the best of all possible worlds
by Douglas Messerli
Robert Guthrie (screenplay), Steve Lukens (director) The
Romeo Files / 2013 [15.42 minutes]
It
almost appears that the writer of this short film has been reading too many of
my film descriptions, confusing my summary plots as being miniature
screenplays. For if there was ever an example of writer—to use the old saw used
against writers for centuries—who tells his story instead of shows it, this is
the textbook example, and explains why that method basically never works.
Tyler (Jake Namaroff), who lives on a
sheep farm but doesn’t want to be reminded of it, describes his life in near
Panglossian terms, seeing most everything it is life as representing the very
best possible world, including his “in the closet” romance with the school
womanizer Matt (David Broyles) trapped in a town where nothing much happens,
and the fact that church-going rules the community in which he resides. For him
“it’s alright” as he keeps repeating again and again. He reads his pastor
Harvey’s sermon about looking for love even in the small places as something
definitely to pay attention to, probably because if Pastor Harvey knew of his
sexual inclination he would damn it. The creators of this “spiritual” yarn lost
me accordingly one minute and seven seconds of the film. I needed to see some
proof of everything being just so hunky-dory as Tyler claims.
Certainly his hunky schoolmate Matt is
rather a rather hunky cutie, even if no one seems to have any notion of the
root of the second part of that 1866 slang phrase.
But even Matt doesn’t seem to offer Tyler
what he truly wants, to be able to maybe hold hands once in a while at school
or at the very least talk to one another, since Matt, evidently heading up one
of the popular school groups, won’t even say hello to his lover in their
presence.
And, of course, if Tyler wants to come
out at school, he certainly will have to come out to his parents who already
complain that he treats his bicycle like it were his kid. What might they think
then of a boyfriend or potential husband?
Tyler doesn’t like girls, despite Matt’s
notorious reputation of being heterosexually active. And Matt would love him to
date a girl, if no other reason that it might serve as “cover.” Maybe, Samantha
might be the right one to date since she seems to be stalking Tyler.
In fact, it turns out, Samantha, who’s
seen the two boys together and knows they are lovers, reveals to Tyler that
she’s a lesbian, so it’s great to pretend to date her since now the two can be
best friends and share everything with one another.
But does he need to tell Matt that he’s
been having sex with her, when actually his dates have often served as a cover
so that she might meet up with Lexie, a girl from a few towns over? Does he
truly need to lie not only about Samantha but to the boy he’d
like call his “boyfriend” in public.
Something is wrong down on the sheep
farm, I can only imagine, even if Tyler keeps proclaiming everything’s just
swell. He’s particularly hurt when Matt cuts him short for just saying “hi” as
he passes by with two of his friends. And now even Samantha isn’t talking to
him, so Tyler tells us.
Samantha eventually forgives him, but
Tyler, upon confronting Matt, realizes that Matt is far from ready to “come
out,” and I’m not so certain Tyler himself, by the end of this film, really
knows what “coming out” means. At least there’s a new boy who’s just joined his
class. I guess that’s what Pastor Harvey means by taking joy in the little
things. But even Tyler seems to want more, a more sincere lover than Matt, even
desiring the “best” of love, whatever that might mean.
I presume this film was made by some
sort of Christian organization that wants gays and lesbians to feel accepted in
their congregations. But even Pangloss can’t make being gay in a small a town
where nothing happens and everyone goes to church a very easy proposition. At
least Samantha gets out of town from time to time and appears to being looking
forward someday soon of leaving for good, while Tyler, despite not wanting to
be associated with his family’s livestock, will probably settle down some day
as a shepherd of a flock of Christian friends, if nothing else. And even his
cuteness and charm can only take him so far down on the ranch.
Los
Angeles, June 12, 2022
Reprinted
from World Cinema Review (June 2022).
No comments:
Post a Comment