Starring:
Year of Release: 1997
Rated: PG-13
Director: Pat O'Connor
Approx. Running Time: 92 minutes
Format(s): DVD
My Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Clip From Movie: (Edited for content)
From Back Cover:
"A comedy knockout! Hilarious!"
-Peter Travis, Rolling Stone
Welcome to Greenleaf, a picture-postcard Indiana town where the high school is the proud focus of attention and "alternative lifestyle" means you bowl on alternate Tuesdays. But on the night of the Oscars telecast, the town's - and world's - center of attention is Greenleaf teacher Howard Brackett. A former student who's now a superstar actor tells an audience of millions that Howard is gay. Poor Howard. He's outted when he didn't know he was in!
Kevin Kline plays stunned Howard, scrambling to go forth with his wedding to devoted Emily (Joan Cusack) and doing his frantic best to assert his manliness. With clever dialogue, antic situations and a stellar cast that includes Matt Dillon, Tom Selleck, Debbie Reynolds and Bob Newhart, In & Out is out-and-out fun!
My Comments:
Here we have a comedy with a social conscience - one that tackles the issue of homophobia, albeit using stereotypes, but stereotypes are applied to the heterosexual characters as well as to the homosexual ones.
Inspired by Tom Hanks' Oscar acceptance speech for Philadelphia, In & Out tells the story of Howard Brackett, a high school English teacher in a small town who - days away from getting married - is outed on national television by a former student.
Chaos ensues as the town is flooded by reporters frantic to get the "scoop." Consequently, the town watches - and questions - his every move, he is fired from his job, and he begins to question his own masculinity - only to come to the revelation that he is, in fact, gay.
Well written dialogue, stellar performances (most notably by Joan Cusack, one of my favorite actresses, who is delightful as the bride-not-to-be) and a heartfelt storyline make for one really fun movie.
Go Back:
I
Rated PG-13 (MPAA)
4 Stars
1997
Comedy
Gay (LGBT) Interest
Main Index