MovieChat Forums > It Chapter Two (2019) Discussion > The gay guys and bullies - opening scene...

The gay guys and bullies - opening scene

posted 5 years ago by [deleted]
15 replies | jump to latest

I thought the couple were a bit too much SJW, and even superheros given the beatings they could take without going unconscious. But at the same time, kind of a cliche of gay guys who mock you with nasty but “witty” insults. (Meg Ryan wants her wig back. A funnyish joke but also an actor most under 30 wouldn’t know who it is.)

I thought the bullies were interesting and wondered why did they establish actors and then we never see from them again? That was weak writing.

The river scene was great. Being rescued by It is not how you want to get rescued. Red balloons was creepy.

[–] BrunoAntony (1198) 5 years ago

That scene is straight from the book.

I thought the gay guy making Meg Ryan jokes as he was being beaten (which doesn’t happen in the book) and the way the homophobes were gross-looking weirdos (they were just red necks in the book) was too much, though.

IMO, Stephen King’s book is actually kind of homophobic by today’s standards.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Yeah, do all gay guys have sass? lol

The youngest looked really creepy.

I didn't know this was based on King's book? I thought it was a totally unique sequel.

[–] Moonglum9 (10711) 5 years ago

Yeah, do all gay guys have sass? lol

They sure do. Fabulous sass!

[–] John0325 (43) 5 years ago

The book was split in two for the movie.

[–] FilmBuff (6691) 5 years ago

It was a scene lifted from the book, and one which made more sense in the books '80s setting than in 2016, or whatever year it was meant to be. I think the only reason it was there was to establish that Pennywise can kill adults as well as children.

[–] BrunoAntony (1198) 5 years ago

No, Filmbarf...

It kills Adrian Mellon on the anniversary of Georgie’s death in the books. The new cycle of murders are meant to mirror the old ones that the Losers interrupted when they were children.

In the film, they imply that It kills Adrian Mellon because of the synchronicity of Richie being gay.

The murder also establishes the homophobia in Derry, which is why Richie is closeted about his sexuality.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

No, It didn't. In the book, Georgie was killed in the 1950s, and Adrian Mellon was killed in the 1980s.

[–] BrunoAntony (1198) 5 years ago

Yes, It did.

LOL

[–] BigGreenYamo (25) 5 years ago

Yes, hence the term "anniversary"

[–] bohemianroxie (2471) 5 years ago

It's been a while since I read the book but I believe the book covering their childhood was initially set in the 50's. The adult children would've been closer to the 1986 publication date.

And for anyone that doesn't know...the one novel covered both the children and their adult selves and didn't split them up into 2 stories like the films.

[–] FilmBuff (6691) 5 years ago

Yes, that's right. The scene with the gay man being killed took place, in the book, in the mid-'80s, and I believe was the event that seemed to kick off Pennywise's new round of killing.

[–] Rorikon (16393) 5 years ago

SJW? They got their asses kicked. That's like the most anti-SJW I have seen. Literally Pennywise ate the wannabe cool gay boy and killed the other. Thought you'd be celebrating instead of shouting too much SJW.

[–] JigsawDude (173) 5 years ago

Normally I would agree but the whole opening scene is almost entirely taken right from the book. That said, I don't believe that in 2019 we have many muggings of Gay people happening anymore, maybe back in the 80's when that part of the book is set but not now, so I don't particularly find it believable but as I said, it's faithful to the book so it's all good and it connects back to Richie being Gay/Bi later on, even though that wasn't set up at all in the previous movie.

[–] BrunoAntony (1198) 5 years ago

In the book, IT killed the gay guy (described by Mike as “a child-like man”) on the anniversary of IT’s murder of Georgie. They mention there is deliberate synchronicity between the new wave of murders and the Loser’s era.

In the movie, presumably there’s some kind of symbolic connection between IT killing the gay guy due to IT failing to kill gay Richie back in the day.

I’m probably reading too much into the lousy script of this film, though LOL

[–] jejebinks (66) 5 years ago

I didn’t understand the importance of that scene. I guess it was to highlight the little girl who would later on be Pennywise’s target, but we don’t see the other gay guy who didn’t get killed later on in the movie, so for someone who hasn’t read that book, it felt a little disjointed for me, storytelling-wise. But I found it interesting how the film began with the murder of a gay individual, and ended with Richie revealing he’s gay (was he gay in the book? Was Eddie supposed to be gay?).