In & Out (1997)

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

Director:

Frank Oz

Writer:

Paul Rudnick

Stars:

Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

All of Greenleaf, Indiana is watching this year's telecast of the Oscars as Hollywood heartthrob and local boy made good Cameron Drake has been nominated for his first ever Best Actor Oscar for his latest movie role as a gay soldier. Cameron's high school English teacher Howard Brackett is overjoyed when Cameron wins the award and mentions Howard's contribution in his acting life. That joy turns to horror when Cameron mentions to the worldwide audience that Howard is gay, especially horrific to Howard as he is engaged to fellow teacher Emily Montgomery, a woman with self-esteem issues as she had battled weight issues most of her life before she lost seventy-five pounds for the wedding. Howard's life is totally disrupted as Hollywood media descends on Greenleaf in order to get Howard's story. The rest of Greenleaf also openly wonders if Howard is indeed gay, as he exhibits many stereotypical gay tendencies, such as being neat, and loving music, dancing, poetry and Barbra Streisand. His...

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Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | school teacher | watching television | gay | teacher | 

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Taglines:

An out-and-out comedy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

¿Es o no es?

Filming Locations:

Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,019,821, 21 September 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$63,856,929

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$83,256,929

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Spelling Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joseph Maher as Father Tim, the town's priest, from whom Howard seeks help, also plays a priest in Sister Act (1992), as Monsignor O'Hara. Whoopi Goldberg, also in Sister Act, makes an appearance at the awards show, next to Tom Selleck.

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Goofs

The timing referred to in the film is way off. The celebration dinner before the wedding is held in the daytime before the Oscars. At the dinner, Howard states that he is getting married on Sunday, in three days. The Oscars are never held on Thursday, they have been held either Sunday or Monday. Meanwhile, this is a short time before high school graduation, which is in late May or early June. The Oscars are now being held in January or February.

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Quotes

Cameron: Maybe I should thank someone else. Someone who's really been there, someone who taught me a lot, about poetry and Shakespeare, and just, y'know, stayin' awake, man. Someone who's just an overall great guy, a great teacher... to Howard Brackett from Greenleaf, Indiana! And he's gay. Y'know, I've been thinking a lot about this night, and I've decided to dedicate this whole night to a great, gay teacher. Mr. Brackett, WE WON!

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits, the cast is dancing to "Macho Man" and goofing off at Berniece and Frank's wedding reception.

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Connections

Spoofs The 66th Annual Academy Awards (1994)

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Soundtracks

Crazy
Written by Willie Nelson
Performed by Patsy Cline
Courtesy of MCA Records
By Arrangement with Universal Special Markets

User Reviews

One of Kevin Kline's Best Performances in a Great Comedy...

Kevin Kline offers a brilliant comic turn in the 1997 comedy IN & OUT. Kline plays Howard Brackett, a small town history teacher who excitedly sits down to watch the Academy Awards this year because one of his former students (Matt Dillon) is a nominee. He is nominated for his performance in a film where he plays a gay soldier and when he wins, he thanks Howard in his speech for inspiring him because Howard is gay. Now this floors Howard because he as no clue why thus guy would say this on international television. Howard is even engaged to be married (to Joan Cusack, in an Oscar-nominated performance)so he has no idea where Dillon;s Cameron Drake got the idea that he is gay and finds he has to defend himself to everyone at school but is shocked that no one seemed terribly shocked by what Cameron said on the Oscars. Howard has a birthday party where he is given birthday presents like the soundtrack to YENTL and ends up explaining to his guests why Barbra Streisand had to make FUNNY LADY. His parents (Wilford Brimley, Debbie Reynolds) are shocked but promise to support their son, even if he is gay. He also gets a visit from an out of town reporter (Tom Selleck) who wants to do an article about him because he's gay too. The moment when Selleck plants a big kiss right on Kline's lips is a classic. But all of these little things have Howard actually questioning his sexuality and wondering if he really is gay...much to the aggravation and frustration of his fiancée, Cusack, who is beyond confused. The scene where she leaves a bar in her wedding gown and stands in the middle of street screaming about the lack of single straight men in the world is a classic. But what I like about this movie is the way Kline fully invests in the role and was not afraid to look foolish or look gay. There is a fabulous scene, probably the most famous from the film, where he buys a record, on how to be macho, and the guy on the record is talking about how real men don't dance and a disco tune comes on (I WILL SURVIVE if memory serves)and the narrator on the record says no matter what you do, don't dance, but Howard can't help himself and he ends up shaking his groove thing all over the room. It's hysterically funny and Kline plays it with sincerity and gusto. The film is not pro or anti gay...it's just a deft and amusing character study about a man trying to figure out exactly who he is. Wonderful film.