Geography Club

My reproch, against me, remains being too old to real love this charming film. I discovered its title a couple years ago. I was tempted after first half of hour to renounce to see it - a film with and for teenagers , mix of sexual orientation confusion, friendship and compromises in name of it, bullying and a kiss as step to discover a not so conventional club.

But, part curiosity, part decent acting tempted me to see it and to discover a pretty coming of age story in fair - honest terms crafted, sensitive themes explored in honest manner and the play at cello as refuge, games of apparences and prejudices and a kitch wall fish.

I appreciated it for something easy to define as deep honesty about a special age, relation with others, self definition.

Russell is gay and is in the closet, he is keeping his head down to study with the hope of living up to his parent's dreams and actually getting into Yale. He is also playing it straight by dating girls and being the wing man for his best friend Gunnar.

Then he goes on a field trip and gets entangled with Jock footballer Kevin. His secret is now out but he still isn't. What follows is a 'nice' coming of age tale that will have no surprises but is warm and human enough to satisfy most viewers.

This is not a sexathon either - nothing to frighten the horses here - there is some humour, there is some bullying and abusive behaviour but that is essentially a story about growing up and being honest about who you are. I have seen some very negative reviews of this and was initially put off from seeing it; after watching it I actually felt good for having seen it - so this is one I can easily recommend.

A very entertaining and compelling comedy. It's one of those timeless movies that stay relevant regardless of what decade you're in. It's an inspiring & touching comedy about friendship, identity & the courage to speak out. Reminds me of My So Called Life. It combines humor, wit and important life lessons. The whole cast did a great job, portraying complex characters, making it easy to identify with the situations they face. I especially loved Grant Harvey's portrayal of Nolan, one of the most complex characters of the movie. The filmmakers (Gary & Edmund Entin) succeed in capturing the reality that plays out across schools across the country, where being different can be frightening, awkward and disturbing. Fans of Brent Harbinger's book will love this movie, it captures the optimism and drama in a realistic and believable way. Probably geared towards young adults, it should be seen by anybody.

That's right: I'm seven minutes and forty-five seconds into this movie, and I'm already declaring it a 10/10.

Why? Because these kinds of gay movies are joyous, a breath of much-needed fresh air, and---I daresay---IMPORTANT.

Currently---and despite our much-lauded progressive attitudes---watching a "gay romance" is a bit like walking a Vietnam-era minefield: You're never quite sure if the characters and relationships you're rooting for are going to catch AIDS, be lynched, and/or commit suicide by the end... because they usually do. (Consider: The most mainstream "gay romance" at the time of this writing ends with one of our heroes being tire-ironed to death on the side of a freeway.)

So: "Living happily ever after" is one hell of a risky bet.

Admittedly, there's an undeniable place for such poignant, melancholy fare... but sometimes... sometimes... I just want to watch a cheesy, happy movie! Does that make me a bad person?! That was a rhetorical question: NO! No, it does not!

Dammit, I want to watch a movie where I know, going in, that the muffin I'm smiling for isn't going to suffer horribly and then die alone! No one likes minefields!

And seven minutes and forty-fives seconds in, this movie told me I wasn't in a minefield.

That is one HELL of a rare treat in the desolate, self-immolating landscape of despair to which we're so-often subjected.

This film has mostly solid acting and quite high production values, but it shies away from any deep thinking, offering sentimentality instead. If you're in high school, it might provide a bit of inspiration, or it might just make you wish you lived in the movies instead of real life.