Plot: What’s it about?
On March 21, 1994 Tom Hanks accepted the Academy Award for his role in Philadelphia. He would go onto win again the next year for Forrest Gump. In his acceptance speech for the former, he cited his high school drama teacher as part of his inspiration for wanting to become an actor. He also mentioned that the man was gay. There were those who wondered how the teacher felt by being “outed” in front of over a billion people. And this, in case you haven’t guessed, was the basis for the film In & Out. This is one of those instances in which art is imitating life imitating art. What a strange web we weave.
Kevin Kline plays Howard Brackett, an English teacher in Indiana. It’s the kind of place where you don’t have to lock your doors at night, everyone knows another (including their secrets). And it just so happens that one of Howard’s former students, Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon) is an Oscar nominee. The film has him portraying a character about a gay soldier fighting the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Drake wins the Oscar and dedicates it to Howard, citing how much of an impact he made in his life. He then outs him as being homosexual. This, of course, sends shockwaves through the small Indiana town as Brackett becomes an overnight sensation. Adding fuel to the fire is that Howard is engaged to a fellow teacher, Emily (Joan Cusack) yet she’s got concerns as they’ve never been intimate. Add to that Howard’s fondness for Barbara Streisand films and, well…there you have it. The film finds Howard coming to terms with this recent announcement all the while being stalked by a reporter (Tom Selleck) who’s trying to milk a week’s worth of headlines from the public outing. What’s a guy to do?
The film is pretty on point with a lot of things and it was a precursor to some of the things that we don’t think twice about today. There are also a lot of late 90’s stereotypes that would simply not in today’s culture, but given the film’s age – we can give them a free pass. In & Out manages to convey the message without being patently offensive. There’s a solid cast of characters led by Kevin Kline who has the comedic timing to really make his character work (I could easily see Steve Martin in the same role). Rounding out the stellar cast is Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon and two legends in Debbie Reynolds and Bob Newhart. The film takes the attitude that sometimes humor is the most effective way to point out some of the absurdities of our misconceptions. Did it stand as a landmark film in the gay rights movement? No, not really, but any movie that makes fun of Steven Seagal is OK in my book.
Video: How’s it look?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen this movie, in fact the last time I saw it might have been when it was in theaters. That said, I don’t have a lot of basis of comparison as to how good this looks, but I will say this: it looks good. Kino has done some top notch work with some of their 4K catalog releases and with this one, it really shows. The 1.85:1 HEVC 4K image seems to have smooth sheen to it that gives it a little extra…bling. Of course, colors are nice with a warm, rich color palette and detail is, as expected, tack sharp. I caught a few elements in a few scenes that weren’t totally perfect, but by and large this is the definitive version, visually speaking, of the film.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Admittedly, light-hearted comedies from the late 90’s aren’t really going to be demo material for your home theater. This one is by the book with some nice scenes (the ending sequence of the Village People’s “Macho Man” sounds particularly satisfying). Surrounds are used sparingly, vocals are sharp and crisp – it’s a good-sounding mix that’s certain to please.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Disc One (4K)
- Audio Commentary – Screenwriter Paul Rudnick, Moderated Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin collaborate on a new commentary track. It’d have been nice to have Frank Oz or Kevin Kline on there, but hey – a new commentary track for a movie that’s now over a quarter of a century old is always welcome.
Disc Two (Blu-ray)
- Audio Commentary – Screenwriter Paul Rudnick, Moderated Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin collaborate on a new commentary track. It’d have been nice to have Frank Oz or Kevin Kline on there, but hey – a new commentary track for a movie that’s now over a quarter of a century old is always welcome.
- Ins & Outs: Interview with Director Frank Oz – We do get our wish with a new interview with Director Frank Oz who tells us of the legacy of the film, tackling the subject matter and so on.
- Dancing with Performers: Interview with Composer Marc Shaiman – Shaiman gives us his insight on the score of the film in another new segment.
- Vintage Interview Clips – Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck, Debbie Reynolds, Franz Oz and Paul Rudnick are all interviewed and have some input on the film’s message in general as well as their respective parts.
- BTS Footage – Just that, some behind the scenes footage that looks so dated it’s almost laughable.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
A lot has changed in the world since the release of this film. We’re harkened back to an era where being homosexual wasn’t really “OK.” We see some of the stereotypes and prejudices which makes it apparent as to how far we’ve come. But we’ve still got a long way to go. Kino’s new 4K disc has the movie looking its best and with the addition of a few new supplements, fans will want to add this to their collection.
