Buy Bear Nation on DVD

Bear Nation

Kino Lorber / Year: 2011

DVD

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List Price: $19.99

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Synopsis

From producer Kevin Smith and director Malcolm Ingram, the man who brought us Small Town Gay Bar, comes an exciting new documentary about a much bigger community. Warm and funny, Bear Nation takes a close look at the hairiest subset of our community, celebrates big, proud men who accept their bodies and shows that gay men come in all shapes and sizes.

3 Reasons To buy this film

Douglas Langway, the director of the gay hit BearCity is interviewed in the documentary.
Malcolm Ingram is also the director behind the sensational gay doc Small Town Gay Bar.
Kevin Smith, of Jay and Silent Bob fame, has been a big bear enthusiast since he first learned that he is something of a sex-symbol in the bear community. He put his own money behind Bear Nation to get the film made.

Review

For any bears watching at home, Bear Nation will probably not hold many surprises. The film seems to exist to bring awareness of the bear community to those on the outside. However, this new doc from director Malcolm Ingram and producer Kevin Smith features interviews with such charming, funny and wholly loveable participants that the whole project proves thrillingly entertaining even when the talking points become redundant.

The refreshingly varied subjects speak about their experiences coming out as gay as well as their “second coming out” as bear-lovers (or chubby chasers, if you prefer) – an interest that friends and family sometimes find puzzling. They discuss how, often, bigger gay men don’t feel worthy of affection and how the bear community has welcomed them with open arms, changing their self-image and helping them to accept their bodies as beautiful. Also interesting is the fact that the community has seen some segregation since it first became prominent. It seems that some chubbier bears resent muscle bears who infringe on their territory – as well as the fact that some bear-themed magazines feature many hairy, but muscular cover models, rather than then rounder, cuddlier men that led the movement from the start.

The most notable interviewees include BearCity director Douglas Langway, prolific musician Bob Mould and the film’s own producer Kevin Smith, who talks about how honored he felt when he was asked to pose for the cover of “A Bears Life” magazine (one of the reasons he was inspired to launch this doc).

It may not break much new ground, but Bear Nation ultimately proves an honest and emotionally touching exercise that is bound to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling – much like the community itself.

-- Robert O'Neill

Product Format Information

DVD : $17.99

Availability: In stock and ready to ship
Region Code: 1
UPC: 738329094225
Catalog #: DV33770202

Studio : Kino Lorber

Languages: English (Primary)
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

Customer Reviews

Breaking the Gay Stereotype

Amos Lassen wrote on 05/03/2012:

For too long the gay community has been characterized and defined by stereotypes. Gay men, according to society, are to look and act a certain way. There is a certain style attributed to gay men and that includes careful grooming and stylish attire. Yet we know that this is not necessarily true. The subculture of “bears” illustrates that. Bears are those hairy, stocky and “masculine” men who defy the stereotype. For a long time, they were not visible but now they are out and quite proud of themselves.
Malcolm Ingram who gave us the wonderful documentary, “Small Town Gay Bar” introduces us to gay men who like big men with hair and what a change that is from the photos of gay models. We go to Bear Runs (circuit parties for bears) and to places where men are satisfied and accept their bodies and we see that love comes in all forms and sizes.
Ingram includes interviews with famous ears—Bob Mould, Kevin Smith but what is important is that the focus is on average ears with average lives who tell us about how they came out as both bears and gay men. The main problem is there is only so much to say so the film tends to get repetitive even if what is said comes from the heart.
It seems to me that the goal of the film is to remove the stigma of the bear sub-culture but I am afraid that this movie will only find a home within the bear community.
Bears have created a culture of their own with their own bars, parties, conventions, media, etc. Ingram shows us the prejudice toward the gay culture in general and specifically towards the bear community. It is interesting that the ears have separated themselves from the larger gay community. There is comedy and some very interesting stories here and I really liked what I saw. My only complaint, as I said before, is the repetitiveness that we get. In trying to explain gay culture to those who do not know about it, Ingram has done an excellent job. He uses sensibility to provide us with a very pleasurable viewing experience.