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Big Eden

2001, Movie, PG-13, 118 mins

Big Eden: Review

BIG EDEN
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With a communal heart nearly as expansive as their mountains, the townsfolk in fictional Big Eden, Mont., dust off the welcome mat for returning favorite son, and the film's gay everyman, Henry Hart (Arye Gross), a successful, yet emotionally guarded, thirtysomething New York artist. On the eve of a solo exhibit at a gallery run by his chum Mary Margaret (Veanne Cox), Henry learns that his beloved grandfather and only living relative Sam (George Coe) has suffered a stroke. Henry drops everything and hops on the next plane home. On his return to Big Eden, Henry must not only take care of Sam, but also tend to some important unfinished personal business with his best childhood friend, Dean Stewart (Tim DeKay); Henry's deepening — and unrequited — feelings for Dean were what made him hightail it out of Big Eden almost 20 years ago. And now Dean, newly divorced, has moved back to town to raise his two sons. Do the reunited friends resume their platonic relationship? Have the intervening years and a failed marriage triggered a sexual identity check in Dean? And now given a mutual second chance, will they finally hook up? If soft-spoken general store owner and, from the looks of things, Big Eden's only Native American resident, Pike Dexter (Eric Schweig), can muster enough gumption, it's not going to happen. Henry's reappearance sparks emotions in Pike he never knew existed, or perhaps merely suppressed. Until now: Pike falls hard for Henry. Soon, everybody in Big Eden — including Sam, neighbor Grace Cornwell (Louise Fletcher), the Widow Thayer (Nan Martin) and even the guys hanging out at the general store — is a closet Dolly Levi. Happily, their matchmaking pays off with unexpected but satisfying results. This warm and fuzzy film is already a festival favorite in gay and lesbian circles, and writer-director Thomas Bezucha and his wonderful ensemble cast (Schweig in particular) deliver the goods by setting an allegorical modern fable in an unlikely, picture-perfect locale. In Big Eden, love, no matter what your preference, is unconditional, and forgiveness, acceptance and tolerance are innate. Sadly, in the imperfect real world, one rarely encounters all of these virtues in a single lifetime; one has to dream of such a paradise nestled in the Montana timberlands. leave a comment --Stephen Miller
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