Rating of
3/4
Doubtful of your masculinity?
MovieAddict - wrote on 03/31/12
Mild mannered Howard Brackett has a perfect life: he’s got a wonderful job that he loves as an English Literature teacher; he's respected by everybody in his community and he's about to marry a beautiful woman Emily (Joan Cusack). But then something unfortunate happens to him. One of his ex-students Cameron (Matt Dillon), now a huge Hollywood star, wins a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of a homosexual army soldier. During his speech on live TV, he tells to the whole world that Mr. Bracket was his big inspiration and that the man is gay perhaps because he is always neatly attired with his shirt tucked in and loves Barbara Streisand. Howard's fiancée as well as the entire town are astounded and outraged none of them more so than Howard himself who now has the greatest difficulties to convince everybody that he isn't gay. He finds his entire life turned upside down as he goes through the ordeals a gay person coming out of the closet does. The scene when he says to openly gay Peter Malloy (played by a moustache-less Tom Selleck) "But I'm NOT gay" with a flourish of his hand was so classic that I just about died laughing.
I thought the "I am gay" scene at the high school graduation ceremony was cheesy but Kline is very funny and believable as a repressed gay man. In conclusion I have to admit that this satire of sexuality and homophobia was better than expected with a great performance from Kevin Kline, especially the scene where he dances to the Diana Ross “I will survive” song.
