the really silly 2004 action romance movie D.E.B.S.