Small Town Gay Bar

I can see where the message might be misinterpreted by the viewers. It's "normal" to have a gay culture in Vancouver or Toronto, however you see how folks in a small town in Mississippi are desperate to keep their one and only place to do something like hold hands with their partner without looking over their shoulder.

I grew up in a big city and now I live in a small town. I can say with certainty if a gay bar opened in rural Alberta there would be blood flowing in the street. Although everyone is folksy and nice and hospitable, I can guarantee a gay bar would go over like a pregnant pole vaulter.

Thanks for that insight, Malcolm. I only watched the movie because I'm a View Askew fanboy, but now I won't hesitate to share this gem with all of my non-VA friends as well.

I've watched this film more than once. The only thing about it that is a "downer" is the discrimination and bigotry these people are forced to endure. They address a number of issues...the hostility toward homosexuals, the religious community that is against them, the fact that they have no sense of community with each other than within the walls of these bars.

Although they live under circumstances that are hostile to who they are, they seem like wonderful and delightful people. My favorite part is Jim Bishops speech in the limo. Now you have to watch it to know what I am referring to. You can find it on Netflix.

I ended up watching this movie cause I saw that View Askew was a producer of this. I love Kevin Smith and I know he had mentioned that his brother was gay. I have a gay sister so I figured this would be a fun enlightening movie about gays being prosecuted in the bible belt.....and now Im not so sure these people didn't do it to themselves. Let me explain.

I don't want to give away a lot of this movie but Ill use a general basis for explaining this. Everyone knows that people hook up and there are crazy bad apples no matter what race, sexual orientation religion etc however......every single bar they talk about, except for the first one......is insane. I don't mean like ha ha people get naked when they are drunk or hook up in the parking lot occasionally......I mean this is a very common activity at the bars they talk about. I have done my fair share of partying and have had my fair share of "coke and hooker" nights. (Not really but you understand) but the stories at these gay bars are flat out batsh*t insane. The things they talk about don't even happen in filthy rat ass strip clubs. No lie. OK so how does this translate as a positive thing.

To be perfectly honest, it doesn't for me. To be perfectly frank, if this stuff happened in general straight or whatever, most normal people would not condone it at all. Personally, not being gay but, I feel that it presents them somewhat in a very dishonorable fashion and rather poorly. They try to use the bible belt lunatic radical Christians persecuting them as the focus of these poor folks but when the movie talks about all the crazy things that happen here....I cant blame them. It doesn't make them look responsible.

Again, obviously there are responsible people everywhere and there has been more than enough persecution amongst the gay population in the bible belt to address a ton of these but why focus on these insane clubs that are totally irresponsible in an attempt to make them look better than the people trying to ban them and intimidate these people?

If, in fact, ALL gay bars are like this, then F'ing hell there is something wrong with you GAYS!, but we know thats not the case. So does this get a solid point across without conflicting.....sadly no.

Sorry Kevin but b*tchslap Ingram.

I attended college in rural Missouri in the early 1990s and felt this film captured a lot of that environment. In rural settings, a gay bar is often the primary way to interact with other gay people. I do remember driving hours to get to a gay bar. It is not something I would ever do now, but it is a part of gay culture.

One reviewer writes about how the cities in the film are not as rural as portrayed and therefore pans the movie. I checked out a map. Several of the towns appear to be an hour or more from a major city. The most relevant viewpoint is that of the people in the film, who talk about the importance of the bars. I am glad that is not the case for me, but this is an important look at rural gay life. If a person has never been in rural America, this is one way to get a glimpse of reality for many people.

I saw this film at its premiere last year and I still long to see it in wide release... I was fortunate enough to meet Mr Ingram and tell him personally what a moving, beautiful film he created and I reiterate that thought here. This film is a brilliant piece of cinema - EVERYONE should have the chance to see this. It is important, relevant, and heartbreaking. KUDOS again to Malcolm and Kevin Smith (who was the most down-to-earth person I've been lucky enough to meet) for making such a fabulous film. In showing what it is like for a marginalized group in a marginalized region to struggle to survive, the director brings home the point about the fear and hatred that still exists. The soundtrack is perfect for the film. In a word - Outstanding.