Green, The

By: Robert O'Neill
In-House Review - Jan 19 2012

A riveting, exceptional gay drama, this honest, hard-hitting film about a well-meaning teacher in trouble has earned accolades from film festivals around the country.

Early in The Green, a confident gay high school student makes the observation that "people always look for the easiest scapegoat when their sense of entitlement is threatened." This statement sets the premise of the film in motion.

Jason Butler Harner (in a sympathetic role that juxtaposes his chilling portrayal of a child murderer in Clint Eastwood's Changeling) plays Michael, an openly gay, happily-partnered teacher who has taken a special interest in a troubled, artistically-inclined student named Jason (newcomer Chris Bert).

It is alluded to that Jason's family life is not very stable - his mother and step-father (played by gay-indie vets Karen Young and Bill Sage) don't seem like the most nurturing or attentive parents. Despite warnings from his best friend and co-worker (Illeana Douglas, charming as always) about getting too involved in the lives of students, Michael presses on. He sees potential in Jason and genuinelly cares about his current and future well-being. However, after a heated, public argument ensues during a school art show, Jason's parents begin to suspect that Michael's interest in Jason may have some lurid undertones.

It doesn't take long before Michael becomes the town pariah - accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with his favorite student. Adding insult to injury, Michael's relationship with Daniel (Cheyenne Jackson), his loving partner of 15 years, is also thrown into jeopardy when authorities start investigating the two men as a pair of potential sexual predators. Their only serious ally comes in the form of Karen (Julia Ormond), a tough-as-nails attorney who believes in Michael's innocence and also happens to be gay. Karen is ready for a dirty fight - planning to expose Jason's parents as ethically-bankrupt opportunists - but, Michael's almost Christ-like compassion for his fellow man, and refusal to cause harm to an already struggling family, might prevent him from clearing his name.

A satisfying, well-acted drama with an interesting, largely taboo theme, The Green is one that you will not want to miss.

By: Beau

To simply say this film is good would be an understatement. It exceeds the viewers expectation of how good it will be.

Out of all the gay films that have come out of 2011-2012 this has to be one of the best, with the amazing story line that had a great twist that i did not see coming and the wonderful portrayal of the all the core characters from the cast, its something that you need to see and will want to see again.

Something i also couldnt leave without saying is that as soon as i recognised the lead character had also played the / villain in the changeling i was worried that the movie would be spoiled by the fact that i hated that character so much that i also hated him because of the amazing portrayal of that character, well ill be damned he did such a good job in this role that i was on his side the whole way through, so much so i suppose i will just have to be conflicted, do i hate him because of the changeling or love him because of the green!

By: Blackienz

This story has been told time and again - gay couple moves to small country town - one gets a bit persecuted - town turns against them - lesbian lawyer saves the day - real culprit identified - town turns towards them again - everyone happy
Its ok if you want to kill some time - but there reaaly are better stories out there!
My rating? 2 - 2.5 stars - and thats for the production values

By: just a reviewer

.......BUT, kidding aside, this well done work just CANNOT be put into the 4-STAR rating category of a "Brokeback Mountain".

(( My Star rating would be between 2 1/2- and 3-STARS......Read on for my take Why ))
.
Co-Lead performances are of a Good to near High level (but not at that peak achieved by Ledger and Gyllenhaal). Supporting character efforts, particularly female, are very capable....BUT, think back to those we were given, and saw, 6 years ago.

Storyline / Plot (which has been well covered here by others): Not so much. The male teacher suspected / accused of inappropriate contact with a student (yes, this time a young man---but even that's been done). Cautionary advice being given---which we know will be ignored. A hidden truth...a misunderstanding...a breakup of lovers---all fairly stock.

AND...none could guess the REAL Bad Guy?? C'mon!!

I do very much like the way in which the ending has been handled. Not all sweetness & flowers....not "all is forgiven". YET.....there is Hope. We are shown Hope.

PS--And speaking of those 4 small letters, which can mean so much in anyone's world.....you should TAKE HOPE. Because there is yet another little "Teacher / Student" film story now working its way through world film festivals, toward a video release for we Stay-at-Home viewers. And it is one for which I have extremely High Hopes.....hopes stemming from a Newbie Director's last, best effort. That being a great little film called, "Plan B" (what's not to like about that one). This new and now on-the-circuit production is titled "ABSENT", and is directed by a young Marco Berger.

