Representation is always a pressing issue. Here’s some good news, though: there are a handful of movies in wide release right now that really get it right. Here are three outstanding theatrical feature films with gay main characters, and where you can see them.
Note: we’re just paying attention to what’s in theaters here, not TV or streaming.
1. Boy Erased
The second feature from writer/director Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased stars Lucas Hedges as 19-year-old Jared Eamons, who’s forced into a conversion facility by his Southern Baptist parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) It’s based on the 2016 memoir by Garrard Conley.
It’s possible that Boy Erased may get some Oscars traction, especially for Hedges and Kidman, and maybe for the original song “Revelation” by Troye Sivan, who plays a small role in the film.
77,000 people are currently in conversion therapy across the U.S.. For more information, please visit stoperasing.com.
Boy Erased is now playing in LA, NYC and SF. It opens nationwide Nov. 16.
2. The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Another film about gay conversion therapy, Desiree Akhavan’s drama is based on a novel and is set in 1993. Chloë Grace Moretz gives her best performance to date as a teen who’s forced into a program called God’s Promise. It’s a subtly brilliant, frequently quite funny movie that tackles infuriating subject matter with optimism and hope.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is coming to streaming platforms like iTunes on Nov. 6. Blu-ray Dec. 3.
3. Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Melissa McCarthy absolutely deserves Oscars attention for her turn as real-life literary forger Lee Israel in this hilarious and poignant biopic. As does Richard E. Grant for his portrayal of her cunning and scrappy partner in crime.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? is one of one of the best films of 2018, and it’s largely a film about queer loneliness. It’s extremely rare to find a movie of this magnitude with gay characters of a certain age.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? is currently rolling out into theaters nationwide.
Have you seen any of these movies? What are some of your favorite recent movies with LGBTQ+ characters? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.