Dearie Awards 2010: Movie of the Year - I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS

This was a tough choice to make at the end of a great year for GLBT-themed films, both domestic and foreign. We decided on I Love You Phillip Morris as our top pick, though, not only for its sharp, alternately hilarious and touching screenplay (which was just announced as a surprise nominee for this year's Writers Guild Awards) but for the sheer fact that it was finally released in the US after a tortured, nearly two year wait.

I Love You Phillip Morris, which starred Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor (both delightful) in the true-life story of misguided convicts in love with each other, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2009, then opened in virtually every European country, but saw its American opening held up by marketing concerns and financial squabbles. It finally played a number of US theaters just last month, to mixed critical and box office success. Nevertheless, everyone — gay, straight and in between — ought to see this bizarre yet oddly universal, resonant love story. We love Phillip Morris too!

Honorable Mentions:
A leading contender in this year's Oscars, The Kids Are All Right was also nominated by the WGA, as well as for a host of Golden Globe and other awards. This topical tale of a lesbian couple (the fabulous Annette Bening and Julianne Moore) coping with their rapidly maturing children's desire to develop a relationship with their sperm-donor father (a similarly great Mark Ruffalo) struck a chord among parents of all stripes. Though it received mixed reactions in the GLBT community, the general acclaim heaped upon The Kids Are All Right serves as a testament to how far we have come as film viewers and filmmakers, and the movie is probably the most significant mainstream achievement in that regard since 2005's Brokeback Mountain.

Burlesque won't go down as a cinematic classic, but this contemporary homage to A Star is Born melodramas had enough musical pizzazz and camp charm to win over gay audiences. Add Cher (in her first film role in seven years) to the time-honored mix and we had, if not a blockbuster, a Xanadu-esque pop pageant that will likely stand the test of time. As Cher prophetically sings on the soundtrack, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me." Christina Aguilera didn't suck, Cam Gigandet showed his shapely derriere, Stanley Tucci played gay (again) and Kristen Bell amused as the alcoholic diva. Oh, and out actor Alan Cumming appeared sporadically in a variation on his Cabaret MC role. What's not to like?

Click the following links for our original reviews: I Love You Phillip Morris, The Kids Are All Right and Burlesque.

UPDATE: I Love You Phillip Morris is now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Dearie Awards 2010: Documentary of the Year - STONEWALL UPRISING

The seminal event in GLBT liberation history finally received the unadulterated film treatment it deserved in the revelatory documentary Stonewall Uprising. Previous docs have dealt with events leading up to and following the riots that occurred in and around Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn in the summer of 1969, and one fictional movie (1995's Stonewall) depicted some of the events and players involved. It wasn't until 2010, however, that this assemblage of you-are-there archival footage and interviews with participants on both sides of the divide came together with the admirable intent of trying to separate fact from legend.

The result is more inspirational than anything we've witnessed before, and Stonewall Uprising (due on DVD April 26) is a true must-see for neophyte students and long-dedicated activists alike. When a New York City police officer (now in his 80's) who was there questions the wisdom of the crackdown on the Stonewall, attention must be paid.

Honorable Mentions:
8: The Mormon Proposition was an eye-opening, if not exactly unbiased, exploration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' well-organized support of California's Proposition 8, which sought to amend the state's constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. Of course, there's no rule that says filmmakers, including documentarians, have to be unbiased; if there were, Michael Moore would have been out of a job long ago. As legal challenges to the now-infamous Prop 8 continue to be filed and heard, time and justice will hopefully declare it unconstitutional once and for all. Until then, the religious forces of opposition to marriage equality need to be called out, and this film does an exceptional job at that.

Walt Disney Studios had a notoriously difficult time adjusting to meet more sophisticated audience expectations between the 1970's-1980's. Waking Sleeping Beauty provides an intimate peek behind the scenes during the company's late 80's makeover that ushered in an animation renaissance with such massive successes as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. Interestingly but perhaps unsurprisingly, the film hints that these significant Disney achievements might not have been possible if not for the artistic contributions of gay talents/visionaries Howard Ashman (who died, tragically, of AIDS-related complications in 1991) and Elton John, among others. An all-around insightful film for all of us "Disney queens" out here.

Click the following links to read our original reviews: Stonewall Uprising, 8: The Mormon Proposition and Waking Sleeping Beauty.

UPDATE: Stonewall Uprising is now available on DVD from Amazon.com.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Dearie Awards 2010: Man of the Year - JAMES FRANCO

Much was written in the mainstream press this past year about the seemingly inexhaustible talents of James Franco. When he wasn't studying for two Master's Degrees, publishing a book, writing poetry and saving the world from an onslaught of intelligent apes (oh, sorry, that's later this year, when he will headline the sci-fi prequel Rise of the Apes), Franco was playing one of Julia Roberts' lovers in Eat Pray Love, stalking hunky Steve Burton on General Hospital and directing a gay-themed short film (The Feast of Stephen) that appeared on the 2010 queer festival circuit.

Franco has long held viewers' attention, and gave memorable performances in both the Spider-Man trilogy and the Oscar-winning biopic Milk. The latter film, especially, sparked considerable "is he one of us?" speculation about Franco on the part of gay fans (according to recent reports, the actor is dating a woman). But Franco has also been regarded at times as laid back to a fault on screen. That perception changed dramatically in 2010, when Franco did exuberant, even joyful work in Howl and 127 Hours. In the first, Franco embodied the Beat Generation energy and protest spirit of gay poet Allen Ginsberg. In the second, the actor rivets in a largely immobile role, contemplating life as a hiker literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Next on Franco's growing list of broad achievements: co-hosting the Academy Awards ceremony with Anne Hathaway on February 27, where he will also more than likely be a nominee. Will nothing hold him down? You go, Franco! Movie Dearest salutes you.

