Author Topic: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry  (Read 18797 times)

Offline Lumière

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Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« on: July 13, 2007, 04:42:55 pm »


Heard of the movie?





Synopsis (from Hollywood.com) :
Chuck Levine and Larry Valentine are the pride of their fire station: two guy''s guys always side-by-side and willing to do anything for each other. Salt-of-the-earth widower Larry wants just one thing: to protect his family. His buddy Chuck also wants one thing: to enjoy the single life. Grateful Chuck owes Larry for saving his life in a fire, and Larry calls in that favor big time when civic red tape prevents him from naming his own two kids as his life insurance beneficiaries. All that Chuck has to do is claim to be Larry''s domestic partner on some city forms. Easy. Nobody will ever know. But when an overzealous, spot-checking bureaucrat becomes suspicious, the new couple''s arrangement becomes a citywide issue and goes from confidential to front-page news. Forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds, Chuck and Larry must now fumble through a hilarious charade of domestic bliss under one roof. After surviving their mandatory honeymoon and dodging the threat of exposure, the well-intentioned con men discover that sticking together in your time of need is what truly makes a family.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I checked out the IMDB site for the film and some people there are offended by the whole idea, some into it, etc.
Although you can't judge a film before it comes out..

I am curious, anyone heard about it & who is going to go check it out?   :)


Offline David In Indy

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2007, 05:32:06 pm »
I haven't heard about this movie Milli, which surprises me since it is to be released in about a week. It sounds like a cute movie. I'm heading over to IMDb right now to see what people are saying about it. Thanks for telling us Milli!  :D
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Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2007, 05:47:29 pm »



          I saw the previews in the theatre when we went to see Harry Potter, and it looked kind of cute.  But I hope its not simply vapid.  It is a funny premise.  Two guys that have to prove they are really gay and married.  But we shall have to wait and see if its just another missed chance.



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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2007, 05:57:55 pm »
I just read this on a blog over on rottentomatoes.com:

It's 7-13-2007 and still no reviews of this film. I don't see this as a good sign. Various publications have deadlines to meet. Allowing a film to be reviewed in advance (e.g. more than one week ahead of the premier date) seems to be the industry standard.

I am going out on a limb here and predict this will be one of the worst reviewed films of the year.


Someone else said:

With Dennis Dugan at the director's helm, this flick will surely be crap.


Please realize these are just personal opinions, nothing official at all!

L
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Offline Lumière

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2007, 06:11:43 pm »
Please realize these are just personal opinions, nothing official at all!

L

Oh I know ... to each his own, I guess.. :)

Just like it still baffles me when I read some IMDB posters going on about "movies like Brokeback being offensive to gay people.."
oh well.. to each his own..


Offline David In Indy

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2007, 03:05:18 am »
Oh I know ... to each his own, I guess.. :)

Just like it still baffles me when I read some IMDB posters going on about "movies like Brokeback being offensive to gay people.."
oh well.. to each his own..

People are saying Brokeback Mountain is offensive to gay people?

That doesn't make any sense, does it?  ???

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2007, 07:29:02 am »
People are saying Brokeback Mountain is offensive to gay people?

That doesn't make any sense, does it?  ???



well you remember there was that whole thing about why didn't they use gay actors??

Offline Kerry

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2007, 09:54:25 am »
Oh I know ... to each his own, I guess.. :)

Just like it still baffles me when I read some IMDB posters going on about "movies like Brokeback being offensive to gay people.."
oh well.. to each his own..

Some friends of mine here in Sydney (a gay couple, and a single gay guy), had some pretty negative, bitchy things to say about BbM. Basically, the gist of their criticism was that Jack and Ennis were not gay people. They claimed they were bisexual. They also commented about them being "too butch" and made other such negative comments. They knew I was besotted with the movie and had seen it many times, so a lot of their comments could be put down to good ol' fashioned teasing, I guess. But I got the impression there was more to it than that. When I questioned them further, it turned out that two of them hadn't even actually seen BbM - just heard about it and seen the trailer. I asked them how they could comment on a movie they hadn't even seen and they replied with some pretty awful comments about why they didn't want to see it, centred around BbM being non-representative of real gay people. This all happened late last year at the home of the couple, where we had gathered to watch the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final on their huge widescreen TV. I ended up getting myself all upset, defending BbM to them. Got so bad that one of their sisters had to come and give me a hug. Turned out she hadn't seen it either. She told me she hadn't seen it on the recommendation of her brother. I suggested she go see it for herself. She's very gay friendly and I'm sure she'll love it.

Yep, to each his own.  :-\  
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2007, 09:59:54 am »
Kerry, when you find out what "real" gay people are will you let me know? Also "real" straight people, "real" bisexual people, and all the other sorts of "real" people out there.

Thanks!

