Happy Pride Month!
This week's Watch Out! review was written by Circulation Clerk Elizabeth Whitworth!
Dir. Thomas Bezucha (trailer)
Big Eden tells the story of New York-based artist Henry Hart (Arye Gross) who has to return to his idyllic Montana hometown in order to care for his grandfather who is recovering from a stroke. While at home, Henry must confront his own feelings for a high-school friend, Dean (Tim DeKay), and the feelings of the shy local general store owner, Pike (Eric Schweig).
Although it’s not a technically perfect film, Big Eden brims with such tenderness that it is easy to forgive its imperfections. At the heart of the film is the way that love is expressed through little gestures – through a home-cooked meal, through shenanigans from nosy but well-meaning neighbors.
The film is also notable for its distinct lack of homophobia, which granted isn’t realistic, but it offers a welcome reprieve from the trope of LGBT+ films that are mired in homophobia and tragedy. To see a film made twenty years ago that treats gay love as normal and something to be encouraged is so affirming, and it’s a good reminder that positive LGBT+ representation can be found in older films, not just recently released ones.
Big Eden is like all the best romantic comedies, it leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, and I heartily recommend it to fans of rom-coms and of LGBT+ cinema.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Recommended for fans of: Love, Simon (2018), romantic comedies, But I'm a Cheerleader (2000), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
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