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 | teacher as protagonist | man | 

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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

June Squibb, Debra Monk and Alexandra Holden all later guest stars in Grey's Anatomy (2005)

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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: Eat something, I'm begging you! You look like a swizzle stick.
Sonja: Food?

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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

Referenced in Dawson's Creek: Be Careful What You Wish For (1999)

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Soundtracks

I Will Survive
Written by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perren (as Freddy Perren)
Performed by Diana Ross
Courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P.
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Behind the times

Time has not been good for "In & Out." In it's day, I'm sure it was seen as progressive and out there, but the boundaries it breaks have long since been broken, and the stereotypes it lampoons have been more or less destroyed. Unfortunately, that's what "In & Out" relies on, and it makes the jokes seem tired.

Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is a beloved English teacher at a high school in small-town Indiana. His world is about to be turned upside down when a former student, Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon) announces to the world that Brackett is gay in his acceptance speech. Even worse, this happens three days before his wedding to Emily (Joan Cusack).

The acting is great. Kevin Kline delivers a fine performance as Howard, displaying great comic aptitude while still leaving room for the audience's sympathy. Joan Cusack is even better as Emily. One might wonder why she received an Oscar nod for this film (this is not the kind of film that the Oscars usually recognize), but it becomes clear her biggest scene. However, the best performance comes from Matt Dillon. Dillon avoids the temptation to make Cameron a celebrity jerk (i.e. superficial, snobby, etc.). Cameron is actually a likable guy. Supporting performances from Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley (Howard's parents) are good, though Bob Newhart is awful (due to the timing and his performance).

Frank Oz knows how to make mainstream comedy. "What About Bob," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," and "Bowfinger" are a few of his comedy hits. He keeps things moving, and he knows how to make an audience laugh.

Scott Rudkin's script relies on pushing boundaries for humor. But, as I said, the gay stereotypes that he lampoons are so commonplace that they seem tired in today's climate. More importantly, the setting no longer works. Homophobia is not accepted in most parts of the country, and this diminishes the tension from the story, and renders many of the jokes ineffective. Being out is very acceptable today, and the all-around nervousness is not believable any more.

"In & Out" is not a complete waste of time. Ther are some humorous bits sprinkled around. But it's not enough to warrant a recommendation.