(Now why aren’t there guys that look like Russell Crowe in my neighborhood?)
CAST: Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, John Polson, Deborah Kennedy, Mitch Mathews, Julie Herbert, Rebekah Elmaloglou.
DIRECTORS: Geoff Burton, Kevin Dowling
Everyone knows BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is a terrific film. It’s got the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations to prove it. Not to mention near-unanimously glowing reviews. It’s got powerful performances from Heath Ledger, Jake Gylenhaal, and Michelle Williams. It is a timeless tale about star-crossed lovers whose passion for one another makes them risk everything to be with each other. It’s based on the wrenchingly beautiful short story by famed writer Annie Proulx.
And it’s also fucking depressing as hell.
Don’t get me wrong - I loved BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. I loved the short story when I first read it, and I loved it when I saw it in the cinemas. I think that there should be more stories exploring gay themes in dignified and mature ways, as BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN did. After all, everyone falls in love the same way. The only difference is the object of our affections.
But the fact remains, that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is a real downer. My personality default settings are naturally set on “Fun-loving Goofball” and it takes a lot to make me sad. I find the humor in almost any scenario. Yet when I finished watching BROKEBACK I was ready to find a brick wall and run head-first into it. I can only imagine how someone who's actually prone to depression would react to it. They’d probably take a swan dive out their window - and crush a poor lady walking her poodle on the sidewalk below.
Anyhow, after I successfully suppressed the urge to find that brick wall, I popped in the VHS of THE SUM OF US, which I consider to be the “Anti-BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.” Actually, I consider it to be better than BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Why? Well, allow me to present my reasons: (1) it’s a hell of a lot more fun; (2) it has a happy ending; (3) like BROKEBACK, it stars a talented Aussie: Russell Crowe; and (4) most importantly, it didn’t make me want to slam my head against a brick wall at the end.
Like BROKEBACK, the movie has two gay men trying to forge a relationship with one another despite some obstacles. But that plot thread is actually not the center of the film. Nope. That would be the sometimes-jovial, sometimes-cantankerous, always-loving relationship one of them has with his father.
Jeff Mitchell (Russell Crowe) is a gay man in his 20’s who lives in Sydney, Australia with his father Harry (Jack Thompson). But hearing them go at it, you’d think they were an old married couple. Jeff routinely berates Harry for leaving the shower head, uh, dripping. And Harry routinely scolds Jeff for, uh, not eating meat. Or more specifically, for shoving his plate away whenever he’s done eating. Actually, if I hadn’t been told that they were father and son, I would’ve thought they were just another same-sex May-December couple. Hmmmm… now there’s an idea for another movie.
But I digress… In all fairness, though, I should also point out that while Harry does occasionally harp on Jeff for the silly shit discussed above, he is actually very accepting where it truly counts: Jeff’s sexuality. Well, truth be told, Harry goes beyond just being accepting, and borders on downright enthusiastic. To wit, when Jeff brings home the guy he has the serious googley eyes for, Greg (John Polson), who should barge in on them just as they’re about to make out on the couch? Yup, The Harrymeister himself.
Harry parks his ass on that couch next to them and basically shoots the shit over beers like they were at the local pub or something. Oh, they’ll get to do that, too. Just you wait. At any rate, all that by way of saying that Harry is quite proud of his son and his orientation. Which is actually a bit of a refreshing change from the type of father who ridicules a gay son - which is what Greg is dealing with at home. Needless to say, to him Harry must seem like a gallon of lemonade at the end of marathon winding through the Mojave Desert.
But it takes more than having an accepting father to be able to successfully forge a real relationship - especially in the gay world where romantic and sexual attachments often have the staying power of a Sno-Cone in a raging broiler. Will Jeff and Greg be able to bridge the distance between one another and create something genuine? Something that’s not just based on how many calories they can burn while fucking? Will Harry be able to find a soulmate of his own through the dating service he’s trying? Will this keep him from meddling in Jeff and Greg’s affairs? Or are our boys pretty much stuck with him? How cool is Russell Crowe for playing a gay dude when everyone else was telling him not to take the part because it would hurt his career just when it was about to take off?
That’s why I love the guy… He’s not afraid to be the outlier.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: I wasn’t kidding when I wrote above that Russell Crowe was reportedly advised not to take the role of Jeff Mitchell because it might hurt his chances of making the jump to Hollywood from his native Australia. Evidently, playing the role of a gay man was just not a smart thing to do for an actor who was getting glowing reviews and warm notices from both home and abroad for his part in ROMPER STOMPER (1992), a movie in which Crowe delivered a terrific performance as a complex skinhead. With Hollywood taking notice of this handsome and talented newcomer in the wake of that film, taking the lead in THE SUM OF US was supposed to be a foolish next move.
Well, Russell Crowe likes to take chances. From what I understand, the opposition to his taking on THE SUM OF US as a next project cemented his decision to do so. If anything, it made Hollywood take even more notice of him. After all, here’s a straight guy secure enough in his sexuality that he’s not afraid to take on a role that goes against it. A straight guy tolerant enough in his outlook to not be afraid to explore a world that’s different from his own. Just like a gay person who’s comfortable enough in his own skin to make fun of it in a good-natured and droll way, such as Jeff does a few times in the movie. Which I totally relate to, since I do the same. If you can't laugh at yourself, you'll never be truly happy.
Contrast Crowe’s decision with a lot of actors who refuse to take on any homosexual roles - such as the difficulties in casting the leads for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Thank goodness Jake Gylenhaal and Heath Ledger had the same cojones as Russell Crowe and took the role. The mark of a real man is acceptance and respect of others, even if he may not always agree with everything they stand for. By that standard, these guys are real men.
Watching THE SUM OF US again is timely and important, especially in the wake of several recent gay teen suicides. Harassed and feeling isolated, these poor kids forgot that they’re not alone and took a step that could’ve been avoided. I don’t know what their family lives and social circles were like, and would be loathe to speculate. All I can say, though, is if more people were as accepting was Harry Mitchell, the world would be a much better place.
THE SUM OF US is a very good film not just because it trumpets an important message, but also because it is a well-made and compelling film - period. The story and the actors constantly surprise us. Jeff and Harry’s relationship is the motor that pushes the story forward, with Jeff’s growing bond with Greg a very touching additional gear. Harry’s own budding friendship with a widow (Deborah Kennedy) is another one. This movie underscores the importance of family and relationships - and how they are the rafts that keep us afloat when the seas become occasionally stormy. And the entire cast performs wonderfully, with not a single off-note. Especially, of course, Russell Crowe.
THE SUM OF US is also a series of unconventional love stories - platonic and romantic: between straight father and gay son, between two gay men trying to build something real, and between straight widower and straight widow trying to do the same. As good as BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is, I prefer THE SUM OF US. Not just because my favorite actor is in it, but also because it is a warm and moving portrait of humanity and love - both expected and unexpected. It ends on a note of happiness, tolerance, and acceptance. It reaffirms our faith in people - instead of making us lose it.
In this day and age, when we should be celebrating our diversity and recognizing that we are each our own unique color, we shouldn’t be reading the headlines that we’ve been reading lately. THE SUM OF US gives us a glimpse of a world that is possible when we allow ourselves to be brave enough to accept and love openly. If we just behave like Harry Mitchell.
And to the souls of those poor kids who made the sad choice they did recently, I have this to say: I'm so sorry things could've have been different for you, and I hope you have found peace. For what it's worth, I dedicate this review to you...