Leslie
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Offline Kerry

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2007, 10:05:26 am »
Kerry, when you find out what "real" gay people are will you let me know? Also "real" straight people, "real" bisexual people, and all the other sorts of "real" people out there.

Thanks!

Leslie

I argued that very same point with them until I was blue in the face, Leslie, almost to the point of tears, which is why Catherine gave me the hug. I personally thought it was pretty bone ignorant of them to criticise a movie they hadn't even seen.  :-\
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Offline Lumière

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2007, 01:20:35 pm »
They also commented about them being "too butch" and made other such negative comments.
Isn't it funny how people hate the stereotypes but then turn around and enforce them by saying things like that?
Like Leslie said, what does "real gay" mean anyway?  Even if they were bisexual, the crime would be what?  Sad.

I just think that there is no way to win completely.  If Jack and Ennis were effeminate, there would've been people pissed off about that not being a 'true representation of gay people' either.  You can't win them all, that's just the way it is. 



Offline oilgun

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2007, 02:43:33 pm »
When I saw the preview for Chuck and Larry I was painfully reminded of a really awful movie from year's ago that had a similar plot called The Gay Deceivers.  In that movie, two straight guys pose as a gay couple to avoid the draft.  They move in together in a gay neighbourhood and supposed hirality ensued.  It was quite offensive.  I don't think that Adam Sandler is homophobic so hopefully this movie will ultimately have a gay positive message.

Offline David In Indy

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2007, 03:56:24 pm »
When I saw the preview for Chuck and Larry I was painfully reminded of a really awful movie from year's ago that had a similar plot called The Gay Deceivers.  In that movie, two straight guys pose as a gay couple to avoid the draft.  They move in together in a gay neighbourhood and supposed hirality ensued.  It was quite offensive.  I don't think that Adam Sandler is homophobic so hopefully this movie will ultimately have a gay positive message.

It also sounds very similar to the Australian movie "Strange Bedfellows". I hope this isn't another one of those Hollywood ripoff movies.  >:(

We'll have to wait for it to be released and see for ourselves I guess.  :)
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Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2007, 04:28:42 pm »
On a box office message board I post on I wrote this as my predictions for this weekend:   :D


Hairspray - $20m  - Why was this remade?  I don't git it.  Will still be a breakout hit though.  Might do more than $20...

Chuck & Larry - $25m - Anything "gay" scares of a huge portion of the audience right away.  Homophobic men will be scared to watch because there might be a positive message about gay folks, that they're not all that bad and they're normal people and such, and the homophobic men are just scared out of their minds that they might see/hear that message and they themselves will turn gay.  Might do lower than $25...

Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #14 on: July 17, 2007, 04:45:22 pm »
And I also wrote this:

Quote from another user:
Positive* Jon wrote:
Yeah, reaction when I saw Transofrmers opening day was rather timid with some laughs here and there. The only real honest reaction throughout the trailer was to Jessica Biel wet in her bra/panties. Hot Rod received a louder reaction, I think. Being a Sandler comedy it'll still perform well though.

Opening: $32.5 million
Total: $103 million (3.17)


And I responded:

Anytime folks see anything "gay" in a movie now, they think gay rights are being shoved down their throat and the PC thing to do is accept it and ignore that they're bothered by it.  That's why the only reaction received was Jessica in her bra/panties, it's because it's what audiences are used to seeing and they're not made uncomfortable by it.  It was the only comic relief in the trailer.

Offline dot-matrix

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #15 on: July 17, 2007, 06:47:26 pm »
Someplace in the past few weeks I read a blip about the stars being VERY concerned that this film not offend Gay, Lesbian and Transgender folks and that they had gone out of their way to show the executives at GLAAD the script initially and the final cut before release....but not being at home, I can't find it now.  >:(  BUT I did find this at afterelton...


Exclusive: GLAAD weighs in on "Chuck and Larry"

Over the last few months we've been charting the journey of the upcoming Adam Sandler gay marriage comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry as it makes its way to screens (it opens July 20th). Given the relative silence of the studio, the tone of the trailers (which consisted of Sandler and co-star Kevin James hitting each other and talking about being "big-time fruits") and strange early press appearances (a 30-minute stint on The Showbiz Show in which the stars didn't say a single word about the movie), we have been concerned with how the film could portray gay relationships and gay life. In a worst-case scenario, this could be just another comedy that uses gays as cannon fodder, which is certainly nothing new. In a best-case scenario, it could be a good film with positive messages that is simply a tricky sell to its core fanbase.

Recently we were able to spend a few minutes with Damon Romine, Entertainment Media Director for GLAAD, who spoke exclusively with AfterElton.com regarding Chuck and Larry and what the film might mean in the big picture.

