#Big Eden

[tvandfilm]

BIG EDEN (2000) dir. thomas bezucha

[gayvecchio]

It recently occurred to me that one of my fave feel good/comfort movies, Big Eden, could be included as part of C6D because it stars Eric Schweig who was in the due South pilot.

Big Eden is a sweet film about a gay man who returns to his small hometown in Montana to take care of his ill grandfather, and pretty much the whole town then proceeds to play matchmaker between him and the local general store owner, Pike (Eric Schweig).

This film means a lot to me as Native/Indigenous representation is hard to come by, and queer Native/Indigenous rep even more so. I highly recommend it to any dS/C6D fans, and anyone in general, who wants to watch a lovely queer romance.

[madeline-kahn]

Dancing in Film: Big Eden (2000) dir. Thomas Bezucha choreography by Alex and Melanie Parkhurst

happy birthday @magterrific

[variousqueerthings]

reblogging again about Big Eden made me think about some of the native american/canadian queer cinema (Indigiqueer Cinema) I've enjoyed.

Found a handy dandy Letterboxd List called Queer Native Pride and Beyond that has a whole bunch of movies I haven't seen yet, and below some of the ones I've gotten to experience (three out of four are linked):

Big Eden: a story about a gay man who returns home, because his grandfather gets sick. A sweet, beautiful man (played by Eric Schweig) starts to secretly make him food to help out. it's an amazing slice-of-life/subtly utopian bit of film-making, in that nobody in the town is homophobic, but being gay/shame is still a big part of the exploration within it.

Wildhood: a movie I got to watch at a film festival (always good to go to your local queer film festivals, many surprises to be had) and it blew me away. a roadtrip movie about two brothers who escape their abusive father to reconnect with the elder's mother and Mi'kmaq heritage. letting go of the instilled shame of being indigenous goes hand in hand with letting go of the instilled shame of being queer

Fancy Dance: this movie isn't about being queer, it's about the ongoing murder of indigenous woman and girls, and it's also a beautiful road trip film between an aunt and her niece, the former of whom is sure her sister is dead but unwilling to face it and to destroy her niece's innocence. Lily Gladstone plays the lead, who's also a lesbian, which is just a choice that works really well for the movie even if it's not the focal point (available on Apple+ TV and however you access movies, but would recommend throwing this one some views if you have access to official streaming)

Honey Moccasin: a 1998 movie i watched at another film festival (this time online), it's anarchic, it's a comedy, it's a thriller, it's got musical beats, it weaves in the intricacies of exploring Native identity and Queer identity, it's a surreal story about a few things, one of which include focus on a "closeted drag queen." it's a movie that beats against conventional film-making to create something not beholden to tropes and clichés forced upon narratives about being Native

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[torsamors]

Let me help (id in alt text)

[Star Trek - The City on the Edge of Forever, Anne Carson - Euripides, Big Eden (2000), W. H. Auden, Holes (2003), Star Trek - The City on the Edge of Forever, Deleted scene from The City on the Edge of Forever, Star Trek: Voyager - Resolutions, Dead Poets Society, The Untamed (2019), Star Trek - The City on the Edge of Forever]

[tuherrus]

i just want things to be nice for him 🐟

[fredbydawn]

Pike is tall, shy, autistic, and his love language is cooking, he’s literally the ideal man

[unliikelylovers]

it’s 3am and i’m thinking about big eden (2000)

[celluloidrainbow]

BIG EDEN (2000) dir. Thomas Bezucha Henry Hart, a successful New York Artist, returns to the town of his childhood to care for the ailing grandfather who raised him. Back in tiny and quaint Big Eden, Henry must come to terms with his relationship to Dean Stewart, his best friend from high School, as well as the object of his unrequited love. All these years Henry has been pining for a dream image of Dean from back then. This is also the story of Pike Dexter, the shy, unassuming owner of the town's general store, who is as surprised as anyone to find himself falling in love with Henry. The people of Big Eden conspire and attempt to bring Henry and Pike together. (link in title)

