Another coming out gay movie premiered
at the Toronto International Film Festival, but don't yawn, because
this story is told from a unique perspective.
Writer-Director Mike Mills' Beginners
features 80-year-old Christopher Plummer in his first gay role.
Oliver (played by Ewan McGregor) tells
the story of his father, Hal, trying to catch up on lost time after
coming out gay at the age of 75. Hal begins to openly embrace his
sexuality by socializing with other gay men and dating a man about
the same age as his son (Goran Visnjic).
Did we mention that Hal is terminally
ill and that he and Oliver are trying to reconnect?
The story is made more compelling by
the fact that it is partially based on Mills' own true-life
experience with his father.
Beginners tackles many difficult
subjects, including traveling the last mile of life, mending a
father-son relationship, and coming out gay in the twilight of life.
After its Toronto premiere, the film
lit a bidding war for distribution rights. Focus Features, the
company that brought us Milk and The Kids Are All Right,
acquired worldwide rights, excluding Canada, France, Australia,
Scandinavia and the Benelux nations.