In
Big Eden, a thirtysomething Montana artist
named Henry Hart (played by Ayre Gross) who moved to New York
a decade or more ago to achieve his career goals and enjoy
gay life, is suddenly informed that his grandpa has had a
stroke. As his grandpa is his only living blood relative,
he decides to fly back home, skipping an opening of his art
exhibition. When he arrives, his grandpa Sam (played by George
Coe) is recovering, is soon discharged from the hospital,
but needs help in activities of daily living at home. Henry
takes on the assignment, but he does not know how to cook.
The widow Thayer (played by Nan Martin) offers to handle the
cooking, but her meals are so bad that Pike Dexter (played
by Eric Schweig) secretly substitutes his own. Pike, an Onondagan
who runs the general store where the men of the community
schmooze, just says that he is delivering her food, since
she cannot drive. Indeed, Pike buys gourmet cookbooks and
culinary aids to make spectacular meals to impress Henry,
a high school classmate whom he lusts after. Everyone in Big
Eden, a mythical town set near spectacular Glacier National
Park, soon surmises that unmarried Henry is gay, and that
ultra-shy Pike is cooking to try to get to Henry’s heart through
his stomach. But Henry is so consumed by caring for his grandpa
that he is unaware of Pike’s attentions and intentions. The
way in which the townspeople try to mate Henry with Pike is
truly comedic, though the humor is much lighter than in the
recent film Sordid Lives. Before leaving Montana for New York,
however, Henry had a crush on high school jock Dean Stewart
(played by Tim DeKay), who later married. But now Dean is
divorced and is a father to two young boys. Although Henry
is still interested in Dean, and Dean wants to attract Henry’s
attention, Dean does not know how to send the right signal.
One way is to strip down to his shorts in order to show off
his muscular body before diving into the lake near Sam’s house.
Another way is to kiss Henry suddenly on the lips, but Dean
frankly admits after the kiss that he cannot go any farther;
after all, he has controlled his impulses for many years.
When Dean later says that he is finally ready to take the
plunge, Henry confesses that he has lost interest. Meanwhile,
Pike, saddened whenever Dean tries to make a move on Henry,
still will not come out of the closet even after it is clear
that Dean and Henry are not mating. Eventually, Henry announces
a decision to return to New York. However, grandpa dies, leaving
Henry full of remorse that he never told him that he is gay.
After the funeral, Dean drives him to the airport. In the
process of returning dishes to Mrs. Thayer, however, Henry
earlier has discovered that they are Pike’s, so goes to Pike’s
store instead of boarding the flight. But Pike in the meantime
races to the airport to say farewell, arriving just as the
plane is taking off. When Pike returns to the store, full
of schmoozers as usual, Henry is there. The film ends as Henry
and Pike kiss. Big Eden, directed and written
by Thomas Bezucha, shows that Victorian norms of keeping a
stiff upper lip and not saying what you really feel make such
acceptance, especially self-acceptance, awkward as well as
difficult. The film suggests that gays and straights in unexpected
places can interact comfortably together, with straights even
more eager than gays to provide acceptance and support. If
the plot reflects a larger reality, coming out of the closet
will make life easier for all. All that is needed is for gays
to engage in reality testing. MH
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