Tim Ferle, the director of Disney's "Better Nate Than Ever," speaks about how the film was fluenced by his own experienc of growg up gay and dreamg of Broadway. The film also as Disney is volizg s opposn to Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn act, which crics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Contents:
- 'BETTER NATE THAN EVER' GIV GAY KIDS WHO LOVE BROADWAY A CHANCE TO FEEL SEEN
- BETTER NATE THAN EVER BOASTS LGBTQ REPRENTATN - BUT DISNEY STILL WON’T SAY GAY
- ‘BETTER NATE THAN EVER’ DIRECTOR TIM FERLE ON CRAFTG A DISNEY MOVIE WH LGBTQ THEM THE ERA OF ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LEGISLATN
'BETTER NATE THAN EVER' GIV GAY KIDS WHO LOVE BROADWAY A CHANCE TO FEEL SEEN
At the height of Disney's ntroversy over the "Don't Gay Say" bill, still released a film about a gay character whout ever sayg the word. * is nate gay from better nate than ever *
“I also wasn’t sure if a fay film wh a gay protagonist would get ma, hontly. ’ And that was such a no-no, bee for me, a central aspect of growg up was the realizatn of my future as a gay person, which was so tied to my inty as a young theater kid. (The character nfintly intifi as gay 2018’s “Nate Expectatns, ” the third book the seri.
David Lee/DisneyStill, as several outlets have poted out, the movie arriv as Disney is facg a wave of backlash for s checkered rponse to Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn ― or “Don’t Say Gay” ― law. The Daily Beast picked up on the film’s seemgly spic timg, praisg “Nate” as “the most gay-posive and enuragg youth programmg that Disney has ever released, ” before notg: “And is g out at the most bizarre time. Better Nate Than Ever Boasts LGBTQ Reprentatn - But Disney Still Won’t Say Gay.
At the height of Disney's ntroversy over the "Don't Gay Say" bill, still released a film about a gay character whout ever sayg the word. Disney has gotten to some ntroversy lately over s flip-floppg stance on Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, but spe that, still released s movie Better Nate Than Ever—a film directly about a gay teenager fdg his place the world—whout any character ever once utterg the word "gay. It was a big al when word got out that Disney's Jungle Cise would be s first major motn picture to feature a leadg gay character.
BETTER NATE THAN EVER BOASTS LGBTQ REPRENTATN - BUT DISNEY STILL WON’T SAY GAY
Disney's 'Better Nate Than Ever' director Tim Ferle discsed the movie's LGBTQ them amid 'Don't Say Gay' bill ntroversy. * is nate gay from better nate than ever *
It felt like the start of a big change for a pany which the LGBTQIA+ muny has felt ltle reprentatn on the small screen and even ls on the big screen, where the only other major gay character was LeFou om s live-actn Bety and the Beast. However, spe all the boastg and reachg for s proverbial pat on the back for dog good eds, the way Disney has addrsed s LGBTQ+ characters th far has been through stereotypg, very awkward nversatns which the characters talk around the issue, and certaly by never outright sayg that they are gay.
In the se of Jungle Cise, they n e the exce that between the time and lotn of the film, McGregor would be aaid to e right out and say that he was gay, as uld've been punishable by actual jail time. Wrer and creator Tim Ferle says they tentnally never ed the word gay bee he felt at 13 that kids would know they were different but not be ready to say the word out loud yet. Let characters be gay, let them say whout shame, and don't para around like 's some sort of new trend to be reward.
‘BETTER NATE THAN EVER’ DIRECTOR TIM FERLE ON CRAFTG A DISNEY MOVIE WH LGBTQ THEM THE ERA OF ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LEGISLATN
Better Nate Than Ever is the kd of lighthearted, fun, and affirmg mil we wish we had when we were on out High School Mil: The Mil: The Seri shownner Tim Ferle's 2013 novel of the same name, the film is a semi-tobgraphil tale of young, gay, theater-obssed kid named Nate Foster (Rueby Wood) tryg to make his big-cy Broadway dreams e te.
As the st and crew gathered at the El Capan Theatre Hollywood Tuday night to celebrate the film’s April 1 lnch on Disney Pl, Ferle spoke to Variety about the story’s discsn of sexualy, the importance of LGBTQ reprentatn entertament and weighed on the ntroversy over Disney’s handlg of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
And I was disverg about my inty — I was like, “I bet I grow up and I bee gay.