Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006)

A lyrical telling of the coming of age of a 13-year-old boy who learns to cope with his newfound sexuality and his unrequited love for the cool kid in school.

Director:

Cam Archer

Writer:

Cam Archer

Stars:

Malcolm Stumpf, Patrick White, Max Paradise

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Malcolm Stumpf	...	Logan
Patrick White	...	Rodeo
Max Paradise	...	Joey
Fairuza Balk	...	Logan's Mom
Kim Dickens	...	The Counselor
Tom Gilroy	...	The Principal
Ruth Elliott	...	Leah (voice)
Joey Coffman
Tim Greer	...	Teacher
Dash Mann
Derek Mitchler
Kylee Lehe	...	Excited woman / Teacher
Teresa Morales
James Porter
Bernadette Wilson	...	Teacher

Storyline

Junior high in a time of rotary phones. Cougars have been spotted in the area. Logan is 13, the odd kid, with an active imagination and few friends. His young, single mother seems stressed. Latency is giving way to puberty, and Logan, who keeps a tube of lipstick in his dresser, may be gay or, more mysterious, transgender. He stares at himself in the mirror. He becomes friends with Rodeo, older and more mature, good-looking, with girlfriends. They take walks. Logan calls Rodeo and pretends to be a girl. Will he disclose himself to Rodeo? The kids at school talk. The school wants to promote kindness and tolerance. There are stories of child suicide. How do we find our way?

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Plot Keywords:

boy dressed as a girl | crossdressing | gay boy | hooded sweatshirt | roller skate | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

Дикие тигры, которых я знал

Filming Locations:

Santa Cruz, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,515, 4 March 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$9,946

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cut and Paste Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min (DVD) 98 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Logan: If we both pretend that there was an end, then maybe there really will be a beginning. And it will start with us, running away together. Off, off, off. Far, far, far away. And we'll live with the lions and sleep in trees. Just sleep, that's all we need.

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Connections

Featured in Indie Sex: Teens (2007)

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Soundtracks

Se I Miei Sospiri
Written and Composed by Francois Joseph Fetis
Performed by Natalie Ballenger
Recording Copyright Wild Tigers, LLC

User Reviews

Beautiful film about a homosexual boy coming of age

A sensitive story about boys discovering their sexuality. The primary character, Logan, gradually comes to realize his homosexuality. The film follows Logan to a final coming out. The story telling is enhanced by clever devices such as the times when Logan writes short sentences about his feelings on his naked chest and belly. The one where Logan moves his hand to cover the lower half of a heart shape is a nice way to give words a miss. Dialogues are sensible and honest. The young actors do a good job of delivering their lines with naturalness.

The mood through the film is of quiet determination. Alone and with almost no one to share his feelings, Logan has not had and will not have an easy time in school. The risible attempt by the principal for a show of tolerance by the rest of the students is well portrayed. Kids can be a cruel lot.

The use of primary colors, especially red and blue, often exclusive of any other hues feels at first like a whim. The heavy saturation of colors suggests the film spent too much time being digitally processed. In time it becomes apparent that the color scheme serves the purpose of creating a surreal environment that prepares us for the use of metaphorical visual and vocal devices. The voice of Leah is an example. It's an elegant solution that would have been harder to achieve through conventional means.

A fine directorial debut for Cam Archer.