AfterElton.com: We understand that GLAAD has seen the final cut of the film. What are GLAAD's thoughts?
Damon Romine: This is a big-budget, studio film with Adam Sandler that runs true to his comedic style. His comedies have tremendous appeal to a broad audience. This is a film that will be enjoyed by Adam Sandler fans, and it's a comedy that sends a message to this audience about the importance of family, marriage equality, and about treating others, gay or straight, with dignity and respect.

The fact is, comedy has a unique way of opening people's eyes and helping them connect to simple truths. And part of what makes Chuck & Larry interesting is the way it could help straight audiences understand the experiences of gay couples and question how anyone could continue to support laws that put them in harm’s way.

When you look at films like Talladega Nights or Adam Sandler's Big Daddy, these were also comedies that delivered a supportive, inclusive message to a very broad audience. And this movie will reach that audience as well.


AE: Are the gay elements being used as plot devices for a straight love story, or does some overarching message compensate for this?
DR: This is a buddy comedy about two men, their friendship and the lengths to which they go to protect their family.

Through the disarming use of comedy, there is an exploration of homophobia, which often involves stereotypes and slurs, and it holds a mirror up to that and asks people to consider where it comes from. I can't imagine a studio movie being made five years ago that even dealt with marriage equality and the discrimination that same-sex couples face on a daily basis in this country.

AE: Have you seen the film? Did the studio invite GLAAD to screen it, specifically? Were you asked for feedback or input?
DR: Both Universal and Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison, asked GLAAD to see the film, and we sat for two different test screenings with audiences in attendance.

We worked with them as we work with many television and film projects, be it All My Children or the teen show South of Nowhere. GLAAD acts as a media resource to encourage fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBT people. On a daily basis we're reading scripts, viewing rough cuts, pitching stories and advising writers and producers about their LGBT content in an effort to change hearts and minds one story at a time.

At the end of the day, TV and film production is a creative process and they are going to make the movies they want to make. But when the studios ask for GLAAD's input, there is an interest in better representing LGBT lives.

Sandler and Universal were certainly interested in getting our reaction and hearing our comments. Throughout our meetings with Sandler, he expressed that his intent is to reach his audience with a message of equality. He has a gay family member in a long-term relationship, and is interested in telling a story that touches on discrimination faced by same-sex couples.

We shared our impressions of the film and were then invited back for a second test screening after they made some tweaks. Our impression of watching the audience at the screening is that they seemed to be laughing in the appropriate places and going on the journey the filmmakers intended them to take.


AE: It's becoming apparent that the studio is not speaking with gay press on the film, as we've experienced and as was recently noted in The Advocate. Have they come to you to help interface with gay viewers or with the gay press?
DR: You'd want to ask Universal about their overall marketing plans. What I've heard is that their focus is television press and that Adam Sandler and Kevin James are planning to sit down with CBS News on Logo to promote the film.

AE: Does GLAAD consider the lack of coordination between the film and Outfest (given the scheduling snafu) as anything more than unfortunate oversight?
DR: No, I agree with Outfest's Stephen Gutwillig that these simply are not competing events.

AE: To this point the response to the advertisements and press appearances has been fairly negative. Does GLAAD have comments about the ads?
DR: GLAAD offered Universal feedback on their trailers. We can’t speak to the final creative choices that the studio made in its marketing of the movie, but what's important to keep in mind is that what may appear one way in a thirty-second commercial is not necessarily how it’s seen in the context of a two-hour film.

AE: Are the ads accurately representative of the film as a whole?
DR: A trailer is designed to get you into the theater. It doesn't tell the complete story, nor is it supposed to. There is a difference between the marketing of the film and the actual film itself. Having seen the final product, Adam Sandler's audience will be left with a message that stresses the importance of family and equality for everyone.

A big thanks to Damon and GLAAD for sharing their thoughts, which are certainly reassuring. We'll be providing more coverage in the days leading up to the premiere, so be sure to stay tuned.

for more, user comments and a review..check it out here:
[url][http://www.afterelton.com/blog/brianjuergens/glaad-weighs-in-on-chuck-and-larry/url]
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Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #16 on: July 17, 2007, 06:56:54 pm »
Is it me, or does DR sound like a (Universal) "Studio Plant" in that interview? 

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #17 on: July 17, 2007, 09:34:40 pm »
The previews were offensive and not funny.  Oh, yeah, Jessica Biel, that's what all straight women do with their gay male friends, undress to their bra and underwear in their presence and invite them to touch our breasts.  ::) ::)

Offline Kerry

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #18 on: July 18, 2007, 12:10:47 am »
It also sounds very similar to the Australian movie "Strange Bedfellows". I hope this isn't another one of those Hollywood ripoff movies.  >:(

We'll have to wait for it to be released and see for ourselves I guess.  :)

From this morning's Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/17/1184559786834.html
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #19 on: July 18, 2007, 09:50:01 am »
The previews were offensive and not funny.  Oh, yeah, Jessica Biel, that's what all straight women do with their gay male friends, undress to their bra and underwear in their presence and invite them to touch our breasts.  ::) ::)

Of course! As long as there's no sexual attraction involved, I invite pretty much anybody to grope just about any part of my body.

