4th MAN OUT

US, 2015, 89 minutes, Colour.
Parker Young, Evan Todd, Chord Overstreet, Jon Gabrus, Kate Flannery.
Directed by Andy Nackman.

This is a story about four men, now in their 20s, who have grown up together, blue-collar workers in a small town, the central character being a mechanic. The film was released in 2015 and won many awards at gay and lesbian film festivals but also won the more traditional Heartland film Festival award.

With the proliferation of films about coming out, acknowledging sexual orientation, it is now a bit surprising to find that these men have not faced the situation during their teen years.

The central character is Adam, a mechanic, who decides to come out to his friends who have no idea about his orientation. He has lived the same kind of life as they have, working, drinking, sex talk, exploitative of women, but preserving his privacy. His played by Evan Todd. However, the more dynamic actor amongst the group is Parker Young who plays his heterosexual friend, supportive, strong-minded, finding ways to help his friend. The other two are rather homophobic, trying to find ways to deal with this revelation (and sometimes failing), rather crude and callous in their behaviour (although the film does end with one of them, largish in build, awkward, putting his foot in it, finally proposing and preparing to get married).

Because the film is dealing with adults, there are issues of dating, online dating, a collage of dates with a range of characters but, a recurring character, a long-time married man who is attracted to Adam.

Because the film is set in a small town, many audiences may be able to relate to the characters more than if they came from a sophisticated city background. It dramatises various problems for the man who reveals his orientation and how friends and others can deal with it. The film also provides something of a happy, romantic ending when Adam encounters a customer this car has broken down and he later returns for the servicing of his car.

Bloggers have warmly welcomed the film – an encouragement for those who have experienced this kind of conflict or who are experiencing it.