MovieChat Forums > The 19th Wife (2010) Discussion > De-gaying

De-gaying

posted 14 years ago by rgcustomer
11 replies | jump to latest

From what I understand, Jordan has a gay relationship, but in this adaptation, they wrote that out and gave him female Queenie as a key relationship in the movie. What is the point of that, other than simple bigotry? Why would I want to watch the product of such a process?

If this is true, I think writer Richard Friedenberg and director Rod Holcomb owe viewers an explanation. Even if the decision was handed to them by Lifetime, why would they agree to participate in it? I had hoped Martian Child would have been the last time this happened. This is no longer an acceptable part of adaptation.

The original author David Ebershoff has stated (according to several other websites) "I had no role in the adaptation. A few weeks before filming began I learned that Jordan had been rewritten as straight. I was told that this was a network decision. Obviously I was offended, disappointed, and baffled. I hope that the movie sends people to the book so that they can meet my Jordan, along with his boyfriend, Tom, and their dogs, Elektra and Joey."

[–] thewickedchef01 14 years ago

i am so furious that they de-gayed this story. matt czuchry + gay = AMAZING. boooooooooo lifetime.

I'm going to pull your endocrine system out of your body.

[–] ldddhunter 13 years ago

i love the chem b/w jordan/queenie though --- but i can also see the disappointment in changing the book's version..this is still a very good movie though.

[–] Xcalat3 14 years ago

weird

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] ldddhunter 10 years ago

I'm sure u are not referring to my reply - right?

[–] thenYES 13 years ago

What?! I didn't see the movie, but they turned Jordan straight?! Why? That's awful.

His sexuality is a key part of the story in terms of both plot and character development, so it's not just like some minor character detail that didn't matter.

That's so obnoxious. I loved Jordan and Tom and their dogs in the book.

"And then he started cheating...especially at magnetic travel scrabble."

[–] Anniston 13 years ago

I haven't read the book, but since that is a novel and not a biography of Jordan's, then I don't see why the decision to write him as straight was a poor one. That said, from what I recall there wasn't anything definitive in the movie that indicated he could not be gay. Of course he said that he was shunned due to him being competition for the elders, so that was a big change from the novel. He could have been gay and the church not known. Elders in those sects do shun younger men to weed out competition.

He could have chosen to not tell Queenie due to the fact that while she was more progressive than most, she still did hold on to a lot of what the church had instilled in her.

At the end, when he gives Fifth a kiss before she boards the bus, it was almost as if he was able to give her a kiss that he knew would make her swoon because it was not sexual to him in any way due to his sexuality.

If you're not responding to me, "reply" to the post you're responding to. kthanks.

[–] thewickedchef01 13 years ago

there wasn't anything that indicated he could not be gay but by not mentioning at all whatsoever that the character (according to the book) could have been gay made it seem like they just didn't want to go there and were just hiding it. i personally think they shouldn't stayed true to the character in the book.

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[–] CorumJI 13 years ago

You've successfully made me not pay any attention to this film by finding this whiny ass crap significant.

Actually, this and the review which made it clear that it's an anti-religious film in general, with the appropriate agenda to whack things with.

You've both been quite successful in convincing me that this is yet another piece of lifetime-hollywood made for TV crap. Not that I'd expect otherwise from lifetime.

Be amazing if lifetime ever took women to task for their failings and inability to take responsibility for their own bad choices that *contributes* to some of their own bad situations.

...Naaaaaahhhhhh

Womyn are Gaia Goddesses that never, ever do anything wrong, evil, or stupid. EVER.

[–] whitespirit26 13 years ago

What are you talking about? This movie shows a significant number of foolish women.

[–] anmoore 13 years ago

This explains a lot...I am only halfway through this movie and am feeling sort of blah about it. So I was stunned to find out that it was based on a book written by David Ebershoff, who I loved for his books with great gay characters. Not sure if I'll finish this movie now, but I am definitely going to read the book!

[–] super-staff 13 years ago

Maybe not making him straight would've made the movie less cookie-cutter.