Big Eden (2000)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Thomas Bezucha

Writer:

Thomas Bezucha (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A Small Miracle

Plot:

Big Eden is a small, fictional northwestern Montana town.

Plot Keywords:

Montana | Native American | Rural | Gay Love | Sheep

Awards:

9 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Arye Gross	...	Henry Hart
Eric Schweig	...	Pike Dexter
Tim DeKay	...	Dean Stewart
Louise Fletcher	...	Grace Cornwell
George Coe	...	Sam Hart
Nan Martin	...	Widow Thayer
O'Neal Compton	...	Jim Soams
Corinne Bohrer	...	Anna Rudolph
Veanne Cox	...	Mary Margaret Bishop
Douglas Sebern	...	John Cornwell
Parker Livingston	...	Andrew Stewart
Cody Wayne	...	Ben Stewart
Josie Adams	...	Becky Rudolph
Mark Twogood	...	Lloyd
Christopher Kendra	...	Bird

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic material.

Runtime:

Brazil:118 min | USA:117 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Apgar Village, Montana, USA

Company:

Chaiken Films

Quotes:

Grace Cornwell: Listen, you know what they say when you get lost in the woods? If you stay put, stay in one place and don't wander, they'll find you. And I was just hoping you'd let yourself be found this time. I was hoping you'd let us find you. But you keep wandering and we can't.

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Soundtrack:

Something About What Happens When We Talk

Gay man from Montana says, "good film"

Since I am from Great Falls (2nd largest town in Montana - about 34,000) and gay, many folks told me I'd love Big Eden. Overall, it's decently well acted, extremely well filmed and directed, but tends to be (mostly) unsurprising. However, there were a few emotional surprises (his best friends' thanksgiving confrontation that true love need not be sexually based) and, for me, more than a small element of truth.

While the other commentaries here are mostly accurate, I wanted to give a small view from an ex-Montanan who recently had to go back to care for and later bury his grandmother (hmm, seems like a plot line in there somewhere). The movie's portrayal of a gay accepting (but, as in the film, a nearly unspoken acceptance) Montana was pretty accurate.

When I came home to Montana, no one in my large extended family could not have known my "situation". However, while it wasn't addressed directly, it was clear that it wasn't a big deal. My family went out of their way to introduce me to other members of my "community", including a few cousins that i never had guessed. It seemed Montanans expend enough energy getting through day-to-day to forego taking precious time worrying about some label. Clearly there it was who you are, not what you are. And most importantly, could people depend on you.

So, while many people compare this movie to Northern Exposure (which I dearly loved), there is an element of truth beneath the fantasy. Kudos to a well done film