By: Grady Harp

THE GREEN (to satisfy many people's quandary about the name) refers to the luxuriant fields and trees of Connecticut: in this film it represents the haven for escaping the chaos of New York City to the quiet and civilized country. Strike 'civilized', as this film is about anything but civilized behavior on the part of the townspeople where schoolteacher/writer Michael Gavin (Jason Butler Harner) and his longtime partner, locavore caterer Daniel (Cheyenne Jackson) move from the chaotic life of New York City to the gentility of the small Connecticut town. Michael and Gavin are gay: Michael elects to keep his sexuality sub rosa in his new job as a teacher in a private high school, a 'don't ask-don't tell' adaptation, while Daniel simply goes about his catering business with his assistant Glenn (Michael Godere). Michael makes a good friend with Trish (Illeana Douglas) who has a healthy outlook despite the presence of recurring cancer requiring chemotherapy. Trish tries to warn Michael of the gossip in the school, but it is not until Michael attempts to defend a bright student Jason (Chris Bert) that the students and teachers and parents accuse Michael of inappropriate behavior with the shy Jason.

Once the accusation is made the town escalates the situation, Jason runs away from home, and Jason's parents Leo (Bill Sage) and Janette (Karen Young) decide to go after Michael in court. The men's friends Philip (Boris McGiver) and Bethanne (Mary B. McCann) attempt to help Michael but it becomes apparent that Michael need's a special lawyer - and that expert lawyer is Karen (Julia Ormond) who happens to be in a committed lesbian relationship. An old truth comes out: Michael had a prior arrest in NYC years ago for indecent exposure (police entrapment), but worse than for the case progress is the fact that Michael has never told Daniel about the incident, a fact that creates a serious schism between the two men. There is a surprising truth that enters into the story that provides an ending few could anticipate and revealing any aspect of it would taint the experience of the new viewer.

The brilliant script was written by Paul Marcarelli and the film is directed with great sensitivity by Steven Williford. The entire cast is first rate, but special kudos have been earned by Jason Butler Harner, Cheyenne Jackson, Illeana Douglas and Julia Ormond - each deserves careful consideration for awards. But the power of this excellent film is the presentation of homophobia both on the part of the townspeople and students and faculty, but also in the way Michael has elected to lead his life: his own fear of his true identity is as much the cause of his downfall as the external . There are many lessons to be learned form this film, but above all THE GREEN is an example of superb American independent film making at its best, presenting an excellent story in a sophisticated, mature, and reasonable manner. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

By: Amos Lassen

Steven Williford gives us the story of Michael (Jason Butler Harner) and Daniel (Cheyenne Jackson), a gay couple who moves from New York City to a small Connecticut town so that they can live a simpler life. They soon found out that this was not going to be easy. Michael has been a teacher who is totally out and he takes a job at a private school only to have his interactions with a student become suspect.



This was based upon a misunderstanding but it sets things moving because the student's (a male) mother and her boyfriend chose to push it forward. Michael's life begins to fall apart and he and Daniel now have the face the suspicions of the townspeople with their latent homophobic ideas. They hire a lawyer, a lesbian civil rights attorney playued by Julia Ormond, and she is looking forward to take on the town and she seems to be more than Michael wanted.




Things really get out of control when Michael's accuser disappears and this makes it harder to find out the truth. Then the lawyer discovers a secret about Michael that even Daniel did not know and several violent confrontations tend to bring Michael down along with his relationship and the community.

The film is tense and intimate and is a film you do not want to miss.





Here is a plot synopsis:





Having left behind a life in New York City for the village charm of shoreline Connecticut, Michael Gavin, a drama teacher at a progressive private high school, thinks he can live a simple, harmonious domestic existence with his partner Daniel, a locavore caterer. Seemingly more concerned with the minutiae of suburban life than he is about challenging the bias he experiences in the provincial, recession-weary yankee bastion, Michael adheres to an unspoken survival code: Don?t speak up, don't make trouble.

But Michael?s world is turned upside-down when he is accused of engaging in "inappropriate behavior" with a male student, who runs away from home leaving behind his financially-strapped mother and her mercenary boyfriend to capitalize on the school?s culpability in the alleged affair.

With his job, relationship, and freedom in jeopardy, Michael must confront the suspicions of his co-workers, the latent homophobia of his friends and neighbors, and Daniel?s doubts about his partner?s innocence after the investigation reveals a secret from his past.