Beginners

Continuing my search for movies which deal with or focus on the aging of the gay community, I was recommended to watch the movie Begginers.

Begginers is a 2010 American drama. Written and directed by Mike Mills.

The movie is told from the perspective of an adult man (Ewan McGregor), reflecting (via flashbacks) on his relationship with his aging father (Christopher Plummer) during the five last years following the death of his mother (Mary Page Keller).

The uniqueness and relevance of the story is that shortly after the death of the mother - the father - for the first time in his life - comes out openly to his son, regarding his homosexuality. Moreover, the father begins to explore the life as an aging gay man, and finds out a new love with a much younger man (Goran Visnjic). The story receives yet another turn, as the father himself has to deal with cancer, and both his young male lover and his son have to care for him in his last stages of life, and up to his eventual death.

Once again, as there are not many popular movies focusing on older gays, I found this movie to be an excellent gerontological movie. To begin with, it shows yet again, the emancipatory nature and power of aging: the freedom embedded with being old and finally allowing one self to openly manifest one's sexual orientation and preference (in a society which now can accept such an act). Moreover, the film very gently describes the inter-generational challenges the are connected to these new "freedoms" that come with old age, and how adult children view and deal with their ageing parents, in the context of openly being gay in old age. Finally, the film naturally touches on many other key important issues relating to old age, e.g. death, end of life, family care, and decision-making in late-life stages.

All in all then - while not a groundbreaking movie - I enjoyed this movie not only from the gay perspective, but more broadly from a gerontological-movie perspective. So yes, yet another good movie which can serve well as a platform to engage in an intellectual discussion about the meaning of being an aging gay man.

2010

USA

Director: Mike Mills

Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA4OE09Bt60