Offline oilgun

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #20 on: July 18, 2007, 11:32:15 am »
Oh, yeah, Jessica Biel, that's what all straight women do with their gay male friends, undress to their bra and underwear in their presence and invite them to touch our breasts.  ::) ::)

Well actually, it happened to me, lol!  A (straight female) cousin of mine got herself some breast implants a few years back, I think she chose the Pamela Lee model because they were quite...generous, and when I first saw her with them she insisted I touch them to see how real they felt.  Well, they didn't look OR feel real to me but then my experience with female breasts is somewhat limited, lol!  She down-sized them when she hit her forties.  She quite the character.

Offline dot-matrix

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #21 on: July 18, 2007, 03:31:41 pm »
Of course! As long as there's no sexual attraction involved, I invite pretty much anybody to grope just about any part of my body.


 :laugh: :laugh:  Oh yeah, me too!   :laugh: :laugh:
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #22 on: July 18, 2007, 03:43:34 pm »
Straight womon have asked me to touch their breasts before too, and it always makes me feel very weird and awkward feeling when I do it. I'm not repulsed by it, but I don't enjoy doing it either. It's a "meh... whatever" type of thing I guess. I'm never really sure what kind of reaction women expect from us when they ask us to do it.  ???
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Offline dot-matrix

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #23 on: July 18, 2007, 03:47:12 pm »
Straight womon have asked me to touch their breasts before too, and it always makes me feel very weird and awkward feeling when I do it. I'm not repulsed by it, but I don't enjoy doing it either. It's a "meh... whatever" type of thing I guess. I'm never really sure what kind of reaction women expect from us when they ask us to do it.  ???


Well darlin, you and the rest of the boys around here can rest assured, I promise, IF we ever meet I will NOT be asking you to touch my breasts  :laugh:  Now I will however expect a hug.  :laugh:  ( Dottie shaking her head and wondering about SOME women out there)
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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #24 on: July 18, 2007, 03:51:40 pm »
I think it's highly inappropriate for anyone to ask another person to touch them in such a manner.  OMG I would just die if a female friend said touch my boobs...just die.

Offline Kerry

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #25 on: July 18, 2007, 07:26:21 pm »

Some years ago a dear friend of mine decided to have a breast implant operation. She had just been through a somewhat messy divorce and found herself back in the dating game after many years absence. Coupled with this, she was having troubles with her wilful adolescent daughter and her self esteem was at a low ebb.

So, yes, she figured big boobs would solved all her problems. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

She came to visit me shortly after the operation and was wearing a tight, plunging sweater. As she walked in my front door, she lifted the sweater and, shaking her newly acquired accoutrement from left to right and bouncing them up and down, excitedly asked, "What do you think? Aren't they beautiful?"

Well, "beautiful" is not the word that was on my mind at that time. "Big" maybe, but not "beautiful."

And when she invited me to "feel how real" they were, I decided it was time for me to retreat to the kitchen and prepare afternoon tea.

I graciously declined her generous (and for me, extremely scary) offer to fondle her breasts.
 
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #26 on: July 19, 2007, 09:37:33 am »
"Chuck & Larry" is at 21% at rottentomatoes.com (with 14 reviews), but I found this review interesting. From the Village Voice:



Queer as Folk
If you can't fix it, you gotta stand it? The 'Adam Sandler gay-marriage movie' crassly disagrees.
by Nathan Lee
July 17th, 2007 2:39 PM

I can't speak to the achievement of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry within the Adam Sandler oeuvre. Geeky Jews are totally my type, but Sandler's never suited my taste in comedy. His enormous popularity has always seemed one of those straight things I'll never understand, like the widespread delusion that Scarlett Johansson can act. Having recently registered for domestic partnership with my geeky Jew (hi, Glen!), and long annoyed by Hollywood homosexuals (suck my balls, Philadelphia), I approached "the Adam Sandler gay-marriage movie" with a little curiosity and a lot of baggage (made in Paris, Martin Margiela).

There are faggot jokes and flaming galore in Chuck and Larry, a movie that exploits gay stereotypes even as it mounts (from behind) an ingenious dismantling of homophobia. Made by straight people for straight people, this lowbrow comedy about super-butch firemen (Sandler and Kevin James) faking a gay marriage is a very queer landmark indeed. No joke, the bar has been raised, not least on the potential of "don't drop the soap" routines.