[bashcrandicoot]

I need you guys to go watch Big Eden okay it’s actually so important

[rovermcfly]

[inkmaze]

rewatching big eden w my head in my hands. wheres more media where the surrounding background is so devoid of homophobia/etc that its so chill to just have this quiet gay story w/o a single scene incl them having to justify or explain themselves, or any degree of hatred at them or other gays. n the town is not only chill they're actively trying to help them get together I'm. this aired in 2000 how do we not have. idk. more shit like this truly pretty casual chill regular relationship issues gay media

[kurtwarbler]

it’s the best time to rewatch big eden

[ober-affen-geil]

[ID

All gifs are of Dean and Henry from Big Eden. Henry is shorter than Dean by about half a foot and is wearing a brown sweater. Dean is wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt partially unzipped with a plain white t-shirt underneath.

Gif 1: Front shot of Dean facing the camera with Henry standing behind him. Henry has his hands on Dean's shoulders, resting his head on Dean's back. Dean has one hand up on his chest, his fingers barely brushing Henry's where they are peeking over his shoulder. Dean is pausing, caught in the quiet tension of the moment. He seems to make a decision, then starts to turn towards Henry.

Gif 2: Cut to shot of Henry and Dean as he finished turning around, his hand coming up to cup the back of Henry's head and meeting Henry for a gentle, easy kiss.

Gif 3: Dean, still kissing Henry, angles his head to deepen the kiss and pulls Henry closer with his other hand around his back while moving the hand cupping Henry's head to his neck.

Gif 4: Dean and Henry kissing, clutching at each other but not really moving otherwise. The hood on Dean's sweatshirt is bunched at the back where Henry's hand has moved it.

Gif 5: Dean is still kissing Henry, but something is wrong. His eyes, already closed, start to squeeze shut harder as Dean screws his face up with effort. Eventually he breaks, and his face drops into Henry's shoulder as he gives up, still clutching Henry in an embrace.

End ID]

So I finally watched Big Eden, and the whole thing is generally sweet and warm and I love that Henry and Pike find each other by the end and the whole town coming together to make sure it happens is so incredibly heartwarming. But I want to look for a second at the quiet tragedy of this moment with Dean, from his perspective.

Dean is introduced to us as Henry's high school crush, the one that got away. The straight boy he could never have. We are also told that he has now separated from his wife and he has what appears to be full custody of their two young sons. No details are given, but full custody of two children under 10 years old? Doesn't paint a positive picture of the relationship.

Immediately upon gracing the screen, we see Dean is a person who is friendly, loving, and easily physical with pretty much everyone, especially his sons. Which is where this scene starts to become heartbreaking.

It's clear that Dean had been in a committed relationship, and for one reason or another is no longer in it. It's also clear that he loves Henry as his friend, and misses him. He says as much himself. And it's achingly clear that Dean is both longing for a deep human connection and also wants to reconnect with his friend, break through the wall he can feel Henry has built around himself.

So when Henry leans on him, tired and anxious about his grandfather's condition in the hospital, Dean recognizes the domestic nature of the moment (Henry has made him coffee and he is making Henry eggs). And, wanting in some way to connect with Henry, Dean reaches for him in the only way he may know how. In the way he knows Henry wants.

It just. Doesn't work.

"I can't. I can't. I'm so sorry. I want to. I can't."

He tries. He really, really tries to give Henry everything he wants. He's gentle, and sweet, and he holds Henry like he's something precious because he is, he is precious. But Dean just...can't. He knows this isn't something he can give Henry no matter how much he wants to.

And while of course this is a sad confirmation for Henry, from Dean's perspective this is him reaching, desperate for a connection, and being unable to make one. This is the grasp of a drowning man at the only lifeline in front of him and it doesn't work.

It's no one's fault. He wants to. But he can't.

[loisfreakinglane]

dance with me