Liberty Sex

This movie was great. A must see. It will touch the bottom of your heart, its well done, a great plot, with great stories. I loved this movie. I cried at the end like a little girl.

It's great to see a movie that was made thinking about the gay community, and that help us to fight homophobia.

This movie is a powerful portrayal of gay life and homophobia in small-town America, in this case Homer, Connecticut. Narrated through all three vignettes by Eric Stoltz's character, the character is 6 or so in "1954" when a young woman (Brittany Murphy) returns from the Navy with a Section 8 discharge for "deviant sexual behavior". In "1974", Stoltz is a fresh-from-Vietnam veteran tending grounds at the town war memorial at a time when the high school's star swimmer (Johnathan Taylor Thomas) wants to come out to his French teacher (Stephen Weber). In the last vignette, Stoltz's groundskeeper is greying, and some in the town (mostly veterans and church-goers) are protesting the marriage of two gay men, one of whom has wedding-day jitters and a father (Ed Asner) who helped organize and mobilize the protest.

This film tells the story of the residents of a small town changing attitudes towards homosexuals through the decades.

"Common Ground" is an amalgamation of three stories in different decades. Out of the three stories, united by the sacred War Memorial in the centre of the town, the first story is the best. A woman who is unsure of her sexuality, and is rejected cruelly by her town and even by her mother. It deeply touches the heart strings and is very engaging. second story tells the story of a seventeen years old boy who is bullied because he is gay. It is touching because the characters in the story shows courage and remains true to themselves. The third story, however, is a huge mess. The plot is almost ridiculous as it cannot seem to decide whether it is pro gay or anti gay. The father suddenly switches stance with no apparent reason, making the whole segment a huge joke.

I am lucky enough to own a VCD of this film. I think I will keep it.

Although I have seen many excellent "gay" movies, this movie tops them all. Along with Showtime's TV series "Queer as Folk", this movie accurately portrays the struggles and triumphs in the lives of most homosexuals. Luckily, I was able to purchase a copy on eBay (this movie is not available on DVD or VHS, except to members of the Academy Awards Nomination Committee), and I have shown it to all of my friends and family members. All agree that this movie should almost be mandatory viewing. I highly encourage any and everyone to take the time to watch this film. If you are a homosexual, then this film will make you feel great about who you are and your history. If you are not, then this film will certainly open your eyes as to what it means to be a gay or lesbian man or woman in the world today.

The quality of cable-made TV-movies continues to improve as this film proves.

This is an excellent anthology of three short stories revolving around the "common ground" of a flagpole in the center of a fictional all-American town in Connecticut. Through the years, attitudes towards homosexuals evolve as the stories play out. The common character to all three stories, played by Eric Stolz, narrates as he witnesses over the period of his lifetime the struggle between homophobia and tolerance. The fact that he raises and lowers the American flag each day probably symbolizes that he is the keeper of the American Dream -- equality of all.

An excellent cast and excellent writing make the film not only entertaining and enlightening but also touching.