Somewhere in the cafeteria at GLAAD headquarters, girlfriend is about to choke on her quiche, but here goes: Tremendously savvy in its stupid way, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is as eloquent as Brokeback Mountain, and even more radical. "The gay cowboy movie" liberated desires latent in the classic western, and made them palpable (and palatable) by channeling them into the strictures of another genre, romantic tragedy. Progressive values were advanced by a retreat to a traditional mode of storytelling, the love that dare not speak its name rendered intelligible through the universal language of the upscale weepy.

Chuck and Larry takes this strategy much further, baiting a far less adventuresome demographic. Gay themes won't deter the Sandler cult, who can rely on their man not to be a fag. And that, precisely, is the canny maneuver here. Our pussy-loving men's men are New York City firefighters to boot, the very embodiment of all-American heroism (and object of gay fetishism). Sandler's womanizing bachelor Chuck Levine reluctantly agrees to play the homo husband of his buddy Larry Valentine to help secure pension benefits for Larry's kids—one of whom, a flaming little 'mo named Eric (Cole Morgan), likes to practice numbers from Pippin in an outfit inspired by Flashdance. Oh, snap! Chuck and Larry is the first movie to effectively hijack that all-purpose justification for right-wing bigotry, "protecting the children," and redeploy it as a weapon of the homosexual intifada.

Where the clowning queers of Birdcage invite us to laugh at their antics, the faux-mos in Chuck and Larry disarm prejudice by unabashedly reveling in its idiotic assumptions. "I used to wrestle in high school," is the gayest thing Chuck can think of, "and, uh, I liked it." The movie isn't effective despite the egregious gay stereotypes; it couldn't work without them. Through the medium of an Adam Sandler comedy, with all the requisite vulgarity, we're given access to what it feels like to be ostracized, to live under false pretenses, to suffer a sham marriage. It does with crass what Brokeback did with class, slipping dangerous sentiments into the safest of genres.

This sodomite had a gay old time. The coup of the movie is that Sandlerites will, too. They're the ones unmistakably addressed in the courtroom climax, the moment when Chuck and Larry confess their deceptions and assert their principles. Momentarily possessed by remarkable authenticity, Sandler seems to step out of character as he appeals to the crowd to stop using the word "faggot." I've used it a lot myself in the past, he says in a manner less like a line reading than a mea culpa, but it hurts the same way it does if you called me a kike.

Sandler feels like the authentic auteur of that sentiment, even if the words are credited to Barry Fanaro, a writer-producer of The Golden Girls, and the writing team of Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, creators of two or three of the most acclaimed American movies of the past 10 years. It's impossible to know how much of the final script derives from the authors of Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways, and how much flowed from the pen responsible, most recently, for Men in Black II. Kudos to all. I have never heard the cause of gay equality more delectably phrased than as "the right to put whatever you want up your ass."
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Offline loneleeb3

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #27 on: July 19, 2007, 10:01:48 am »
People are saying Brokeback Mountain is offensive to gay people?

That doesn't make any sense, does it?  ???



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Offline LauraGigs

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #28 on: July 19, 2007, 10:22:51 am »
Thanks for posting that Village Voice review, Maine!

"Progressive values were advanced by a retreat to a traditional mode of storytelling . . . "   What great writing!

"I can't speak to the achievement of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry within the Adam Sandler oeuvre."   :laugh:

Offline LauraGigs

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #29 on: July 19, 2007, 10:41:27 am »
Quote
Straight womon have asked me to touch their breasts before too . . .
 I'm never really sure what kind of reaction women expect from us when they ask us to do it.

Now this is remarkable.

So far the SFs on this thread (myself included) are like "WTF?" about the boob-touch-request thing.  And the GMs seem to be confirming that yes, it's pretty common.

So what is up with this?

Offline oilgun

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #30 on: July 19, 2007, 11:29:08 am »
"...like the widespread delusion that Scarlett Johansson can act."


I thought I was the only one who felt like that!  (Especially after watching her deer-in-headlights performance in the Black Dahlia, yikes!)

The review was certainly entertaining, thanks for posting it. 

I do have to confess that I've enjoyed most of Adam Sandler's movies, even Little Nicky. (Please don't ostracise me!) I guess they are a guilty pleasure but for low-brow entertainment I appreciate the conspicuous lack of anti-gay jokes. (Same goes for the Jackass films) 

I don't think I'll see Chuck & Larry at the cinema but it looks like it's worth a rental. If only for sociological reasons, lol!


Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #31 on: July 19, 2007, 12:29:33 pm »
I'm really on the fence about what to think about this movie.  Hmmmm...

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #32 on: July 19, 2007, 12:40:39 pm »
That Village Voice piece was really interesting. Thanks for posting it!

