Big Eden

An artist living in NYC returns home to Big Eden, a rural area of Montana, to care for his ailing grandfather. The artist gets reacquainted with people from his past, including an old high school friend. Romantic complications ensue.

This is not a film for viewers looking for lots of fast paced action and excitement. It's more of a character study that focuses on the lives of warm-hearted, ordinary people who are caring and sensitive. People spend a lot of time cooking and eating. (I don't recall a film in which there was so much food). More idealistic than realistic, the film's underlying contemporary message is a welcome change from the usual Hollywood gloom and doom theme. On the other hand, some of the relationships between characters are not obvious, which renders a slightly muddled story.

Overall, "Big Eden" is a well-made movie with good production design, adroit cinematography (that captures a beautiful landscape), and fine acting. And, I like the Tex-Mex music, though to someone like me who lives in Texas, the music seems a little out of place ... so to speak. But maybe not.

One of the best things about "Big Eden" is the inclusion of Nan Martin as an elderly gadabout. With her deep-throated voice and her animated expressions, she stands out as a unique, and thoroughly entertaining, actress. Would love to see her in more films.

Only in a fictional town ... sigh! This film is very well-written and has a superb cast. It's so warm, in a realistic, homespun kind of way. The true joy in viewing this film is that it is not stereotypical or predictable, and it doesn't trivialize. It speaks to the heart.

This film also flows very well, with no weak or flat spots in the storyline. It draws the viewer in more as a participant. Bravo!

This was a great movie. It was beautifully shot, showing a northern-ish small mountain town throughout several seasons (it reminded me of Northern Exposure more than once). The plot is by far one of the most realistic and engaging of the many gay movies I have watched. It isn't as agenda-driven as many of the gay films being made these days; it was first and foremost a beautiful story about accepting yourself as an adult, navigating complicated family relationships, and finding/nurturing/accepting relationships that are good for you rather than chasing after pointless fantasies of romance. Even my very-straight-husband loved it (and teared up at the end when the protagonist finally picks the right guy!). It was a great story. The acting is very impressive too. I would absolutely recommend it to both gay and straight audiences.

Until a few days ago I had never heard of the film BIG EDEN- and am still not quite sure from where the title came. I appreciated the total absence of any gay stereotypes and while it stretched one's imagination (greatly) regarding the plot and how it was presented in the film, in my mind, it could and has happened in just the way the director envisioned it. It would seem that his choice of a mythical(?) town in northwestern Montana was very much on purpose - making the whole thing improbable, at best. Still, that very romantic situation has happened a great deal in small town USA. Our director has changed the gender mix and I believe asked us to challenge our own human prejudices and failings. To a person, everyone in the film was completely believable. It was a romantic love story, as I saw it, with an unexpected but nevertheless real, valid, and honest gender mix. At one point it is obvious that the grandfather knows that his grandson is gay and is hoping that he will confide and share that with him. Some of the towns people depicted in this film are almost ALWAYS seen as conservative and close-minded and downright prejudicial in other films that deal with this particular subject matter. I'm happy to say that I do know lots of open-minded, live-and-let-people who would definitely enjoy and applaud this gem of a film. With all the sudden controversy about same-sex marriages it would seem that its appearance on cable tv was not only timely but very much on purpose. I have a longtime friend who grew up in Montana, and although he has yet to see the film, I'm quite sure that he would agree, that this particular romantic love story could NOT have happened as it did in the film in this small town in Montana. I'm more certain it could and has happened in more urban cities, like NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, et cetera. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend the film to anyone especially to those who have NEVER considered life without stereotyping others, or that LOVE and LOVING is not only the most beautiful and powerful gift we can give to and receive from one another, but it is also both limitless and has NEVER been gender specific. For me it is the highest form of human behavior and the very best experience we can have and share in our all too short lives on Earth. I'd enjoy hearing from others and their comments about the film. Our main character, unfortunately, is still too ashamed of who he is and is the direct source of his difficulty in telling his ailing grandfather of his gender affection for two of his male friends. Again I highly recommend this film as an alternative to all of the violent,negative, and mean spirited films that the Hollywood seems to happily produce for public consumption and in doing so, laugh all the way to the bank. Peace with out - Jesse

Everything has already been said about this film in the adjoining comments, so I'll make a few personal observations.

I'm not about to apologize for liking this film, or make any excuses for its content. Frankly, who's to say such a town can't exist? My origins are in the Deep South, and believe it or not, I've seen communities like this one. Perhaps it is "stereotypical" to think that such a town CANNOT be real. Sure, hatred exists everywhere. I've personally been the victim of a nasty hate crime, but I've also been fortunate enough to visit small communities that embrace everyone, gay or straight. I have every reason to be bitter, but I choose not to be a martyr.

As others have said, I welcome this film as a gay love story that avoids the pitfalls of torpid melodrama and morbid angst. Many have accurately compared this film to the TV series "Northern Exposure." It really is a sweet little film (and I normally avoid that word).

How interesting that ALL of my cynical gay friends love this film. Surprisingly, I only learned of it this year. Ebert totally missed the boat on this one.