The Green

If they do gay cinema on Lifetime, this would be the movie that makes it. Michael Gavin (Jason Butler Harner) is a teacher in a small town. Daniel (Cheyenne Jackson) is his gay partner would runs an eatery. Jason is a troubled kid with a dysfunctional family. His mother works all the time and dates the school's janitor who's an abusive douche. The janitor has it in for Michael and convinces the mother that there's an inappropriate relationship with Michael and her son. Soon it blows up and nobody can be counted on to back Michael.

This is melodrama of the highest order. There is a lot of overacting, but more importantly, the writer leaves no stones unthrown. I do not want to dismiss this as unreasonable. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying it doesn't make a compelling story. You have to leave a sliver of hope. And of course it climaxes in a big action scene. Is it set up well? Not the least.

.......BUT, kidding aside, this well done work just CANNOT be put into a near 10-STAR rating category, such as enjoyed by "Brokeback Mountain". (Read on for my take as to Why).

Co-Lead performances are of a Good to near Very Good level (but not at that peak achieved by Ledger and Gyllenhaal). Supporting character efforts, particularly female, are very capable....BUT, think back to those we were given, and saw, 6 years ago.

Storyline / Plot (which has been well covered for us by Old Churns-em-Out): I have to award this factor a "Not so much". What we are given is the male teacher suspected / accused of inappropriate contact with a student (okay, yes...this time a young man--but even that's been done before). Then, there's the cautionary advice being given--which we all know will be ignored. And added to the mix are a hidden truth...a misunderstanding...a breakup of lovers---all fairly stock story directions.

AND...none could guess the REAL Bad Guy?? C'mon!!

What I do like, and very much so, is the way in which the ending has been handled. Not all "Sweetness & Flowers"....not "All is Forgiven". INSTEAD.....there is Hope. We are shown Hope.

PS--And speaking of those 4 small letters, which can mean so much in anyone's world.....you movie lovers out there should TAKE HOPE. Because there is yet another little "Teacher / Student" film story now working its way through world film festivals, toward a video release for we Stay-at-Home viewers. And it is one for which I have extremely High Hopes.....hopes stemming from a Newbie Director's last, best effort. That being a great little film called, "Plan B" (what's not to like about that one). This new and now out-on-the-circuit production is titled "ABSENT", and is directed by a young Marco Berger.

****

THE GREEN (to satisfy many people's quandary about the name) refers to the luxuriant fields and trees of Connecticut: in this film it represents the haven for escaping the chaos of New York City to the quiet and civilized country. Strike 'civilized', as this film is about anything but civilized behavior on the part of the townspeople where schoolteacher/writer Michael Gavin (Jason Butler Harner) and his longtime partner, locavore caterer Daniel (Cheyenne Jackson) move from the chaotic life of New York City to the gentility of the small Connecticut town. Michael and Gavin are gay: Michael elects to keep his sexuality sub rosa in his new job as a teacher in a private high school, a 'don't ask-don't tell' adaptation, while Daniel simply goes about his catering business with his assistant Glenn (Michael Godere). Michael makes a good friend with Trish (Illeana Douglas) who has a healthy outlook despite the presence of recurring cancer requiring chemotherapy. Trish tries to warn Michael of the gossip in the school, but it is not until Michael attempts to defend a bright student Jason (Chris Bert) that the students and teachers and parents accuse Michael of inappropriate behavior with the shy Jason.

Once the accusation is made the town escalates the situation, Jason runs away from home, and Jason's parents Leo (Bill Sage) and Janette (Karen Young) decide to go after Michael in court. The men's friends Philip (Boris McGiver) and Bethanne (Mary B. McCann) attempt to help Michael but it becomes apparent that Michael need's a special lawyer - and that expert lawyer is Karen (Julia Ormond) who happens to be in a committed lesbian relationship. An old truth comes out: Michael had a prior arrest in NYC years ago for indecent exposure (police entrapment), but worse than for the case progress is the fact that Michael has never told Daniel about the incident, a fact that creates a serious schism between the two men. There is a surprising truth that enters into the story that provides an ending few could anticipate and revealing any aspect of it would taint the experience of the new viewer.

The brilliant script was written by Paul Marcarelli and the film is directed with great sensitivity by Steven Williford. The entire cast is first rate, but special kudos have been earned by Jason Butler Harner, Cheyenne Jackson, Illeana Douglas and Julia Ormond - each deserves careful consideration for awards. But the power of this excellent film is the presentation of homophobia both on the part of the townspeople and students and faculty, but also in the way Michael has elected to lead his life: his own fear of his true identity is as much the cause of his downfall as the external forces. There are many lessons to be learned form this film, but above all THE GREEN is an example of superb American independent film making at its best, presenting an excellent story in a sophisticated, mature, and reasonable manner. Highly Recommended.

Grady Harp

The main motif , for me, to see this film was the presence in cast of Illeana Douglas. The second - I am teacher and the delicate situation of Michael is pretty realistic.

Indeed, not a great film , part for cliches, part for predactibility and holes, part for drops of unrealistic facta.

But reasonable and, in essence, this is what real matters.

Not brilliant performances but decent ones. Few delicate things fair reminded- from the apparences about neighbors to the attitude of comunity, secrets in couple and the brutal step father traumatizing the poor step son, the support for a good student from a teacher and the interpretation of the others.

But it is only a film. Decent, pretty interesting, correct in essence. And this is the only matter thing.

"... Whoa. Just... whoa," is about all my brain could come up with for the first few minutes after watching the credits roll on this film. While obviously gay material, I was delighted that this didn't remotely come across as one of those 'gay films' we all end up rolling our eyes at; there is none of the campiness, smut factor, or frying-pan-over-the-head- message that seems to plague nearly every film that tackles gay issues. The writing managed to be both tense and sharply witty at the same time, and it was executed phenomenally by both the primary and supporting cast. As a gay man trained to be a high school educator, this issue is certainly something I have had to think about and I believe the film treated it extremely realistically for our current sociopolitical climate. I absolutely recommend this film to anyone who enjoys edgy tension-dramas and social commentary.