'Precious'
So, 2009 wasn’t a huge year for film but we do have a couple Oscar hopefuls. It may not be the shoe-in that we all thought Brokeback Mountain would be, but perhaps a little less drama is ok.
5 – Big Gay Musical
It’s big, and gay, and a musical. That alone gets it 5th place. Slow year…
4 – Hannah Free and Patrik Age 1.5
A Swedish gay couple who expect to adopt a toddler and instead get a teen and a May/December affair starring Sharon Gless make a sweet little heartwarming duo at the number 4 spot. Gayness and family struggles are a worldwide phenomenon.
3 – A Single Man
A big budget drama from Tom Ford starring Julianne Moore and Colin Firth has been nominated in the Best Actor category at the upcoming Academy Awards. The 60s may have been on the cusp of the sexual revolution but it was still fairly depressing for gays in the early part of the decade. For George Falconer (Firth) who has just lost his long term partner life seems unlivable. Luckily he has Julianne Moore to keep him company.
2 – Bruno
'Bruno'
Both loved and hated, Sacha Baron Cohen‘s wildly inappropriate and stereotypical portrayals are at once hilarious and cringe-worthy. But whether you think Bruno‘s uber-gay fashion-whore image held queer rights back or was merely a silly satire, no one can deny Cohen’s impact as a comedian that brings his act into real life. Dangerous, funny, half-scripted, Bruno exposed more about American culture than the European one that the character supposedly came from.
1 – Precious
Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Precious follows an overweight, illiterate teen in the inner city who is pregnant with her second child and her journey towards a better life. Director Lee Daniels has called himself, “…a little homo…a little Euro and…a little ghetto.” Combining him with Sapphire’s words, and a stellar cast including Mo’ Nique and you’ve got 6 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
