Tennesee Queer – film review

March 4, 2014
1 min read

The film opens up with the infamous high school gym wall, where gossip spreads about homosexual students, and their subsequent gay bashing. A painful place. The film’s director, Mark Jones is a Tennessee native who spent many years working on LGBT parade committees, as well as making several films about the struggles of being gay in the South. Jones was actually inspired to make this film by a Memphis mayor who refused to speak in favor of the LGBT rights for city workers. After experiencing such struggles, Jones hopes that one day Memphis will have a mayor willing to walk in the gay pride parade, and send a positive message.

One of the major themes of the movie is treatment of the gay community in the south, from the 1970s to present day. The pandering, bullying and other signs of cultural discomfort with homosexuality in the south . The 1970s marks an important era to the LGBT community, as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders stopped treating homosexuality as a psychological disorder. The last forty years have been especially vital to the gay civil rights movement, as an era important to the struggle for respect, dignity and equality.

The film examines the role of local politicians and religious organizations’ responses and scheming with the homosexual community. It satirizes homophobic ideas without being heavy-handed, discussing deep issues with a smirk. As a discussion on modern tolerance (or lack thereof) of homosexuality, the film does not simply argue that things are better or worse now than it was forty years ago. As many of the characters mention about modern day Tennessee, things aren’t better or worse, just different. While in modern-day Smythe, many of the politicians and preachers still refer to homosexuality as an illness.

The film’s lead Jason Potts, played by Christian Walker, brings to light the importance of representing the community and giving fearful, closeted homosexuals hope. As the film’s director Mark Jones is a Presbyterian Deacon as well as a homosexual, his film acknowledges that there are some churches that accept homosexuals for who they are, without attempting conversion therapy.

Tennessee Queer, as the title suggests, is a feel-good comedy about important cultural battles in the south.

Previous Story

Festival Fashions

Next Story

March 5-11 Arts Calendar

Latest from Movies

SINNERS: Culture, History and the Language of Metaphors

Words by Za’Nya Davis If you miss it, you might only catch a vampire story — paying closer attention, you will find Ryan Coolger’s “Sinners” is a strategically constructed film that uses every aspect of its screenwriting to entice its audience through the art of creative writing and masterful

June Theater, Dance and Film

Through June 1 “Hamlet” The Island Theater, Fleming Island theislandtheater.com Through June 15 “Rhinocerous” Limelight Theatre, St. Augustine limelight-theatre.org Through June 22  “My Fair Lady”  Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com June 2 “Celebrating Celine Dion” Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com June 6-15  “Anastasia”  The Island Theater,

Theater, Dance and Film

Through May 4 “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” Theatre Jacksonville theatrejax.com  “How to $ucceed in Business Without Really Trying” Amelia Musical Playhouse, Fernandina Beach ameliamusicalplayhouse.com May 2 “Our Town” St. Francis-in-the-Field, St. Augustine apextheatrejax.com May 2-11 “The Foreigner” Center for Spiritual Healing, St. Augustine aclassictheatre.org May

Monthly Movie Wrap-Up

Words by Wavery Loyd                                                                                             

April Theater, Dance and Film

April 1-6 “Les Miserables” Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts fscjartistseries.org April 3 “A Year With Frog and Toad” Thrasher-Horne Center thcenter.org April 3-11 “Beautiful: The Carole King Story” Alhambra Theatre & Dining alhambrajax.com April 3-13 “Oklahoma!” Artist Connection Theatre artistconnectiontheatre.org April 4 “The Great Gatsby:
July 5th Cleanup
GoUp

Don't Miss

The Avett Brothers

November 15 The Avett Brothers St. Augustine Amphitheatre (904) 471-1965

Paula Poundstone

Paula Poundstone “Twitter is the postcards in my head.” It’s