Same old stereotype


I was really hoping ... but it didn't happen. The filmmakers had a golden opportunity here, but fell for the false assumption that a film whose main audience is gay males has to have a major focus on gratuitous sex scenes in order to appeal to them. All films like this do is reinforce the same old stereotype that gay men are all sex addicts. Believe it or not, the majority of us actually have normal lives and normal sex drives, just like our straight counterparts. We do normal every day things that don't involve sex -- eat, sleep, work, pursue hobbies, etc. Instead of making a film that barely rises out of the soft-core porn category, the filmmakers could have given us a true romantic comedy in the tradition of the Day/Hudson, Hepburn/Tracy, or Ryan/Hanks films. There is so much more to love, romance, and comedy than lust and bedroom scenes.

reply

I know right. One of the most unsuccessful arcs of the film is, unfortunately, that of the main character. This is the first movie I've seen about bears, and maybe I was expecting a little too much. Still, a cliche is a cliche. I accept the newbie character angle to introduce concepts to the newbie and the audience, but the Hollywood contrived redundancy of a cute guy who can't get noticed by a Brian Kinney character or a character who stands in the way of his own happiness (this time, his concern for how others view him) considerably decreases the potentially fresh appeal of the movie's premise. I prefer seeing more of the unique bear issues like what the other characters went through.

Still, I'd recommend this film to others with watered down expectations. BearCity is still overall entertaining, with incredibly effective scenes (that bathtub scene was hilarious, as well as when the couple was high on E). Ultimately, a highly uneven attempt.

reply

[deleted]