Milk - The Movie

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Can Macho, Non-Metro Actors Play Gay?
By LUCHINA FISHER
Dec. 3, 2008
 
He has played a hardened ex-convict, a mentally challenged man and a California stoner. But Sean Penn's current portrayal of a gay politician has some critics calling it his best performance ever.
 
How this tough-guy, straight actor was able to step into the shoes of Harvey Milk, the country's first openly gay politician, in the new film "Milk" is as much a testament to Penn's talent as it is to a culture that has become more accepting of gays.
 
"It has almost become a rite of passage for these leading Hollywood actors to take on a gay role," said David Hauslaib, editorial director of the gay and lesbian Web site Queerty.com. "I think Sean Penn's career can only benefit from a role like this. The same was true for Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal [who played gay lovers in 'Brokeback Mountain']."
 
"I think there's probably less fear of being typecast the way that actors in the last century had fears," said New York casting director Tiffany Little Canfield. "It's not as big of a risk. I've never heard in all my casting of an actor being concerned about playing a homosexual character."
 
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Movies/story?id=6378749&page=1

Without having read the article yet, the couple paragraphs you cited are all
over the place.

First, the author is assuming gay men can't be tough when she writes, How this tough-guy, straight actor was able to step into the shoes of Harvey Milk, the country's first openly gay politician,  Really?  As though there are no gay people who are a hardened ex-convict, a mentally
challenged man and a California stoner.

Then she quotes Queerty "It has almost become a rite of passage for these leading Hollywood actors to take on a gay role," speaking of current actors, when there's been gay roles in films for years--Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, William Hurt, Jeff Bridges for example (just read the Celluloid Closet).

Then she quotes a casting director who says "I think there's probably less
fear of being typecast the way that actors in the last century had fears,"
when Diana Ossana herself said that they had major problems casting the
Ennis role in BBM.  She said they were afraid of it.  And if gay actors cannot be
openly out, then there is a huge discrepancy here.  Plus, casting directors are loathe to cast openly gay actors--so...

Can Macho, Non-Metro Actors Play Gay?  The whole notion of this piece
is convoluted.  I hate when writers have their own pre-conceived notion of
something without any real basis in fact and then write a piece about it
because it's topical, throw in a few quotes to show you've "worked on it" and really have nothing to say of any insight or truth.

Now I'll go read the entire article.

[Flyboy]

I see where Josh Brolin snagged a Best Supporting Actor award for Milk from the National Board of Review. And our own BBM Anne Hathaway got the Best Actress award for Rachael Getting Married.

[Ennis Del Mark]

Yep, congrats to them.  I am so happy.  I hope Brolin's career keeps going strong--I think he's getting better as an actor with the years--and I feel the same about dear Anne.  She's so versatile, as the polar opposites GET SMART and RACHEL proved this year! 

Mark

[fritzkep]

Milk is still playing at only two theaters here, one in DC and the other in MD.   

[dejavu]

Yep, congrats to them.  I am so happy.  I hope Brolin's career keeps going strong--I think he's getting better as an actor with the years--and I feel the same about dear Anne.  She's so versatile, as the polar opposites GET SMART and RACHEL proved this year! 

Mark

Sorry if this is off-topic for this thread, but I'm so glad to see someone talking about Anne's performance in RACHEL.  I managed to see it in Denver with a Brokie friend during November, and we thought she did a great job.

And Fritz, MILK is only playing at one downtown theater in Philly, the artsy one.  It seems to start every hour or so, so it must be on several screens, but it has an "exclusive engagement" there still, according to the paper.  I'm hoping it comes to more of the suburban theaters soon.

[fritzkep]

Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing it at a more convenient theater. Going into town or to the MD suburbs is an excursion!

[Ennis Del Mark]

At least it's nearby to you!  It hasn't even made it to Jacksonville or Gainesville or Tallahassee (my nearest venues) yet.  And it sure as hell won't make it to Lake City!  (For that matter neither will LAKE CITY, I'll bet.)

Oh well, it'll get here one day.  I can't wait to see Penn and Brolin.

Mark 

[brokebacktom]

MILK gets its first major award.


Sean Penn's film biography "Milk" is receiving the Producers Guild of America's Stanley Kramer Award, which honors pictures taking on provocative social issues.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/08/milk-earns-its-first-majo_n_149392.html

[August7th]

In the Washington Post today (December 9, 2008) there is an article entitled, "Why Can't A Kiss Just Be a Kiss," which examines the mini media hysteria about guy-to-guy kissing in the movie, "Milk." It discusses previous movies, including Brokeback Mountain, and has a couple of quotes from Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Hope this link works:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/08/AR2008120803777.html?hpid=features1&hpv=national

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Michael, when are you going to see MILK?

[michaelflanagansf]

Michael, when are you going to see MILK?

This Sunday at the Castro - 7pm show.

[welles]

good article, august 7 - and yes, the link worked.  i saw the clip from the letterman show and i was absolutely floored by his ignorance. 

[quithammerin]

I have a question - have there been good box office results for this movie? It still isn't playing in my city, and I can't find any theatre that has plans to run it in the future, either (usually, these are listed for about 6 weeks in advance).   I may have missed this by not reading the whole thread here, but does anyone know if there's been some kind of strategy about where to show it, and only concentrate on certain major centres?

[sotoalf]

Good review by one of my favorite writers.

[BayCityJohn]

A Friend to Gays and Antigay Dictators Alike

COMMENTARY: It’s not surprising that Sean Penn, thanks to his star turn as Harvey Milk, is becoming a hero of the gay community -- likely to be showered with acting prizes, and deservedly so. But his outspoken admiration for the Castro and Chavez regimes should make everyone think twice.

http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid68058.asp