In & Out (1997)

Director:

Frank Oz

Writer (WGA):

Paul Rudnick (written by)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

An out-and-out comedy.

Plot:

A midwestern teacher questions his sexuality after a former student makes a comment about him at the Academy Awards.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | High School | Gay | Small Town | Media

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Kevin Kline	...	Howard Brackett
Joan Cusack	...	Emily Montgomery
Tom Selleck	...	Peter Malloy
Matt Dillon	...	Cameron Drake
Debbie Reynolds	...	Berniece Brackett
Wilford Brimley	...	Frank Brackett
Bob Newhart	...	Tom Halliwell
Gregory Jbara	...	Walter Brackett
Shalom Harlow	...	Sonya
Shawn Hatosy	...	Jack
Zak Orth	...	Mike
Lauren Ambrose	...	Vicky
Alexandra Holden	...	Meredith
Lewis J. Stadlen	...	Ed Kenrow
Deborah Rush	...	Ava Blazer

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34955) | Peru:14 | Canada:14+ | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Clinton, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The Oscar statuette used in the film is Kevin Kline's. He won it in 1988 for Best Supporting Actor in A Fish Called Wanda (1988).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Peter Malloy walks in on Howard Brackett at the cafe, Howard flips his spoon off the end of the table. In the next shot Howard is holding a fork, then in the next shot he does not have any implement in his hand.

Quotes:

Howard: [at confession, about "a friend"] He's just never had a physical relationship with her.
Father Tim: Never? In three years?
Howard: He respects her.
Father Tim: He's gay!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Will & Grace: Star-Spangled Banter (#4.8)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Hail To Thee O Greenleaf High

Queer fun for all the family (of sorts).

While In And Out is a good film, the one thing I did notice about it was that it seemed to lack the edge and bite of most gay-themed films. Here was a queer film that you could let the kids watch, and that immediately made me worry that I'd be watching cheesy, moralistic trash. But despite all that, it's still a very enjoyable film, one with many hilarious moments and some great performances. Kevin Kline is perfect, capturing the exasperation of Howard at his situation with great skill. The little details of his performance are wonderful, and above all, he is convincing. Matt Dillon is delightfully vacant as Cameron Drake, Tom Selleck a nice surprise as anchorman Peter Malloy and Debbie Reynolds a scream as Howard's mother Bernice (the line "it's like heroin" is classic!). But, as always, Joan Cusack steals the show as Emily, Howard's unfortunate bride-to-be. I suppose you could classify this as her finest hour, showcasing her familiar brand of outrageous humour to great effect. She should have won that Oscar. In And Out is a very funny film, although it can come across as a little twee and trite. It's still good for a laugh though, so give it a chance.