In & Out (1997) * * *

Directed by:  Frank Oz

Starring:  Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck, Matt Dillon, Bob Newhart, Wilford Brimley, Debbie Reynolds, Glenn Close

Director Frank Oz and writer Paul Rudnick deliciously satirize Hollywood, media, gay stereotypes, and attitudes toward homosexuality in the light comedy In & Out.    This is the type of movie in which eyebrows are raised when a straight man can recite Barbra Streisand's entire record catalog; and a fight breaks out because someone says, "Yentl sucks".  Them's fighting words in this movie, which makes it that much funnier.

The idea behind In & Out occurred when Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Oscar for Philadelphia and thanked his gay high school drama teacher.    In & Out takes this and runs with it.    In this movie, actor Cameron Drake (Dillon) wins an Oscar and thanks his favorite high school teacher, Howard Brackett (Kline), and drops a bombshell:  "He's gay,"   Howard is horrified, and his family, friends, and students are stunned.   Despite Howard's protests that he isn't gay, he is now under suspicion.   Howard is due to be married within the week to his girlfriend of three years, Emily (Cusack), with whom he has never had sex.    Emily attributed this to Howard's gentlemanly ways, but now...

Within 24 hours of Cameron's announcement, all sorts of media descends upon Howard's small hometown of Greenleaf, Indiana looking for the scoop:   Is Howard gay or not?    Cynical, desperate-for-ratings tabloid TV show host Peter Malloy (Selleck), who is gay himself, has his own suspicions and hopes to out Howard to get the best story for his show.    Selleck gives one of his best film performances here.    Howard tells him: "You are so Hollywood," and Selleck almost blushes while thanking him.    It wasn't meant as a compliment, but no matter.   Peter will take it. 

Kline is a wonderful actor, both in drama and comedy, and we never feel anything less than sympathy for the poor, quiet schmuck who is forced to confront truths about himself he never suspected before.    In a refreshing twist, Howard's loved ones and students basically support him, but are confused about their own attitudes towards something they've never had to deal with previously.    Dillon takes a character who at first appears to be a vapid Hollywood product and instills him with a heart.    When he realizes the pressure he put Howard under, he treks to Greenleaf with his way too skinny model girlfriend to set things right.    "Eat something, I'm begging you," Cameron tells his girlfriend, who is stumped because she has no idea how to use a rotary phone.

This may be the only Oscar ceremony to take place in June (since the high school graduation is one week after Cameron's announcement), but Rudnick has some fun with the ceremony itself.
Cameron's competition is:  Paul Newman in Coot, Robert Redford in Codger, Michael Douglas in Primary Urges, and Steven Seagal in Snowball in Hell.  

Oz has proven over the years to be an adept director of satire.   Bowfinger and The Stepford Wives are howlers, and here he takes potentially offensive material and makes it palatable and funny.    By allowing the characters to examine their own feelings about Howard, we can ponder what would happen if we were in the same situation.    In & Out just makes it funnier.