[.ca] A Very Natural Thing (ISBN 6305415315)

A pioneering effort with integrity:
The criminal presidential administration of Richard Nixon had pushed the country as close to civil implosion as it had been since the Civil War, and the Stonewall raid was only five years ago in 1974 when "A Very Natural Thing" was released. Largely because of the far larger civil crisis ignited by Watergate and a virtually non-existent gay rights movement, it is little surprise that "A Very Natural Thing" didn't gain the attention it deserved. While it wasn't the first gay-themed film, it was the first to depict gays as real people with real feelings and dreams and didn't degrade homosexuals as a couple of contemporary films like "The Boys From Brazil" and "The Boys in the Band." Here, David (Robert Joel), a priest, is forced to abandon his service to God because of his homosexuality. Enter Mark (Curt Gareth), and he and David develop a relationship. But it's imperiled by their differences about just what a relationship should be about. As David and Mark continue to disagree and, as a result, begin to drift apart emotionally, David meets Jason (Bo White), but the former's fear of emotional distance threatens a hoped-for relationship with Jason. We won't give the solution away other than it is honest and speaks to contemporary relationships. The film does feature some explicit sex scenes with frontal nudity, but the scenes are not gratuitous and come off as being integral to the plot. Considering gay films were not in vogue in 1974, "A Very Natural Thing" is scantily produced with less-than-perfect picture quality and sound. That aside, the film truly is classic and still relevant in its honest and respectful treatment of gays are real people with real feelings and real dreams.

That Was Then ...:
Sadly, this groundbreaking film has not aged well, and is now more a historical artifact than a compelling drama. The plot is fairly simple: Boy meets Boi; Boy and Boi try to copy hetero marriage; Boy dumps Boi over infidelity; Boy gets liberated; Boy meets Boi2; Boy and Boi2 find happiness by rejecting hetero values. Quite daring for its time (and tremendously affirming for Gay men trying to adjust to life post-Stonewall), the film now seems archaic when viewed through a modern Gay sensibility defined by current issues such as civil unions, domestic partnerships, adoption rights, hate crimes and safer sex. The film's production values are also outdated. The DVD is grainy, with poor color balance and often muffled sound ... which is not the fault of the DVD producers, but rather reflects the financial constraints often faced by pioneering Gay filmmakers of the period. Compare this movie with more recent Gay-themed releases like "Trick", "Jeffrey" or even TV shows like "Will & Grace" ... we've come a long way on both sides of the camera (as filmmakers and as a commercially viable audience), and that's a very good thing! Deserving of respect as a Gay cinematic milestone, but pretty rough-going for anyone seeking pure entertainment.

It was the 70's and we all had big hair...:
Despite many technical shortcomings (fuzzy sound, poor lighting, sloppy editing, weak script --so what's left, right?) this is a pioneering piece of gay Americana. Plot may seem irritatingly superficial by today's standards (what with QAF) but we must remember there were no other films of this type --none-- when this was shot. Same gender relationships were quite unspoken subjects in the 1970's and the fact the film deals with them --at all-- is its strongest asset. See it for the slice of history that it is. And be grateful, very grateful, someone back then had the guts to do it.

A Groundbreaking & Controversial Film Ahead of Its Time:
1974 was an interesting year: President Richard M. Nixon imposed national 55 mph speed limits, he later resigned his presidency over the Watergate scandal, Turkey invaded Cyprus, Scelbi Computer Consulting was the first company ever to advertise a personal computer (the Scelbi), and Christopher Larkin produced, directed and wrote his only film, a groundbreaking & controversial film entitled "A Very Natural Thing". This film is regarded by many to be first widely distributed mainstream film to depict gay men honestly. Taking place primarily in NYC, "A Very Natural Thing" focuses on the life of David (Robert Joel), a gay man who is forced to leave the priesthood over his sexuality. One night at a bar with his friend Alan (Jay Pierce), he meets Mark (Curt Gareth). A romance develops between David and Mark, but problems develop because of their different views of what a committed relationship should be. David later meets Jason (Bo White, also known for his portrayal of Adam in the 1974 film "Bible!") during a gay pride march, but the emotional problems that David had with Mark could hamper a relationship between them. At only 80 minutes, "A Very Natural Thing" may seem short, but the story portrayed is just as meaningful now as it was in 1974. Were it not for the mid-1970's fashions and hairstyles (which some may find dated), you might think you were watching a contemporary film. Picture quality is not great since the film was shot on a low budget, but I have seen several contemporary independent films with much worse quality. Aside from that, there are many memorable scenes in in the film including seeing David & Mark rolling down a hill together in Central Park and seeing David & Jason rollicking in the ocean on the shore of Cape Cod. The most controversial scenes in the film for 1974 are the love scenes between naked men. Certainly, the film is not flawless, but for 1974 this was a groundbreaking film that clearly demonstrated what a film about gay characters could be. For that reason, and for being an engaging film, I give this film a rating of 5 stars. If you decide not to purchase a copy of the film, I highly recommend renting it to see it at least once.

1973! The "original" Gay Pride film still relevant today!:
This is a film with extraordinary vision as it was way ahead of its time. 1973... the gay rights movement that started at Stonewall was only 4 years old. Gays, in general, were still mostly "closeted" with their own underground society. Psychologists had just a few years earlier declared homosexuality not to be a personality disorder. Homosexuality as a topic for discussion was a new frontier for most Americans.... So here comes a film depicting gay men in an in-depth way involving their feelings, their relationships, their social interactions- full frontal nudity- and prophetically, the main character, David, as a priest who leaves the church after coming to terms with his sexuality. All "taboo" subjects in mainstream America involved at the time with Richard Nixon and the Watergate hearings. It is amazing that this film was made in 1973 and that the producers were able to get actors with the courage to participate in the making of such a film. The storyline, in a nutshell, shows David wanting to commit to Mark. Mark does, hesitantly, due to his commitment-phobia and having a different value system, which finally drives a wedge between them and ends the relationship. David goes through the emotional ringer and then meets Jason. Jason wants to commit after a time, but David has become jaded about relationships- and commitment-phobic- and doesn't want anything more from Jason than a relationship where they just "want to be together. In a sense, David evolves into a "Mark," and Jason comes along as the new "David" about to get the same treatment that David originally did. I liken A Very Natural Thing" to be a primitive "All Over The Guy." The story shows a vicious cycle about relationships that both gay and straight people can relate to and presents some universal truths about how gays feel about themselves being a minority group and their self-destructive tendencies due to limitations society puts on them. These are circumstance that are still very relevant today. The ending of the film is very open-ended and doesn't resolve any of the issues the movie brings up as there are no answers for the questions this film raises. That is actually what gives the film relevancy today given the current debate on same-sex marriage (especially with the flick's marriage scene), which has the potential of breaking the "glass ceiling" on the limitations of how gay relationships can evolve and how gays can feel about themselves. Ok! The hair styles and clothes are dated, but it's not too hard to get past. Just concentrate on the characters and the storyline/dialogue in relation to the plots you see in most current films and today's current events and this film will feel as relevant and "run-of-the-mill" as any film made in 2003, but very "visionary" and "ground-breaking" for 1973!