Anti-gay message in movie!


Spoilers.

So Richard Jenkins character, Giles, is a struggling gay artist who has a crush on a gay looking man who works in a diner/pie store.

His goals:

1) regain work as an artist in the advertising industry (fired for being a drunk)
2) have a relationship with a 30s looking man who sells pies

In storytelling, a character arc means that the hero (and he’s a co hero in this movie) must overcome their inherent weakness (inner struggle) in order to be a hero (external struggle).

In this movie, he didn’t have to defeat his inner demons, he was simply rejected by both the advertising company and the younger man (poor writing, he should have done the rejecting).

Nonetheless, the setup indicates that being gay was his weakness. As a gay man, he is wearing a toupee and unnecessarily buying pies. Without the gay infatuation, he is comfortable in his own bald skin, and helping to save the day.

The message? Being gay holds heroes back from their true potential.

reply

It's also ANTI-WATER TOO!! We should BOYCOTT THIS NOW because it presents a world which clearly does not line up EXACTLY with how I feel the world should be!

AND AND it's ANTI-2018!!!! This is filmed as if the 60s were better, and 2018 doesn't EXIST!
BURN IT!! BURN IT NOW!

reply

It likely would have back then because of societal norms, but that isn't the point.

The film isn't really anti-gay, it is anti-obsessive.

reply

Sorry, but i'm not entirely sure what you're talking about... The scene with what's his name being turned down in the pie restaurant was meant to show his character arch, the way I interpreted it was he was understanding what it was like to be looked down upon for the feelings he has for someone, in the same way where he looked down on the main character for loving the monster. He was put in a position, and changed his opinion because he became much more empathetic. You can interpret some meaning like what you have from this, but that doesn't mean it was intended. And for that reason I don't think the film should be put up as an example of being homophobic.

reply

If you didn't notice, after Giles came on to the diner guy and was rejected, the diner guy then turned away a black couple who came into his diner. So not only was that guy homophobic, but racist, too. It was simply the times they lived in.

Basically, most of the characters were unpleasant, especially the villain, and the general, too.

reply

And him being a bigot happened afterwards being rejected. There was no changing his mind. Weak character arc.

reply

The film takes place during the early 60s. So homophobia would've make sense given the time and setting.

reply

You are making an ocean from a pond, you are creating your own story arc and character development with a 21st century setting instead of a mid 20th century setting, being gay in that time was a little less than a rapist and child molester (instantly once you were out), there was no understanding nor support, you should know that if you are talking about gay representation in movies.

To me he being gay in the movie had nothing to do with being rejected at work or even less with the racist dinner guy, which apparently hated way more the blacks than the white gay people, he was a common racist homophobic, hate everything and everyone that is different mid 20th century male.

He was shown dealing with being gay in a terrible time, being strong with a deep desire to find love but just chose the wrong person, just like anyone else from any sexual preference or identity from that time or the present time.

He was shown with normal insecurities about his body, not just because he was gay but because he was a human, just like any other heterosexual male that dye their hair when they are turning grey or buy a hair piece or shave their head, it is called insecurities and every human being has them, no need to associate a single one to his sexual preference or identity on this movie.

He could have been heterosexual and you would change almost nothing on the story and the same problems would apply, change the racist dinner guy with a racist dinner girl that rejects him because of something else, make him maybe a little shyer, there, you have a complete change to heterosexual and the exact same problems would apply, the hair loss problems, the work problems, without having to associate them to his sexuality.

reply

regardless of whether or not being homosexual was seen as his 'weakness' (or just being a lonely heart), he didn't have a choice in moving on from it or the job opportunity as an artist. Therefore his story arc is weak. A hero is meant to be the one who defeats his or her weaknesses, not simply having their misguided goal removed. For that, this is not the best picture.

reply

You are defining a "type" of hero arc, the traditional, mostly related to the "hero's journey", this thread was not started discussing if this was the best or worst movie, it was about a supposedly "anti-gay message" in the movie which I don't see, if anything it helps bring up problems that homosexuals, blacks, immigrants (the russian communists) and people with a disability had to endure around that time.

The story arc of the gay fellow is weak?, YES you could say that, he needed a little more character development, but he is NOT the hero, he is the narrator of the story from the very beginning, the only one telling the whole story from his perspective, the real hero of this is the Amphibian Man, if you want to see someone defeating his or her weaknesses that is the Amphibian Man and Elisa Esposito, you could call them both heroes by the definition that you want to see.

reply

Gay men may not have any flaws. All praise the perfection of gay men.

reply