I thought that I was going to see a movie that shows how homosexuals can achieve true love of the highest kind, and that is normal and beautiful. Instead, I found a movie that chronicles two promiscuous, lewd men who make so many mistakes in life that it is hard to assign them virtues. Each one does have his charm and his goodness, but in the end, they are immoral (in the worlds sense of morality, not just the Christian sense). What is odd is that their immorality has nothing to do with their homosexuality. They are just faulty people living their lives who happen to love someone of the same sex.
Groan moments-1. When Ennis was a child, a homosexual was castrated for his wrongdoings. His father made sure his son knows what happens to homosexuals, and drags his son out to see this man. 2. Ennis has sex with his wife, but turns her over so that he can screw her in the butt. 3. There are cheap religious insults. 4. The boss to the two men stereotypically hates homosexuals. (These all evoke groans because they are the clichd way of arguing for homosexuality. They show the cruelty the world has for different people)
Next problem- Jack and Ennis relationship is spontaneous; there is no build up. There should be more exposition, since the whole story relies on their chemistry. This problem becomes minor because the bond grows over time.
Now what is interesting about this movie is the immorality. Ennis is engaged, but he sleeps with Jack. He marries, has kids, but becomes distant, even horrible, to his wife. He kisses Jack where she can see him cheating on her. He leaves to go fishing with Jack without consulting her. After they divorce, he almost beats her. He is a negligent father. The one weekend he has his daughter he crudely introduces her to his new girlfriend and takes his daughter out to the bar. He has no idea what man his daugher is dating when she informs him that she is getting married. He does not consider letting his daughter live with him when she requests it. He is not there for these women who rely on him. To top it off, he sleeps around, and continues his fun with Jack.
Jack marries and has a son, but Jack is more responsible than Ennis. He defends his wife against her father. Jack is also promiscuous. He even goes to Mexico to sleep with men.
Ennis and Jack probably could have found a way to live with each other, but Ennis never makes an effort and Jack is too much of a dreamer to see his plans through. It is their own faults that they do not live happily together, not the fault of society.
That is what makes this movie good. It does not blame Christianity for keeping these lovers apart. It does not blame anyone except the couple. Homosexuality did not prevent them from being happy; they prevented their own happiness by choosing to live a life they did not want. This movie does not show how homosexuals can have a faithful relationship of the highest love, but it does show the mistakes of humans. This places the emphasis on humanity, not on homosexuality. Props for that one. That was a really good, and unexpected, move that can forgive the movie all its flaws.
~Kristen Gorlitz