Top 10 Gay Characters in Hollywood Movies
by kalyani10
Art is one of the most effective means to counter various dominant cultural and social representations. And cinema has not been far behind in exploring other forms of love. Here are then top ten gay characters in Hollywood movies which have portrayed the range of emotions in gay love to show that relationships which are not straight can be equally meaningful and life-affirming.
- Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia
One of the earliest mainstream films to deal with the problems gays face in a ‘straight’ society, Philadelphia starred two of the top Hollywood heroes of the time, Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. The film was based on the true story of an attorney Geoffrey Bowers who in 1987 sued the law firm Baker & McKenzie for unfair dismissal in what became famous as one of the first cases of AIDS discrimination in America. In the movie, Tom Hanks plays the role of Andrew Beckett who is struggling against AIDS but more so an indifferent legal and social system while Washington plays the role of the gutsy personal injury lawyer Joe Miller who is initially hesitant to take up the case but is impressed by Beckett’s courage and resilience into fighting for his client.
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- Ennis in Brokeback Mountain
Released in 2005, Brokeback Mountain was an Oscar-winning romantic drama about two cowboys in the American West of the 1960s and ‘70s. Based on a short story of the same title by Annie Prolix, the film explored the complex romantic and sexual attraction that the two men Ennis and Jack share and how each deals with the social and sexual conformity in his own way. Of the two, it is Ennis that lingers in the viewer’s mind for his inability to escape the conditions of his world. When Ennis meets Jack, he is saddled with responsibility, engaged to Alma, and at the mercy of a conservative Wyoming culture that has no place for a gay ranch hand. Ennis is fated to live out the rest of his life as a man who tasted happiness once but has never again reached that peak. Though it is Jack Twist who, one may infer, is murdered by those who oppose his sexual orientation, it is Ennis Del Mar—living in his trailer, confined to a sad life —who is the story’s tragic soul.
- Jamie in Beautiful Thing
Based on a play by Jonathan Harvey, Beautiful Thing tells the story of Jamie, a young teenager who must come to terms with the complex worlds of adulthood as well as homosexual feelings for a classmate. Set in a working class area of Southeast London, the film is also an exploration of various issues like drugs, violence, gangs and lack of a stable home that affects the youth of this class. The film – just like the play – ends with both boys coming out with their relationship even as they are aware that the world is a hostile place.
- Maurice Hall in Maurice
Based on a novel by E.M. Forster, the movie explores the complexities of same-sex love in early twentieth century England. Maurice Hall is the protagonist of the film which follows his relationships with other men from school through university into adult life. Along with James Wilby in the title role, the film also stars popular romantic hero Hugh Grant s as Clive Durham who is unable to cope with the social pressures of homosexuality and ends up rejecting Maurice. Yet another character, that of Lord Risley appears to be inspired by Oscar Wilde, one of the most brilliant writers and playwrights of Edwardian England.
- Zach in Shelter
The first directorial offering from Jonah Markowitz, Shelter was a limited-release film launched in 2007 which eventually went on to win several awards in various gay film festivals. The movie is about a young man Zach who has been forced to put his ambitions of becoming an artist on hold because of family commitments. However when he meets a writer Shaun, Zach is not only encouraged to follow his dreams but also find fulfillment in a same-sex love.
- Patrick in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
The actor Ezra Miller who himself came out in 2012 won accolades in portraying the character of the role of openly gay sweetly funny Patrick in the Oscar-nominated The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. The character exhibits a healthy sense of pride, wit, self-awareness in his gay identity as also an impatience for that "it gets better" moment. Though Patrick is not the Wallflower of the film's title, he emerges as the film's true sideways hero, keeping this misfit group of teenagers tied together in deeply supportive friendships.
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- Stevens in Get Real
Steven is a gay teenager in a middle-class English suburb. Along with struggling to come out to his parents, Steven is also wrestling with his attraction to school jock John who seems completely out of his league in more ways than one. A chance encounter in a school toilet however leaves both with an awareness of mutual attraction and what follows an exciting coming of age story as well as an acceptance of other kinds of love.
- Rudy in Any Day Now
Alan Cumming plays this part time drag queen and aspiring singer with just the right combination of open heart and tenacious optimism. Rudy is highly impulsive as is evident by a sudden committed relationship and adoption proceedings for a disabled child – all in the space of the same week. He is also the type of character that might completely aggravate people in real life with his bull-headedness but he is also scaled to win hearts for the big screen with his righteous fury.
- Henry Hart in Big Eden
Henry Hart is a successful gay artist from New York City who returns to his Montana hometown to care for an ailing grandfather. Back there, he must not only confront unresolved feelings for a former schoolmate but also face up to a growing attraction between him and the shy Native American owner of the town’s general store. Written and directed by Thomas Bezucha, this 2000 film won several awards on the gay and lesbian film festival circuit, including a nomination for the Best limited release film at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2002.
- Harvey Milk in Milk
The 2008 movie Milk is based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The film begins on Harvey Milk's 40th birthday and chronicles his foray into city politics, and the various battles he waged in the Castro neighborhood as well as his efforts to protect the rights of gay people against campaigns run by Anita Bryant and John Briggs. Milk’s romantic and political relationships are also addressed, as is his tenuous affiliation with troubled Supervisor Dan White. The film ends with White's double homicide of Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Famous actor Sean Penn essayed the complex character of Harvey Milk, for which he received Best Actor nomination in the 2008 a Golden Globe Awards.
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