I probably won't see it because I'm not a big fan of Adam Sandler movies. In fact, the movie I liked Adam Sandler best in was Spanglish, and I absolutely hated Spanglish. But I hated it for other reasons -- Adam Sandler himself was less obnoxious than usual in it. I haven't seen any of the others where he is "acting," like Punch Drunk Love or that one with Don Cheadle. But I think he seems better off trying to be a good actor than trying to be a good comedian.

That said, I now have a much more optimistic opinion of the movie than I did before!


Offline Lumière

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #33 on: July 19, 2007, 12:55:42 pm »
Thanks for posting that review, Leslie! 
It was very fun to read..  ;)



Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #34 on: July 19, 2007, 01:10:29 pm »

That said, I now have a much more optimistic opinion of the movie than I did before!


Now keep in mind, it is at 20% over on rottentomatoes.com. There are plenty of reviewers who are ripping this to shreds and others (the New York Times) who aren't even bothering to review it. I just found the Village Voice reviewer's perspective (a gay man, obviously) interesting.

L
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Offline oilgun

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #35 on: July 19, 2007, 04:49:52 pm »
Now keep in mind, it is at 20% over on rottentomatoes.com.


You can't always go with the pack though.  For example, Terry Gilliam's Tideland rates a measly 29% and as far as I'm concerned it may well be his masterpiece.
I'm certainly not comparing the two films or saying Chuck & Larry might be a masterpiece, not at all, but sometimes the majority opininion, even from professional critics, can be misleading.




Offline David In Indy

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #36 on: July 19, 2007, 04:58:26 pm »
Now this is remarkable.

So far the SFs on this thread (myself included) are like "WTF?" about the boob-touch-request thing.  And the GMs seem to be confirming that yes, it's pretty common.

So what is up with this?

Yeah, it sometimes happens Laura. It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. But I have no idea why.
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Offline Lumière

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #37 on: July 19, 2007, 05:10:15 pm »
I'm certainly not comparing the two films or saying Chuck & Larry might be a masterpiece, not at all, but sometimes the majority opininion, even from professional critics, can be misleading.

I have to agree with you on that.  :)
I generally don't read critics' reviews .. rather prefer to decide for myself, but some are interesting to read.


Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #38 on: July 19, 2007, 05:11:51 pm »
You can't always go with the pack though.  For example, Terry Gilliam's Tideland rates a measly 29% and as far as I'm concerned it may well be his masterpiece.
I'm certainly not comparing the two films or saying Chuck & Larry might be a masterpiece, not at all, but sometimes the majority opininion, even from professional critics, can be misleading.


Actually, one of the things I have come to love about the Internet is the ability to read multiple reviews. I can compare/contrast, find reviewers who I generally agree with, etc. Reading reviews for Chuck & Larry, they all more or less agree that Sandler & Co. are trying to convey a somewhat positive attitude towards gay marriage, negative attitude towards homophobia, and so on. What seems to be at issue is whether the movie is successful in doing this or not.

L
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #39 on: July 19, 2007, 07:55:36 pm »
Now this is remarkable.

So far the SFs on this thread (myself included) are like "WTF?" about the boob-touch-request thing.  And the GMs seem to be confirming that yes, it's pretty common.

So what is up with this?

Not really.  What this seems to have explained is that women with boob jobs like to show them off.  I've had straight women friends drag me to bathrooms to show me their storeboughts and ecouraged all and sundry to touch them.

Felt like a silicon bag under warm skin ugggggggggggg :P

That still doesn't explain the standing there in one's panties.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #40 on: July 19, 2007, 10:26:41 pm »
Right. I can imagine it's remotely possible if I were to get a boob job, maybe I WOULD feel compelled to have a friend -- regardless of gender or orientation -- check it out for tactile authenticity. But I would at least remain otherwise clothed.

Though come to think of it, isn't the point in the Jessica Biel scene that she DOESN'T have a boob job? Then I can't think of any reason to ask random friends to have a feel, just to verify.




Offline Kerry

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #41 on: July 20, 2007, 09:19:39 am »
Now this is remarkable.

So far the SFs on this thread (myself included) are like "WTF?" about the boob-touch-request thing.  And the GMs seem to be confirming that yes, it's pretty common.

So what is up with this?

Speaking for myself only, I have no idea why my lady friend felt compelled to expose her newly elevated chest to me. Since my last post, however, I now remember that she was very excited about showing me her scars. Or should I say, lack of scars. She explained to me that the surgeon had actually cut around the outside edge of her nipples (yikes!), and that that was the entry route by which he inserted the . . um, inserts. And if the prospect of having a scalpel slice into one's nipple wasn't scary enough, she wanted me to closely examine each of her nipples so that I could see for myself just how talented her surgeon was (she was right, her surgeon was very talented, indeed; though, on close examination, one could see very faint, micro-thin scars, leading down from each nipple, vertically, underneath each breast).

