I had thought this 1997 movie wasn’t currently available on DVD, so I was glad to see I was wrong, with Amazon listing a bargain price edition recently.
It’s a silly romantic comedy, but the premise is intriguing: what do you do if you’re outed on national TV but you don’t identify as gay? Kevin Kline does an excellent job as Howard Brackett, respected small-town teacher and engaged (for three years) man. Immediately, everyone — including Howard — begins questioning his identity. Fiancee Emily Montgomery (Joan Cusack, Oscar nominated for this role) wonders if that’s why Howard’s never made an improper move. His students figure that explains the love of literature, his neatness, and the bowties. His volunteer fireman buddies now understand why he made them watch so many Barbra Streisand movies.
Former student Matt Dillon is up for an Oscar, and the whole town’s watching the ceremony. When he wins for playing a gay soldier (! – this was eight years before Brokeback Mountain), Dillon’s character thanks Howard … as a homosexual role model and inspiration. Which surprises everyone, including Howard. (This scene was supposedly based on Tom Hanks’ acceptance speech for Philadelphia.)
Cue the media barrage. Tom Selleck is fun as a visiting reporter who doesn’t have the preconceptions Howard’s neighbors and friends do. The cast overall is exceptional — Howard’s parents are Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley. The stodgy school principal, who thinks he can force change to stop, is Bob Newhart. Lauren Ambrose is one of the students.
Of course, while there is some mild homophobia shown, everything works out much better than it would in real life. But that’s one of the reasons we watch these kinds of movies — to see happy endings and laugh at the events along the way. I also like how it captures a particular kind of cultural shift, from gay being something to hide, to a stereotype, to a minor obstacle and misunderstanding to work through until everyone’s better off. Howard’s friends and family don’t desert him, no matter his sexuality; his biggest problem is avoiding the media circus. That’s pleasant to see, even if sometimes it’s still a fiction.
Making Howard a teacher is a great idea, because it gives writer Paul Rudnick a character, a well-meaning but dumb jock student, who can spout off stereotypes and misconceptions about homosexuality without seeming malicious. He’s young, and he doesn’t know anything but sports, so he seems in need of education, to cure his bigotry.
The part I enjoy best is when Kline’s character is attempting to brainwash himself with a self-help tape to enhance his masculinity. The voice keeps insisting that real men don’t dance, while Kline explodes with the joy of movement and music. Kline’s performance, in spite of a script that sometimes goes for the obvious (see Streisand reference above), is nicely nuanced and utterly believable.
In & Out isn’t one for the ages, certainly, but it’s well-meaning and comfortable and good-intentioned, very Middle America. It’s a gay movie you can share with your parents or children, indulging in stereotypes as a way of establishing commonalities with its audience. As Howard learns to accept who he really is, he doesn’t change all that much, which shows that who someone loves is only part of what makes up any individual person. (I’m not trying to minimize what’s an important part of anyone’s life, just saying that it’s not always worth getting that worked up about.) I called this a romantic comedy earlier, but it’s less about love, more about identity and acceptance.
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