Honorable Mentions:
The first season of Fox's hit musical-dramedy Glee introduced Chris Colfer to the world in the role of Kurt Hummel, a gay high school student who zigzags through various points of the coming out process. The untried actor-singer reportedly snagged the role shortly after stepping off the bus for his first professional audition. Colfer and Kurt have since become role models for a new generation of GLBT teens, with Colfer participating in the 2010 "It Gets Better" video campaign in the wake of a tragic number of suicides by bullied young people. I had the pleasure of being present last summer when Colfer presented his Glee co-star Jane Lynch with the Outfest Lifetime Achievement Award, and was impressed by his poise and sincerity. And can he sing! His rendition of "A House is Not a Home" this season was a standout among a number of impressive musical moments, culminating in his holiday duet on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Kurt's maybe-boyfriend, Blaine (Darren Criss). Keep up the great work!

We loved Colin Firth's performance as a gay college professor mourning the death of his longtime lover in last year's A Single Man. Duly Oscar nominated, Firth tragically (in the opinion of some of us) lost the award to Jeff Bridges. If Lady Justice is gay, she'll make sure the scale tips Firth's way this year for his acclaimed performance in The King's Speech, when he and Bridges will likely compete again in the Best Actor category. However, Firth has the edge this time around since (A) he hasn't won before and (B) he gave a simply glorious performance as stuttering, stammering King George VI. Definitely more crowd-pleasing than A Single Man, if no less significant a character study, The King's Speech explores the importance of national leadership at a time when the subject couldn't be more critical. Firth has turned in consistently great work (he was also fun in last year's St. Trinian's School for Girls), and now as a king in addition to his previous "queens."

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Dearie Awards 2010: Television Show of the Year - TRUE BLOOD

A vampire king and his male lover. A vampire queen and her female lover. Homoerotic dreams starring two straight, hunky heroes. A burgeoning romance between the flamboyant fry cook and his mother's male nurse. An often shirtless resident himbo. An often naked pack of werewolves. And, oh yeah, the revelation that the lead character is a fairy (OK, not that kind of fairy, but still... )

No doubt about it, the third season of HBO's horror series True Blood was the gayest thing on TV in 2010. It has also been one of the sexiest, goriest and most addictive television programs in recent years. Created by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Alan Ball and starring Oscar winner Anna Paquin, True Blood is a blood good time. And that's the truth.

Honorable Mentions:
ABC's hit, multi-Emmy Award winning Modern Family continues its hot streak in its second season. The clever comedy even silenced its critics when gay couple Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Emmy winner Eric Stonestreet) finally had an on-air kiss.

On the reality TV front, Logo's RuPaul's Drag Race became a pop culture phenomenon with its sophomore leg. A high camp, low stakes hybrid of America's Next Top Model and Project Runway (complete with hostess RuPaul in Tim Gunn mentor drag), this show really works it, girl.

Dearie Awards 2010: Women of the Year - ANNETTE BENING & JULIANNE MOORE

How do you choose between Annette Bening’s tightly wound Alpha-mom and Julianne Moore’s warm and sensual earth mother as Woman of the Year? The answer is, you don’t! We at Movie Dearest are pleased to honor two of our finest contemporary actresses for their perfectly in-sync performances in Lisa Cholodenko’s deceptively subversive family comedy, The Kids Are All Right. As uptight Nic and laidback Jules, Bening and Moore made their unconventional family feel normal yet universal. Each woman nailed their character’s comic highs and dramatic depths and more than that, Bening and Moore truly made you believe that they were in a loving, long-term marriage.

Right before the film opened in June, Bening experienced an ironic family situation that undoubtedly dimmed her euphoria over her well-received performance. Her daughter Kathlyn Beatty was quoted as officially announcing her intention to get gender reassignment surgery and the tabloids trumpeted how “devastated” Bening’s husband Warren Beatty was at the prospect. Moore, on the other hand, found herself having to defend her character’s decision to sleep with her children’s donor father, slyly played by Mark Ruffalo. Many (lesbians and others, including our own Father Chris) cried foul, but Moore was eloquent in her praise of gay and lesbian parents and her commitment to her character’s motives and sexual orientation.

The very fact that both women give such rich, full-bodied performances in the same film may cost them each an Oscar, but we at Movie Dearest think that Moore and Bening are much more than “all right”, we think they’re perfect!

Honorable Mentions:
It must be harrowing as an actress to go where director Darren Aronofsky sends you; who can ever forget Jennifer Connelly’s vile degradation at the end of Requiem for a Dream? However, few actresses could make such a sublime experience out of losing her mind as Natalie Portman in Black Swan. The notorious perfectionist was perfectly cast as high-strung NYC ballerina Nina Sayers, who dramatically unravels once cast as the Swan Queen in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Who knew that plastic actress who played Queen Amidala in the Star Wars films had it in her? Her character’s latent lesbian desires towards her sexy rival Lily (Mila Kunis) only force her closer to and then over the edge. It’s a red-eyed, feathered freak-out you’ll never forget, and we’re in agreement with Nina herself when she says, sizing up her opening night performance, “It was perfect.”

Noomi Rapace, the previously little-known actress, made a huge international impression this year as Lisbeth Salander in the Millennium trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest), the fierce vigilante at the heart of the bestselling books and their hit Swedish film adaptations. Unfamiliar with the character prior to seeing these movies in 2010, we were struck by the vengeful, bisexual pixie in leather but even more so by Rapace. Her full-throttle dedication to the role, which entailed harrowing scenes of sexual abuse as well as exhilarating moments of justice long denied being served, testifies to Rapace's talent and commitment. She will soon be seen in bigger projects (including the Sherlock Holmes sequel) but I expect Lisbeth will be the role for which Rapace shall be remembered.

By Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.