I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry--A Vent

[smartestnumber5]

Anyone seen the previews for this movie?

The plot is that a straight single dad (whose wife deceased) for some reason is having trouble listing his kids as life insurance beneficiaries. He finds some sort of "loop hole" but needs to have a domestic partner, so he gets his male friend to pretend to be his partner. (I still can't understand how having a domestic partner helps him about the kids being beneficiaries ). Anyway the rest of the movie seems to be about how funny it is for two straight men to pretend to be gay when the state sends someone to investigate whether their partnership is legitimate.

I'm pretty much prepared to hate this movie. I've already noticed in the previews that a ton of the jokes seem to come from the investigator trying to find out if the guys are attracted to women. (Umm, hello bisexuality. Having a male partner does not preclude one from being attracted to or having sex with women. ) More than that though, I feel like this movie will just embolden the anti-gay forces by making it look like domestic partnerships are "special rights" and it's not fair that straight people don't get them too.

A few weeks ago I was telling my cousin about some homophobia GF and I encountered while she was at the doctor (the doctor's office couldn't understand how she could be covered by my health insurance and went on and on about what our relationship to one another is). He didn't know that GF is on my health insurance and apparently didn't know much at all about domestic partner health benefits. As I was explaining he interrupted and said, "Well wait a minute, it doesn't seem fair that only gay people can get these benefits without being married. Why shouldn't same-sex and opposite-sex couples be able to get them?" I tried to explain that the rationale for same-sex partner benefits--if benefits are tied to marriage and gay people aren't allowed to get married they won't be able to provide health insurance for their families. (I agree that it would be great if similar partner benefits were available for unmarried straight couples more often; but I do think it's in a different league than such benefits for gay couples.)

He didn't seem to get what I was saying though. He just started going on about how gay people could be "committing fraud" by signing up as domestic partners when they aren't as serious about their relationship as they would be if they were married and pretty much implied that this is the situation with GF and I. Ugh, like straight people never get married when they're not serious enough about the relationship? (Hmm, he's already been through one divorce and had it annulled through the Catholic Church by claiming he wasn't ready and he knew she wasn't the one and he just got pressured into the marriage ).

So there's my vent. Maybe the movie will surprise me. What are your thoughts about it?

 

[OrlandoMike]

I didn't know what to make of the preview the first time I saw it, but the second and third time it kind of caught me. Seems like it could be a funny movie, depending on how the gay card is played....

 

[ConcKahuna]

I can see both sides of the domestic partnership thing. I agree that it's not fair for the straight people, but at the same time it's our only option. When I talk to straight people who disagree with it, I just tell them that's why they should support gay marraige so that they can get rid of non-married same sex couple benefits.

 

[PoohnPglet]

Hi there folks! I am straight (and single if that matters) and it is weird cause I just saw a commercial for this movie as I was scrolling around DIS!

Anyway. My thought after watching was - If I were to go and get married to any of my male friends - (with the same premise as the movie - that we were not romantically involved) - no one would show up at my house to investigate the legitimacy of my marriage. How unfair is that?

I love Adam Sandler and I hope this movie does right by this topic. While still being hilarious, of course!

 

[unfreshdiva1]

This movie looks very offensive! I personally didn't laugh at one "joke" in the trailer (although most people in theatre did). I thought movie "Boat Trip" was most offensive "gay" movie I had seen. This one seems like it will top it!

 

[cybertheo]

While it just looks plain stupid to me (most Adam Sandler movies do) - I bet he is in such a place in career where he's not going to make sure he has his bases covered and not offend anyone, mostly. The movie will probably try to come off with some obvious message at the end, how they've all been through some 'crazy-nutty' experiences and they are all closer now and learned something they never new before. 13 year olds everywhere will love it...

 

[ChrizJen]

I thought I was the only one who was a little "put off" by it. I don't even remember what movie we were there to see, but my partner Jen and I were at the movies a few months ago with a couple of our friends, and when the preview came on, the theater was laughing like crazy, and I was just kinda looking around like "Huh?"

I absolutely do not see the humor in making fun of the struggle for equal rights. (I also don't understand the premise of the movie...but maybe I'm missing something. As others have said, why exactly would a person need to fake being gay just to get his kids listed as his beneficiaries??? )
And I agree that the movie seems to be reinforcing the idea that we're somehow looking to get some sort of "special" treatment that hetersexuals can't get. When will people wake up and realize that we just want the same thing that straight married couples have. Nothing more, nothing less...*SIGH*
-christal

 

[brendrek]

I didn't like the premise of "The Birdcage" at first either. Here you have a straight man (Robin Williams) playing a gay man pretending to be straight. What kind of message is that sending? Then one day, I actually sat down and watched the movie. It was clearly not offensive. I felt the same way about "In & Out" before I saw it. I hope Adam Sandler somehow pulls this off without offending the community. I do think that these silly gay movies have paved the way for more serious ones (Brokeback Mountain). I'm certainly not rushing out to see this one though.

 

[jennynoel]

From the previews - it seems like you could describe Chuck and Larry as a movie about two guys who love each other and raise a family together, and hilarity ensues. Nevermind that they love each other in a platonic way. It may not be the movie that we would most like to see Hollywood produce about gay rights, but it's a mainstream movie with some gay themes and I always see that as a good thing.

