In & Out (1997)

Director:

Frank Oz

Writer (WGA):

Paul Rudnick (written by)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

An out-and-out comedy.

Plot:

A midwestern teacher questions his sexuality after a former student makes a comment about him at the Academy Awards.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | High School | Gay | Small Town | Media

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Kevin Kline	...	Howard Brackett
Joan Cusack	...	Emily Montgomery
Tom Selleck	...	Peter Malloy
Matt Dillon	...	Cameron Drake
Debbie Reynolds	...	Berniece Brackett
Wilford Brimley	...	Frank Brackett
Bob Newhart	...	Tom Halliwell
Gregory Jbara	...	Walter Brackett
Shalom Harlow	...	Sonya
Shawn Hatosy	...	Jack
Zak Orth	...	Mike
Lauren Ambrose	...	Vicky
Alexandra Holden	...	Meredith
Lewis J. Stadlen	...	Ed Kenrow
Deborah Rush	...	Ava Blazer

Also Known As:

In and Out (Australia) (cable TV title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34955) | Peru:14 | Canada:14+ | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Clinton, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Matt Dillon's outing of his teacher in his acceptance speech is based upon Tom Hanks' real-life acceptance speech at The 66th Annual Academy Awards (1994) (TV) for his Oscar for Philadelphia (1993), in which he thanked a gay teacher.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: The outdoor engagement party.

Quotes:

Ava Blazer: [after one of the girls announces that she's gay] You can't be gay! You're a tramp!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friends: The One with the Free Porn (#4.17)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Yes, it is funny, but still a bait-and-switch

Without a doubt, much humor and good performances. The scene with the "Exploring Your Masculinity" tape (this is the one where Kline is told that real men don't dance) had me laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes.

Unfortunately, everything that I had seen and read about this movie before I went to see it indicated that it was a case of a man who was wrongly "outed"... period. When it became evident that he was going to end up being gay (notice his foot-lifting during the kiss with Selleck), I felt very let down.

I didn't want to go see an "it's okay to be gay" movie (there seem to be enough of that type already). I wanted to see the teacher who seems to fit the "gay profile", if you will, gets falsely outed, but nevertheless is "straight".

Making Peter Malloy (Selleck) gay shows that gay doesn't have to fit any preconceived profile (remember, this is the guy who played Magnum, P.I.). But by making Howard Brackett (Kline) gay, it supports the idea that sensitive, poetry-loving (etc.) men must be gay. The viewer would have been better served had the movie stuck with the premise that gay/straight doesn't have to fit a stereotype; let "manly" Sellect be gay and "sensitive" Kline be straight.

Don't interpret this as a gay-bashing/homophobe review; it is not. I sympathize with Kline's character inasmuch as I am a man in his early 30's who is still unmarried, and occasionally catches the "how come he isn't married" sort of thing from people.