Watch In & Out For Free

Powerful

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I had the misfortune to see IN & OUT at the cinema back on release. It's one of those movies with a dumb premise - a guy doesn't know whether he's gay or not - which seems to have been made up on the spot. Most of the film is merely an excuse for having Kevin Kline mugging as much as possible; I found his method of acting quite embarrassing, especially considering how good he'd been ten years before in A FISH CALLED WANDA. Only the likes of Tom Selleck raise a wry smile every now and then.

I watched this film because I wanted something light and not too much demanding. The plot is pretty easy: an emerging actor wins the Oscar and during his acceptance speech he simply says thank to his school teacher, labeling him as gay. The problem is that the teacher is going to get married and his wife-to-be doesn't take it well. It's a shock. The teacher tries to prove he is not gay at all.As I said, the plot is very simple, there are some funny situations, but as a whole this film isn't a masterpiece. For sure the great part of the film is sustained by Kevin Kline who does a remarkable and believable job.Despite it's only an average comedy, it worth to be watched at least one time.

In and Out (1997): Dir: Frank Oz / Cast: Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Bob Newhart: Intelligent comedy that is thought provoking on its views about personal identity. Kevin Kline plays a respected teacher who suffers an identity crises when a former student announces that he is gay at the Academy Awards. This gives Kline much unwanted attention since he is engaged to Joan Cusack. Enter Tom Selleck as a gay anchorman who attempts to obtain a confession from Kline on camera. The ending is ridiculous with a corny dance of celebration but Frank Oz does a splendid job at portraying the uncertainty of the professor's sexuality. Oz is a champion director of comedies having made Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and What About Bob? Excellent performance by Kline who demonstrates his frustration and inner struggle to identify who he is. Selleck is convicting as the anchorman. Joan Cusack is hilarious as a bride who weeps her frustration and anguish. Matt Dillon appears as Kline's former student now an actor who is comfortable within his sexuality. Bob Newhart plays the homophobic school principal who steals comic moments with his inability to face these issues. Very funny and often surprising comedy that might have been even better had the nonsense in the conclusion been restructured. Theme regards acceptance despite conflicting issues within one's lifestyle. Score: 8 / 10

Other than what must have been a desperate measure on the part of Kevin Kline for taking on the title role, there is nothing good about this movie. For my taste and sensibilities this film is truly out in left field somewhere. It's not that the acting is bad...it's the story that I simply do not and cannot fathom...and I happen to be gay! It is said that this piece of brilliance was hatched from a true story concerning the acceptance speech given by Tom Hanks, upon winning his best actor Oscar for "Philadelphia." During the "Let me thank everyone for everything that has happened throughout my life" phase it seems Mr. Hanks accidentally outed one of his teachers and another student in the bargain. So, here we have the premise for "In & Out," presumably a spoof on that "Oooops" moment, but even as a spoof it fails. It's simply not tongue-in-cheek enough, funny enough or ridiculous enough to cover the territory. Using the same backdrop as the original incident, the Academy Awards, and with many, many fine uncredited stars appearing, the writer offers up a very well respected, well liked teacher and coach as the outed victim. He is from the mid-west and is just about to be married to a "Twinkie" eating and overfed, Joan Cusack. It seems that on Oscar night, the entire population of the town is watching the broadcast because a native son is up for the award for Best Actor and they are suddenly catapulted into a world they know very little of because of his acceptance speech. There doesn't seem to be any other closeted or suspected homosexuals in the town...and certainly no one that is out! OK...fair enough, but from here the story takes on an Oz like twist. Our outed teacher does not lose his fiancé, friends, family or the support of his students and while he does get fired from his teaching job, comes back "to support his students" at graduation and sits on the stage with the school officials! Scores of reporters descend upon the town to cover this news "event" and one of the reporters (Tom Selleck) turns out to be gay! There is neither horror or hilarity at this unveiling, however, and our teacher tries to show he is not gay. He is being married in just a few days and the wedding is still on. In all the situations set up to make one laugh, the writer falls short of his intended reaction. In the scene with the priest we should have roared, the scene listing the many tips that might have revealed his sexuality should have made us fall down in laughter, his fiancé's continued befuddled reaction to all of it, the revelation that he has never slept with his intended and his hasty attempt to do so before the nuptials, the bachelor party replete with blow-up doll and good-old-boy innuendo, his parents puzzled reaction and ongoing stiff upper lip demeanor, the eventual wedding service when he finally utters the dreaded words..."I'm gay"...all should have us sitting with tears rolling down our cheeks from laughter but it all went for nothing. In all, it would seem his only real penance is that he ends up not winning the "Teacher of the Year" award! There is but one very funny moment in the film and that is when the lady who uses a walker is dancing to "Macho Man" by The Village People near the end of the film. Paul Rudnick, who wrote the screenplay, is himself a gay man and, as such, I cannot understand his treatment of the subject matter. This should have been a hilarious piece for both the homosexual and heterosexual communities and might have brought them closer together, through laughter, as co-inhabitants and neighbors in a crazy world. The film has not accomplished that either. Mr. Rudnick just didn't capitalize on the funny scenarios he, himself, created because he gave all of them short shrift. I only know that I bought the film, watched the film and am selling my copy as soon as humanly possible to some poor unsuspecting movie goer who cares naught for quality, truth or real comedy!.