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Here's the deal on "Milk"
Published: 12/18/2008 5:26 PM
Last Modified: 12/18/2008 5:26 PM

The review of "Milk" that I wrote last week hasn't encouraged much debate at our own Web site, but over at Rotten Tomatoes....
As a member of that site's critics, I post reviews and include a short snippet to promote that people read the entire review on our own site.

The snippet for "Milk," the new film in which Sean Penn so capably brings to life Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the U.S. in 1978, was this:
"Why is there no openly gay Hollywood actor portraying any of the historical figures in this film? Because no American A-list film star has come out to be counted."

Let me explain, especially for those thinking like cindyw, whose comment on Rotten Tomatoes to my quote was that my being from a red-state place like Tulsa precluded me from having anything thoughtful to say about the film.

"Milk" is a biopic about Harvey Milk that uses one of his beliefs as a major theme: Come out and be counted. Come out of the closet. If you want to make a difference in this issue of civil rights, make your voice heard by coming out. Stop hiding. Stop blending in.

But blending in is what American A-list actors have always done. You're familiar with Rock Hudson, right?
Major film stars clearly fear that their careers will be negatively affected if they come out, so that part of their lives remains hidden.

This is true unless you believe that there are no bankable male actors in Hollywood who are gay. This is true unless you believe that the numbers (from 2 to 8 percent of American men are gay, depending on the report) don't apply to Hollywood.

Is Neil Patrick Harris the most famous gay American actor, or merely the most well-known to come out? I believe the latter to be true.

While Penn delivers one of this year's most rewarding film performances, the picture suffers in my opinion because of the hypocrisy: Who is Hollywood to promote the idea that gays should come out and be counted?

Reader Comments

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Brad (4 years ago)

Hey Michael, I was "the person" who commented on your original review! :)

Not a very thoughtful comment from Cindy:
"... whose comment on Rotten Tomatoes to my quote was that my being from a red-state place like Tulsa precluded me from having anything thoughtful to say about the film."

You are right -- there is a lot of hypocrisy here. I think this is a generational thing, though. I think the next generation will have a tougher time understanding why this story is even important. There will be an "A"-list openly gay hollywood actor, but it's still years away.

Oklahoma? Not so sure....
-Brad

SanFranMan (4 years ago)

The fact is that gay actors know that coming out limits their options on screen. When Neil Patrick Harris in character makes advances towards women in his television show it just doesn't look right. Same as it was with David Hyde Pierce on Frasier. Being that they were comedies is the only way it somewhat works. I am sure that most gay actors don't want to only play gay characters, or comedy exclusively.

Jim Lawrence (4 years ago)

I think you're mixing two lines that don't really reinforce each other. Having straight actors portray gay actors doesn't diminish the piece of art at all for me. It is about the craft of art and acting, not about having one's social location be identical with what they're portraying.

SanFranMan (4 years ago)

If their acting skills are up to the task then I agree. Penn's acting is usually good enough to overcome my dislike for him personally. Same as with Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption. On the other hand when I see Alec Baldwin in anything I only see his politics and don't watch anything he is in. The fact is that the openly gay pool of premium actors is not deep enough to fill the prime roles in Hollywood.

openminded (4 years ago)

I don't think being from Oklahoma precludes you being able to appreciate a movie. As a movie critic, it is your job to state your opinion. I agree people should come out, but I think that people just need to be true to who they are, and if not, it will cause stress and make them unhappy. As Sean Penn as Harvey Milk mentions, many of his lovers committed suicide because they were kept a secret. I don't think this or any movie requires openly gay actors. An actor's job is to convince you that they are someone else. If they are any good, it won't matter who they are in real life. I point to Rupert Everett as an A-lister who is openly gay and is still able to play a romantic lead. Our society is too concerned with the private lives of celebrities as it is. And I love Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother. He plays a womanizer very well. It is important to remember that even though we feel like we know celebrities personally, we do not. Being subjected to a few choice soundbites does not mean you know any of these people at all.

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I See Movies for Free

“I was born a poor, black child” … not me, actually, but Steve Martin’s character in the “The Jerk.” That absurd opening line is just one of the absurd number of film facts, quotes and minutiae contained in movie critic Michael Smith’s brain, at his disposal to toss out on a moment’s notice. It’s a key requirement as Tulsa World film critic to know these things. Michael learned a few other life facts along the way (seven years as a Crystal’s Pizza & Spaghetti manager) before attempting journalism and joining the Tulsa World in 1996, where he’s covered everything from a school shooting in Fort Gibson to a tornado in Stroud to witnessing an execution. A little community theater coverage was sprinkled in there, too. Movies engender many of his happiest memories, from standing in line for “Star Wars” and “Grease” at the Southroads Cinema to the James Bond and Pink Panther movies that always premiered at the enormous Continental Theater.

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