A concise synopsis of gay-themed movies and gay interest films. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Friday, January 2, 2009

A Change of Heart (1998)









Dr. Jim Marshall (John Terry) is the perfect father and husband, happily married for 20 years to Elaine (Jean Smart). The couple have raised two well-adjusted teen-agers, Jesse (Phillip Geoffrey Hough) and Sarah (Shawna Waldron), and they are very respected and admired in their community in Oregon. Jim is a successful doctor, with a stable career, and his wife has worked side by side with him to found a medical institute. They have two houses, one in the city and one in the country. Elaine anticipates the worst when she goes to a hotel room where her husband is renting a room, expecting to catch Jim with another woman. She is shocked and shattered to discover he is having a gay affair with a man. Her husband is gay! There is pain, anger, and tears. The marriage explodes and after the initial trauma, the couple struggle to find peace, acceptance and to rebuild their lives. The movie shows all four members of the family trying to cope with this gay crisis. Although the last few scenes stretch credibility to the breaking point, Jean's spirit at the end will give a lot of viewers hope.

This is a Lifetime Network Original Movie, a drama made especially for the Lifetime cable TV network. The male lover is quite two dimensional, and seems to have a home of his own, so why were they meeting in a hotel? The Marshall teenagers are tiresomely belligerent, and Jesse attacks a young gay man because he can't bear the fact that his father is gay. It also becomes difficult to sympathize with Jean, who behaves like an insufferable bitch to everyone after her discovery. Aaron Mendelsohn wrote the script, Patrick Williams composed the music, and Arvin Brown directed.

Das Trio (1998)



















Zobel (Götz George) and Karl (Christian Redl) are a long term gay couple who live together in a mobile trailer home with Lizzie (Jeanette Hain), Zobel's spunky daughter from a heterosexual misadventure. Together these three form a travelling trio of thieves who make a living as pickpockets. The relationship of Zobel and Karl has become stale, and Lizzi stands between the two men who have been father and mother to her. Team chemistry sours when Karl decides to live a more conventional and comfortable lifestyle. Because of an accident, Karl becomes unable to work, forcing Zobel and Lizzie to find a new partner. Lizzie recruits bi-sexual Rudolf (Felix Eitner), a boyishly charming misfit. Reluctantly, Zobel allows Rudolf to join them but warns him to never break the golden rule: "No exchanging of bodily fluids within the team." This dictum becomes increasingly difficult to live by as Lizzie's desires and Zobel's own passions toward Rudolf intensify. Both father and daughter have a strong sexual interest in Rudolf. Eventually, the golden rule is broken by Lizzie, then again by Zobel (unknown to Lizzie). An intricate love triangle soon develops among the three that is shaped by deception, desire, and betrayal. Lizzi leaves, accusing Dad of using her to procure younger men.The film resolves by the trio adjusting to this way of life in a fairly amicable manner, their love-triangle having been worked out.

Because all the characters are totally immoral without any conscience, it's difficult to sympathize with these pickpockets. Basically this film is a German update of "The Grifters", a sexually ambiguous family of thieves who don't trust anyone, not even themselves. Viewers have a wide range of opinons about "Das Trio". Some think it is a funny drama, others think it is boring, or they are put off by the immorality. As usual, many object to the German language with subtitles. There are a few brief scenes of full frontal male nudity. Niki Reiser composed the music score. Horst Johann Sczerba and Volker Einrauch wrote the screenplay. Hermine Huntgeburth directed.

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