In an endeavour to put this in perspective, let's imagine for a moment that I decide to undergo surgery to increase the size of a certain intimate part of my own anatomy. As a gay man, I would imagine the last thing I'd consider doing, post-surgery, would be to swagger and show-off my newly acquired, bigger, fatter, thicker knob in front of a lesbian friend. Why would I do such a thing? I'd be leaving myself open to one of three possible reactions:

1. She'd be physically ill on the spot.

2. She'd call the police and have me arrested.

3. She's point and laugh hysterically.

Better to just keep it in your pants, mate (or inside your blouse, whichever applies).
« Last Edit: July 20, 2007, 09:25:11 am by Kerry »
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Offline milomorris

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #42 on: July 21, 2007, 03:47:05 pm »
OK...

I gotta go see this movie JUST so I can see Ving Rhames play a gay fireman!!! O0 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #43 on: July 22, 2007, 02:01:31 am »
Well, aren't I in the vanguard?  Am I the first one on this thread to have actually seen it?  I saw this movie last night!

Two friends and I went to go see Knocked Up and it was sold out.  One friend really wanted to see Chuck & Larry, so cringing, (and not having read this thread or any review about it, just having seen the preview) I went.

The first third was deplorable, offensive gross out jokes galore (which mostly had nothing to do with gayness, just juvenile fart-type jokes).  But here's the amazing thing - by the time the last third was over, I felt warm love fuzzies for the whole thing. 

I would say the GLAAD interview is a good description.  And there were some cute bits:  Richard Chamberlain plays a sort of judge at a sort of hearing at the end.  (Probably for the youngfolk I should explain - Richard Chamberlain was a hugely popular TV actor in the early 1960s, who, about ten (?) years ago came out as gay, and it rocked the world a bit.)  Also, Lance Bass plays the singer in a wedding band at the end of the movie.  He has no lines, other than his singing, so it's a sight not-gag, but wink.  (For oldfolk I should explain - Lance Bass was a hugely popular boyband singer a couple of years ago, who came out as gay last (?) year.)

Ving Rhames is beautiful in his role, if a little silly at times.  But for those who find the idea of him dancing naked with a lot of hip action in the shower in front of a lot of New York fire fighters a turn-on, there's what makes the price of admission worth it. 

Having been introduced here at BetterMost to the really ugly signs some anti-gay protesters hold when they are protesting, I knew that the movie versions were very tame. 

And the arc of how Kevin James goes from cringing when his kid Bob Fosses around the living room, to cheering him on right before the next big audition at school is also terrific. 

One BBM reference - when they go to the store to buy stuff to make their house look "gayer" before the inspector comes over (played with excellent weasel loathesomeness by Steve Buscemi), they are throwing various things in the cart, ending with, piled on the top, a BBM DVD.

Dan Ackroyd was also good as the one person in the movie who knew they were faking all through the movie, and was gay-neutral in a very good way, just didn't want them to get in trouble.

Oh, and the arc of at first their fire fighter peers pulling away, but then embracing and supporting them was great.  Homophobia was definitely made to look very stupid and not well-thought out.

« Last Edit: July 22, 2007, 02:09:12 am by Ellemeno »

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #44 on: July 22, 2007, 02:04:50 am »
Yay! That's the best review of it I've read yet.

Now you're making me almost -- almost!! -- want to see it. If only I could go with friends to "Knocked Up" and have it be sold out ...

Offline David In Indy

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #45 on: July 22, 2007, 02:12:21 am »
Thanks for posting that review Clarissa!  :)

I've heard Adam Sandler has a gay member in his family, and slowly but surely he is becoming an advocate for the gay community. I'm not sure if this is true, but I hope so!  :D
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Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #46 on: July 22, 2007, 02:13:46 am »
Oh, and the Canadian Niagara Falls Japanese-esque little weirdie minister who marries them, reminiscent of Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's except with a beatific smile, is Rob Schneider.  :)

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #47 on: July 22, 2007, 02:15:08 am »
(And while I don't often find myself disagreeing with ineedcrayons, I loved Spanglish, and thought it did a little bit for the Hispanic immigrant labor situation what this movie did for gays.)

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #48 on: July 22, 2007, 10:38:43 am »
(And while I don't often find myself disagreeing with ineedcrayons, I loved Spanglish, and thought it did a little bit for the Hispanic immigrant labor situation what this movie did for gays.)

OK, I can see that. But I just hated Téa Leoni's character -- a white upper-middle-class mother who is so thoughtless and self-involved and insensitive and snobbish and racist that she's just about evil, especially in contrast with her well-meaning husband, bewildered kids and the wise, saintly, beautiful, perfect -- even well-dressed! -- maid. To me, there was something very mean-spirited about it.