Do I expect some homophobic jokes, yes. Do I expect some pro-gay moments, yes. It's a comedy, and as long as it's funny I'll watch it and enjoy it.

I admit I was rubbed the wrong way at first by the premise of the movie, but I'd rather give it a shot than disregard it based on preconceived notions.

Besides. Jessica Biel is HOT.

 

[daannzzz]

I know it would be a bit of a cliche but maybe they actually do become attracted to eachother and end up together. I am not a comedy fan and this one looks like many, many others but if I hear a few good reviews from people I trust I might see it when it comes out on DVD!

 

[RickinNYC]

I haven't seen the previews for it but when I read about it, I thought it could prove to be pretty funny. I'll reserve judgement when I see it.

Besides, if using the basest of humor laced with a positive message gets other folks to think, then where's the harm? We need all the help we can get in order to shed a little light on the inequities in marriage in the US today.

 

[wilde_oscar]

Point #1... It's a movie not social policy.

Point #2... Adam's best friend and the co-writer on many of his movies is gay.

Point #3... Not everyone has to like every movie. When the studios make movies that they think everyone will like, no one likes them.

Point #4... The ending to 50 First Dates always make my partner cry.

 

[ConcKahuna]

Point #4... The ending to 50 First Dates always make my partner cry.

Me too! Very few movies get me weepy. That one does, and for some reason the end of Godzilla (the remake) does. I mean, she was only trying to protect her babies...

 

[cybertheo]

Okay – so I heard a different complaint about Chuck and Larry.

I was at the movies yesterday in Garland, TX to see ‘transformers’ on the BIGGEST screen in Texas (that should have been my first warning) and I heard a woman complaining to the manager about the movie’s standee being inappropriate and she didn’t want her children exposed to ‘that’.
Pretty awesome stuff, huh? I couldn’t believe it.
I wish I would have had the foresight to hold my partner’s hand as we walked out or just said “Girl, tell me about it, they look totally gross, way too ugly to be real gays”.

I really hadn’t thought about the other side of the coin, like who’s going to see it as the insidious gay agenda at work.

 

[Jacksmom99]

Okay – so I heard a different complaint about Chuck and Larry.

I was at the movies yesterday in Garland, TX to see ‘transformers’ on the BIGGEST screen in Texas (that should have been my first warning) and I heard a woman complaining to the manager about the movie’s standee being inappropriate and she didn’t want her children exposed to ‘that’.
Pretty awesome stuff, huh? I couldn’t believe it.
I wish I would have had the foresight to hold my partner’s hand as we walked out or just said “Girl, tell me about it, they look totally gross, way too ugly to be real gays”.

I really hadn’t thought about the other side of the coin, like who’s going to see it as the insidious gay agenda at work.

I saw the commercial for the movie tonight at around 7pm on the ABC Family channel, while watching Harry Potter with my 8yo DS. I was completely offended when Jessica Biel showed Adam Sandler her bra covered chest and asked him to "feel them, their real!" to which Adam Sandler and my DS replied "Yucky!"

What are they doing showing that on TV during a kids movie at 7pm on the Family channel? Let me say that we are a VERY liberal family with a budding social activist on our hands. When DS heard on the radio that Disey was going to allow gay weddings his reply, "What?? You mean they didn't do that already??!!" Maybe the woman was complaining about that part of the trailer and not the theme of the movie? Or maybe that's me trying to be the eternal optimist

 

[cybertheo]

That’s a good point –

The preview is pretty saucy. I KNOW my mother would have covered my eyes in the theater if that came on the screen when I was kid. LOL!

It is funny how narrow sighted I can be – I didn’t even notice the “transformer’s” being all that violent until my Partner pointed it out. Then I was like wow - that is violent.

This person was actually complaining about the lobby standee (I think that’s what they are called) – that’s one of those cardboard displays they have in the lobby – basically the movie poster. But I never thought about the angle you’re talking about.

 

[Jacksmom99]

This person was actually complaining about the lobby standee (I think that’s what they are called) – that’s one of those cardboard displays they have in the lobby – basically the movie poster. But I never thought about the angle you’re talking about.

Ok, I didn't realize she was objecting about the poster (or the movie in general)...you should've grabbed your partner's hand or something!

Now, the transformer movie... how bad is it? DS8 REALLY wants to see it, but I keep telling him I have to see it first. I think I'll wait for the DVD and put him off for at least another 6 months or so!

Kim

 

[cybertheo]

After it was pointed out to me...

Transformers could have easily been R rated...
One more person flicked to the side by a robot or a little more innuendo.
It is a film that is meant to be seen at the movies but I think Kids are going to have to wait till they are older. It is a shame it is being marketed directly at them.
Oh, and I almost forgot one thing in particular... Which I can’t even think of a polite way to say it without getting banned, but you don’t want to have to explain to an 8 year old. I wouldn’t want to. Let’s just say it involves, no I can’t even say that.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Regarding taking children to Transformers, not a good idea. My two "boys" (24 and 31) went to see it and said it's definitely a PG13 and no one younger should be in the theatre.

So, if that helps at all?

 

[ConcKahuna]

Those boys still there?