Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Latest in Theaters: When Chuck Met Larry

The other "gay but not really gay" movie that opens this week is I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

Despite a clever title and the GLADD seal of approval, this so-called comedy about two New York City firemen who pose as a gay couple to receive "special benefits" (only available in movieland) has a lot going against it.

First off, it stars Adam Sandler.

And if that isn't enough, the trailers promoting it are laced with cringe-inducing gags that makes one long for the subtler days of, say, Andrew Dice Clay.

The worst thing? Per The Advocate's Kyle Buchanan, it isn't even funny. Over at AfterElton.com, Alonso Duralde likens Chuck and Larry to such deservedly long-forgotten films as Norman, Is That You? and The Gay Deceivers (and if you haven't seen these two, trust me, that is not a good thing).

But hey, real gay firemen liked it.

Also, check out Duralde's insightful piece on how Chuck and Larry fits into a pattern of how Hollywood handles equal rights stories with kid gloves and a pat on the head, as well as MSNBC's Dave White's bitingly witty jaunt through the history of gay film stereotypes.

UPDATE: Aaron Hillis at Premiere.com kicked this movie's ass.

Links via Imdb.com, AfterElton.com, Advocate.com, MSNBC.MSN.com and Premiere.com.

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