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Are Coming Out Stories in Films Passe'? [View all]
Went to the first session of screenwriting class for short films and the instructor, (female presenting, 50s), started by showing us one of her favorite short films, Miller & Son (2019). It went like this:
Ryan, a slim, well groomed person, about 24, is working at their father's auto garage. Ryan can fix the cars better than Trey, an employee who is 30s and presenting as straight. Cut to: loud EDM and Ryan is in make up and earrings, dancing freely. Ryan steps outside with a female-presenting friend to smoke. A group of passerby males aggressively says "I hope you know that's a dude." Ryan looks over and makes eye contact with Trey who is part of that group. Ryan panics and runs off to their car where they wipe the make up off.
Next day, Ryan and Trey are at work. It's tense but little is said.Trey talks to Ryan's dad, Ryan seems to wonder what they are talking about. Separately Trey tells Ryan "you were dressed like a slut". (??) Trey goes home for the day. Ryan reaches over dad's shoulder to help him click on something on his computer screen and dad pulls away from the contact. A tear goes down Ryan's cheek. After a bit Ryan says 'I love you' then with the tone of asking 'See you tomorrow (?)' and dad says 'See you tomorrow.'
Next day, Ryan and Trey are at work. It's tense but little is said.Trey talks to Ryan's dad, Ryan seems to wonder what they are talking about. Separately Trey tells Ryan "you were dressed like a slut". (??) Trey goes home for the day. Ryan reaches over dad's shoulder to help him click on something on his computer screen and dad pulls away from the contact. A tear goes down Ryan's cheek. After a bit Ryan says 'I love you' then with the tone of asking 'See you tomorrow (?)' and dad says 'See you tomorrow.'
The lights goes up and the instructor tells us why she thinks is a great film and how tough coming out is. But the group, completely mixed but mostly 40 to 65YO, starts debating whether the father already knew. It was my impression that he did and that makes the story not about coming out per se but rather about the family dynamics of a trans child and how the two of them would deal with Trey.
I bring up Trey's comment -- "You were dressed like sl_t!" and point out that it is what a snarky closeted gay man, not a naive homophobe, would say and that would have been a more interesting movie. And I mention 'Power of A Dog' because that it would be close to that plot.
But the instructor cuts all that off and brings us back to "No, it is just the tender story of a vulnerable young gay man being rudely outed by a toxic male co-worker."
But the group is relentless. Someone points out the family power dynamic made it more likely that Trey as employee would be fired than Ryan. Another woman offered that Trey presented as gay or trans in the very opening of the film so like me she had a very different expectation for where the story was going. Eg. exploring some ambiguities and being very current in its sensibilities. Finally another person pointed out that it was unclear to them whether Ryan was gay or trans.
Ultimately, coming out (whether as gay or trans) seemed to most of us like it was not novel or dynamic enough in 2025 to be the entire plot of a 20 minute film but the instructor thought that was all there was to it and she loved it.
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