I guess we can disagree on this one little thing.  :)


Offline Lumière

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #49 on: July 22, 2007, 11:40:54 pm »

Cheers for the review Clarissa!  ;)
I'm gonna check out the movie when I get back here from my vac.


Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #50 on: July 23, 2007, 08:34:24 am »
From the Los Angeles Times:



'I Now Pronounce You' No. 1 at the box office
Adam Sandler scores again as 'Chuck and Larry' earns an estimated $34.8 million in its opening weekend.
By Josh Friedman, Times Staff Writer
July 23, 2007

Moviegoers were in gay spirits over the weekend as Adam Sandler's latest comedy, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," topped the box office, and the feel-good "Hairspray" scored a record launch for a musical.

Though both films were aimed at general audiences, the gay market factored into their solid openings.

"Chuck and Larry" stars Sandler and Kevin James as Brooklyn firefighters pretending to be gay for insurance purposes. Universal Pictures and the filmmakers worked closely with gay groups to try to avoid any missteps with that audience.

The film opened to an estimated $34.8 million in the U.S. and Canada, giving Sandler his ninth No. 1 launch and displacing Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which fell to $32.2 million in its second weekend.

"We're thrilled to be headed for at least $100 million," said Nikki Rocco, president of domestic distribution at Universal.

New Line Cinema's "Hairspray," the story of a chubby teenager who fights for racial integration on a 1960s TV dance show, has no gay theme, but the project has wide appeal in the gay community.

Based on both the 1988 camp classic directed by gay icon John Waters and the more recent Broadway musical, "Hairspray" opened to $27.8 million — a surprisingly strong No. 3 for the weekend.

"Chicago" and "Dreamgirls" both ended up grossing more than $100 million domestically in recent years, but they were rolled out more gradually, starting in a small number of theaters.

New Line had expected an opening "in the low 20s," said David Tuckerman, the studio's president of domestic distribution.

Although "Chuck and Larry" met industry expectations, it opened at the lower end of the $35-million-to-$45-million range that has made Sandler one of Hollywood's most reliable comedy stars.

Sandler and James play straight pals who, because of convoluted civic red tape, must fake a domestic partnership in order for the widowed James to designate his two children as his life insurance beneficiaries.

The gay subject matter may have turned off filmgoers "at the outer edges" of Sandler's fan base, one Universal executive acknowledged.

But it was tougher competition at the multiplex this summer, Rocco said, that most likely kept the movie below Sandler's biggest hits, such as "The Longest Yard" and "Anger Management."

Universal screened an early version of the film for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and took the group's suggestions "very seriously," said Adam Fogelson, president of marketing at the studio.

Despite some stereotypes and slurs, the film conveys a strong message about "family, marriage equality, and about treating others — gay or straight — with dignity and respect," said Damon Romine, GLAAD's media director.

"Hairspray," whose cast includes John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nikki Blonsky, also preaches acceptance.

The film, which got higher audience survey scores and far better reviews than "Chuck and Larry," could have one of this summer's rare commodities: box-office legs.

"There's nothing like it in the marketplace, and it works with just about every audience," said Howard Bragman, a longtime Hollywood publicist and gay activist. "Even my parents would like it."

While the film was promoted in gay magazines and on the gay-themed Logo cable TV channel, he said, marketers reached general audiences partly by tapping into the nation's dance craze.

Director Adam Shankman, for example, recently served as a guest judge on the Fox reality show "So You Think You Can Dance."

How much the gay audience added to the film's success was unclear because studios don't survey for sexual orientation.

The "Hairspray" audience was estimated at 68% female and 64% older than 25, New Line said.

One gay publication, the Washington Blade, had called for a boycott of the film over Travolta's Scientology affiliation, but activists said that appeal gained little or no traction.

Gay fans were clearly a factor in the film's success, Bragman said.

"You don't do a musical without a gay audience. Hello?" he said. "We own that genre. We created that genre. It's ours."

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Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
« Reply #51 on: August 03, 2007, 02:14:40 am »
Ok, I watched this tonight.  Mixed feelings.  Not sure.

I truly felt the "gay agenda" was shoved down my throat!  And I'm a gay man!  :laugh:  I actually was cringing by the end of the movie, thinking OMG how much more can there be.  Could it be that I was scared what the straights in the audience were thinking?  Could be. 

Perhaps I was worried there was too much of an agenda?  After Brokeback, which was an "open-narrative" film with no set agenda, yet had the power to change folks minds on it's own, this truly felt like propaganda to me.  I just felt it went overboard.  I wonder what straight guys have thought of this.  I wonder if truly homophobic guys have stayed away from seeing the movie, because of the subject matter?  If they did see it, I bet they were just cringing, and might have even walked out very mad at themselves and life.

I was never offended by any of the jokes.  Some were laugh out loud funny.  :laugh:

The feeling up scene I thought was actually believable.  I think they played it off well...