Diane, whadayamean Ennis and Jack seem real?
Okay, okay ... they
are real to all of us "Brokies".
I have said this before, but am going to reiterate it anyway. This film has a realism that I have rarely experienced. The whole idea of societal mores dictating a person's future is heartbreaking. Even though I am a straight female, there have been two events in my own life that I would like to share:
My great uncle was homosexual and was living in a small rural town located in a midwestern Bible belt state. The expectation was that he was to get married, have a family. He did ... and all it did was cause pain for everyone. He was caught several times with other men. Eventually, he was arrested because he was caught having sex with a man in a public place. To make a long story short, he ended up getting murdered. No one was ever charged, but apparently everyone knew who did it. I guess the public seemed to think it was justifiable homicide.
The second event is just now unfolding ... my nephew. I am sure he is gay. My brother has made it clear about his disdain for homosexuals. When I told my brother that I loved BBM, he said he refused to watch a story about "two faggots". I absolutely cringed. I hurt for my nephew because I don't know that he will ever become comfortable acknowledging his sexual orientation. I know he will fear rejection. My heart is heavy about this.
I think, for me, BBM does not provide any easy answers. It provokes thought and dialogue. It shows the pain that can be inflicted by keeping a secret, by not being true to one's self. It doesn't say that everything will be okay. I think it provides more questions than answers. Maybe that's why I just can't get this film out from under my skin.