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With: Mike Rogers, James McGreevey, Jim Kolbe, Michelangelo Signorile, Larry Kramer, Elizabeth Birch, Barney Frank
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Written by: Kirby Dick
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Directed by: Kirby Dick
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MPAA Rating: Not Rated
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Running Time: 90
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Date: 04/24/2009
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Queer Pressure
By Jeffrey M. Anderson Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick has become a force to be reckoned with. He has yet to capture the world's attention on a Michael Moore level, but he's a far more serious journalist, less interested in pushing buttons than he is in gathering information. In previous films, he has taken on the ultra-secretive and hypocritical MPAA ratings board (This Film Is Not Yet Rated) and the Catholic Church (Twist of Faith), and now he jumps dead into the center of a currently raging battle. While politicians goad their constituents into fearing and loathing homosexuals and gay marriage, Dick shoots right back and asks how many of these self-same politicians are gay themselves. Several interviewees exclaim that Washington D.C. is "one gay town," but most gay politicians are forced to live in the closet, seek anonymous sex, lie to their spouses and families and even stoop to making threats. But more importantly, as if to assert their heterosexual manhood, these gay politicians routinely vote against any and all measures concerning gay rights. Dick's new film, titled Outrage, targets several such candidates, interviews their sex partners and gets behind-the-scenes stories, as well as the public denials. Blogger Mike Rogers and outed Republican senator Larry Craig figure strongly into the film, and it leaves off with the horrifying prospect that potentially closeted Florida governor Charlie Crist will be a candidate for the 2012 presidency. It leaves off with an ever-timely quote from the real Harvey Milk, explaining that if all these gay politicians came out all at once, all the anti-gay legislation would instantly go away. It's an emotional flourish for a fairly level-headed film, but it's easy to forgive. Outrage is a hugely entertaining, effective doc, and even if no one sees it, it should provide fuel for the fire for years to come.
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