Kelvis Korner Blog

HomoTracker sent me an email inviting me to a pre-showing of Gus Van Sant's MILK, this past tuesday at the Grove in LA. The cost of the movie would be donated to help Lambda Legal with the California Supreme Court fight over Proposition 8. I was really anticipating the movie, so I invited Rafael with me and we went. We had dinner at the Farmer's Market since it's connected to the Grove. We went to my favorite place, which I suspect is Rafael's favorite place now: Pampas Brazilian Grill. After an awesome meal and some espresso, we headed for the movie...

The movie was so beautiful. It took my breath away. The cast was amazing. Sean Penn was unbelievable in this movie. Although there is a special place in my heart for the love interest played by James Franco. He was too adorable for words. One of the things that I admired about this movie is that the movie sent home the message that gay culture should be visible and that we should come out to all our friends and family so that they understand that gay people are all around them and part of the family. In the movie when they are trying to oppose Prop 6, their counsel advises them to not focus on the gay aspect and focus more on the equality for all. Harvey dismisses this and focuses instead on making gay people visible and human. I thought it was especially beautiful how this metaphor carries out into the character of Harvey Milk. The script could of showed him as a perfect hero type, but instead it shows him as a hero who is a human being, capable of flirting, being stubborn, and not always acting in a way that society is comfortable with.

So much of this movie affected me. Especially in California where what happened to us with Proposition 8 parallels greatly the struggle to overcome Proposition 6. It gives me hope that we can once again begin a grassroots campaign and bring California to the once liberal, open-minded, state that it once was. The California that I dreamed of moving to since I was a kid. That California is alive today, it just needs a little reminding. I think this movie came at the right time. On a last note it was very interesting to me to see the movie show Anita Bryant. She was one of the strongest proponents against the gay cause in Florida and it was interesting to see how her meddling in civil rights issues in Florida, caused a tidal wave in California which ultimately led to more protection for gays and lesbians across America. It's very similiar to the way that the Mormon church was so heavily involved with Prop 8 in California, and because of it's passing, the gay and lesbian masses have been so charged up that now equality is something that WILL happen in the near future for us.

Check out the MILK website for a screening near you!


[0 comment(s) // Click To Add]           [Return to the Blog]