Overall I thought this was a good film, but can someone enlighten me as to why Ron Eldard did himself up like a transexual for the hospital scenes? Was he a drag queen? I don't think he was trans-gender. As a gay man myself, I found it a little offensive that the actor and/or the filmmaker felt this character needed to behave like that. Most gay men do not cross-dress and my drag queen friends do NOT get dolled up to go visiting---it's strictly for the stage.
shareSince the movie is "Fathers and Sons", I think Tom in drag was just a plot device to to illustrate the growth of the father character (John Mahoney) in the course of the movie.
Remember, at the start, the father says he can't remember who Max was, and when he meets Tom (Ron Eldard, the son) at the first restaurant, he hesitates when greeted by a hug. He waffles about doing dinner and staying at Tom's place, but when he does show up he greet Tom with a real hug. Then you get to see the look on his face when Tom emerges in drag. While Tom is the showiest character, I think the undercurrent is about the father's growth in accepting and loving his son. Then contrast that with the attitude of Max's family and the father who shows up too late.
I found your post offensive.
Please don't speak for yourself but then use your 'gayness' as a way of speaking for anyone else. If you found it offensive that's fine, it's your individual opinion.
I found it touching. Not only as a statement to the father telling him (the distant father) who he (the son) was, but also a statement of how he was comfortable in himself.
I don't know what "most gay men" do; I've never polled them and neither have you.
my personal opion on the scene wasn't so much "Drag, not Drag" but more he was getting dressed up to see the man of his life the love of his life. There was most likely the possibility that he wasn't trans- gender but with the scene i think it opened other possibilities to the subject other than the obvious white and black possed. The point wasn't that he was gay but that he was nervous and hadn't seen his lover for such amount of time and wanted to look nice.
I hurt myself today to see if i still feel.
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All I know is that when men dress in drag, they tend to put waaaaaaaaaaaay much effort into their outfit and makeup. I suppose Tom's barely done make-up and unattractive hair and clothing were supposed to show his emotional state of mind at visiting Max's deathbed.
I believe transexual and transgender has to do with physical and psychological matters. Neither of which apply to Tom. As far as I could tell by watching the movie, Tom is comfortable being a man and living as a man.
His change to womanish clothing for the hospital visit was only temporary. I'd say his clothing change falls into the category of drag or female impersonator.
No two persons ever watch the same movie.share