The new independent film “I Do”, by Glenn Gaylord and David
W. Ross, manages to put together most of the major segments of the marriage
equality, immigration equality, and family responsibility (as viewed in the “culture
wars”) together in a well-constructed story. The film was aired by Reel
Affirmations (opening night for the shorter 2012 festival) last night (Nov. 1)
at the Carnegie Science Center Theater in Washington, one block from the (competing)
annual High Heels Race, which probably prevented a sellout.
Jack Edwards (writer David Ross) works in New York as an
openly gay photographer but has emigrated from Britain on a long term visa
since he was a teen. As the movie opens,
he is having dinner with his older brother Peter (Grant Edwards), who had
raised him after a family tragedy in
Britain, and his brother’s just-pregnant wife Mya (Alicia Witt). Peter says , at the table,that straight men
have more responsibility and less disposable income than gay men. Peter accidentally leaves his wallet behind,
and in the ensuing sequence his brother gets struck by a car and killed.
Jack helps raise the little girl Tara (Jessica Tyler Brown).
This may seem like kind of “family responsibility”, the way it has been
explored in movies like ‘Raising Helen”, “Saving Sarah Cain” and “Breakfast
with Scot” (see Oct. 16, 2008; Aug 24, 2007).
But, as the writer pointed out in the Q&A, Jack really wants kids
and envies the heterosexual world for providing that opportunity. Now, he has the chance to be a substitute
father.
Soon, however, he learns his visa won’t be renewed easily because
of post 9-11 concerns. At the urging of
a legal counselor (Earnestine Phillips), he marries a lesbian best friend Ali
(Jamie-Lynn Sigler). Pretty soon, the INS is barging in, and calling them in to
their offices to quiz them (separately) to make sure they have a “real”
marriage. (If they didn’t, the movie says,
Ali could go to prison.) In the mean
time, Jack has been dating two men, Craig (Mike Manning), and then the Spaniard
Mano (Maurice Compte). Both of these men
are very congenial – and this film, in fact, makes all of its major gay male
characters likeable (as had “Judas Kiss”).
Jack’s relationship with Mano deepens, and then Mano’s father has a
stroke back in Spain, and Mano will have to go back to take care of him (the
involuntary family responsibility card again). Mano says, “he’s my flesh and blood, he’s my
father” even though the father had
turned him away when learning he was gay.
Jack has explored the idea of divorcing Ali and marrying
Mano, but is told that because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), now in the
courts as possibly unconstitutional under equal protection, the INS cannot
recognize the marriage even though New York State will. But he could consider going with Dano and
marrying in Spain and leaving the US for good, but that would mean abandoning his
niece. By now, this brother’s wife has
mixed feeling about this whole thing, as in one particular scene where she
loses her tempo.
The film was largely shot in LA, with many streets made to
simulate New York; a few scenes were shot in New York, and the last sequence in
the arid Pyrenees foothills in Spain, and it looks impressive. The film is shot in 2.35:1 aspect, which means
a lot of cropping at this particular venue.
In the QA, Ross said that the Obama administration has been
able to hold off on actual deportation enforcements in these kinds of
situations.
The film has played in many other festivals, including Austin,
Frameline, Outfest, Atlanta, Seattle, and Asheville. It appears that it will be released by
TLA. The official site is here.
The link for Immigration Equality is here.
Two short films to note on YouTube:
In “Not Gay” (16 min), by Charlie Polinger, Austin Prow
plays a likeable college student who wakes up after heavy drinking at a frat
party to learn of his proclivities from his buddies.
In “Gay in the Dark (“Al Buio”, 12 min) two brothers in an
Italian boarding school both face their intrinsic identities.
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