Geography Club

You can tell from the opening scene what type of movie this is going to be and I didn't mind one bit. The handsome school jock is closeted and finding it difficult to hook up with anyone until he meets another closeted high school jock. A small group of nerdy types regularly hold meetings in a school classroom under the guise of a Geography Club, knowing such a group would surely be ignored by the rest of school. Of course they are the local gay kids hiding behind the sign. The handsome jock stumbles upon the club and is convinced to join.

I think the holding power of this movie is the lead character played by Cameron Deane Stewart. He is very good in this role, very likable and very handsome. The story line is fairly slim on drama but the movie does redeem itself in the closing scenes. I must say I went in to this movie not excepting a lot and came our surprised enough to write this review and to say give it a go. Also look out for the cool cameo by Scott Bakula (Qantam Leap and later playing gay in Looking), in a very uplifting and rewarding scene around the family dinner table.

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.

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.

Like several other reviewers before me, I just happened upon this movie and therefore had few expectations. And, like them, I was pleasantly surprised. As a mature gay man, I think the topic of bullying in schools is an important, yet complicated one: it is easy to sit back from the action and judge, but to experience it -- especially at such a confusing time of life -- isn't quite so black and white. So. ultimately, I thought it was a good film and was happy to have discovered it.

Then I went to IMDb to offer a rating - perhaps a "7" - and learned that the film was based on a series of books written by Brent Hartinger. So, I ran over to Audible.com and purchased the first and, upon completion of that, the remaining three books. Then, my opinion changed a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the acting was actually quite good and that (for a small film) the production quality was higher than one might expect. However, the liberties that the screenplay writers took with the book's rich content were mind-boggling. As a life-long fan of both books and movies, I fully understand that strict translations of page to screen are nearly impossible and often fall flat when they do occur. However, the extent of the changes were so pervasive that it is nearly impossible to recognize some of the characters - in fact, reading the book helped me understand my confusion over the conflicting actions/statements of some of the characters in the film, who it appears were patched together from other characters in the book.

I think what bothers me more than anything is that I fear several of the liberties taken by the screen writers will really threaten any possibility of screen versions of the sequels in the book series. It's a shame, because the journey of these characters is a good and honest one that I think many teens would find compelling.

I awarded 5 points for tackling the topic in a realistic and accessible manner. An extra point for the nice portrayals by the young cast. It's still a good movie, but could easily have been a better one had the writers taken better care and trusted the original author. I encourage anyone interested in this movie or its topic to look for the books (hard copy, e-book, or audio book).

This film tells the story of a young man in high school, who is coming to terms with his sexuality with help with his new friends in the Geography Club.

"Geography Club" shows that a low budget and no frills film can be heartwarming and fun to watch. The plot follows a 16 years old man called Russell, who meets a football jock. He is terrified of coming out, but with the right support he lives happily. It is a great coming of age story, with emphasis on self acceptance; and living your own life for yourself and not anyone else. It is a powerful film, especially the scene where the bullied boy invites Russell to sit down. "Geography Club" is a powerful and touching film, and it breathes of positivity. I really enjoyed watching "Geography Club".