The Gay Melodrama and Fantasy of ‘Call Me by Your Name’

Contents:

• WHY DO GAYS KEEP FALLG FOR CALL ME BY YOUR NAME?
• ‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’ IS A GAY LOVE STORY, M THE SELF-TORTURE
• THE GAY MELODRAMA AND FANTASY OF ‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’FIRST LOVEA LOOK SI FILMMAKER LU GUADAGNO’S RIVETG GAY LOVE STORY, STARRG TIMOTHéE CHALAMET AND ARMIE HAMMER, WHICH IS EARNG SER AWARDS BUZZ. (WARNG: SPOILERS)IRA MADISON IIIUPDATED DEC. 29, 2017 4:34PM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 24, 2017 7:15AM EST SONY PICTUR CLASSICS“I HAVE TOUCHED YOU FOR THE LAST TIME, IS A VIO?” THE SUMMER OF 1983, TWO YEARS AFTER THE BUT OF MTV AND THE POPULARIZATN OF THE MIC VIO, IS WHERE WE FD TIMOTHéE CHALAMET’S TEENAGE EL, ATTEMPTG TO SCE ONE OF HIS FATHER’S VISG GRAD STUNTS (ARMIE HAMMER’S OLIVER). EL’S SCTN IS HIS MOVEMENTS—HOW HE WRIGGL HIS HIPS LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON, DAVID BOWIE, OR MADONNA THEIR EARLY ’80S VIOS, HOW HE KEEPS HIS BEDROOM DOOR OPEN AT NIGHT TO LET THE MOONLIGHT SUGGT HIS TENTNS, HOW HE DARTS AROUND OLIVER’S BODY DURG NVERSATNS LIKE AN ARCHAEOLOGIST EXAMG AN UNEARTHED STATUE. IN TRANSLATG A BOOK LIKE ANDRé ACIMAN’S CALL ME BY YOUR NAME TO A FILM, A BOOK THAT FOC SO MUCH ON THE TERR FANTASI OF S PROTAGONIST, DIRECTOR LU GUADAGNO HAD QUE THE TASK. AS TURNS OUT, GUADAGNO IS APT AT CREATG FANTASY HIMSELF—THE FILM PLAYS LIKE A VHS TAPE YOU’VE REWOUND SEVERAL TIM, HOPG TO RELIVE THE MAGIC OF THE FIRST TIME PLAYED OUT BEFORE YOUR EY. THE QUTN AT HAND CALL ME BY YOUR NAME THEN, BE: IS EVEN POSSIBLE?THE MELODRAMATIC SETTG OF THE ITALIAN UNTRYSI, WH S ROLLG HILLS, SENSUAL SWIMMG POOLS AND WATERFALLS, AND THE LOOMG ARCHECTURE OF ITALY’S PAST PLAYS TO HOW THE FILM EXPLOR THE APOCRYPHAL NATURE OF MEMORY. SGER-SONGWRER SUFJAN STEVENS, WH HIS NEBULOLY CHRISTIAN ROCK MIC, NTRIBUT NEW MATERIAL TO THE FILM’S SOUNDTRACK THAT QUTNS HOW WE REMEMBER OUR PAST. “OH, TO SEE WHOUT MY EY / THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU KISSED ME,” STEVENS SGS ON “MYSTERY OF LOVE,” REFLECTG ON EL AND OLIVER’S FIRST TIMATE ENUNTER. EL LIVED THAT MOMENT, Y, BUT PERHAPS HIS MEMORY HAS BETRAYED HIM? THE FILM’S NCLN LEAV EL ON THE VERGE OF TEARS, MOROSELY REMEMBERG HIS NOW-EXPIRED RELATNSHIP WH OLIVER AS STEVENS’ “VISNS OF GION” POS THE QUTN: “IS A VIO? IS A VIO? IS A VIO?” AFTER ALL, IF THE MOMENT TLY HAPPENED THE WAY EL REMEMBERS , WOULDN’T OLIVER STILL BE WH HIM? WOULDN’T HE HAVE BEEN THERE PERSON AT CHRISTMAS WHEN EL’S FAY RETURNS, STEAD OF PHONG HIM WH THE VASTATG NEWS THAT HE’S ENGAGED? “‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’ DRAWS S ROMANTIC NATURE OM THE IA THAT WE’VE EACH CRAFTED A FANTASY OF WHAT ROMANCE IS.” STEVENS EXPLOR THE DOUBT OF OUR MEMORI “VISNS OF GION,” WHICH REFERS TO THE BIBLIL PROPHET GION WHO GOD SHEPHERD TOWARD A SURPRISE VICTORY. FOR MANY YOUNG GAY MEN WHO HAVE THEIR FIRST SEXUAL ENUNTER, N BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW IF THE NCLN WAS FOREGONE OR AN ACT OF DIVE TERVENTN. IN A SOCIETY WH FEW PICTNS OF ROMANTIC LOVE BETWEEN GAY MEN, LET ALONE THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS AS TEENS, HOW ULD EL KNOW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY POSSSG HIM? IT TAK A NVERSATN WH HIS FATHER, MICHAEL STUHLBARG’S LYLE, TO PROCS HIS FEELGS AND REGNIZE THAT THERE IS A PRECENT FOR HIS EMOTNS. OLIVER OFFERS HIM NO SUCH GUIDANCE, SAVE FOR SEXUAL TUTELAGE, BEE EL LATER LEARNS THAT HE WAS MERELY A SUMMER AFFAIR: OLIVER HAD A WOMAN BACK THE UNED STAT, A WOMAN HE KNOWS TIMATELY ENOUGH TO MARRY.AND SO EL SCRIBBL JOURNAL ENTRI TO KEEP A RERD OF HIS MEMORI, LIKE THE TIME HE ACC OLIVER OF GIVG HIM THE LD SHOULR. OLIVER, 24, TELLS 17-YEAR-OLD EL TO “GROW UP,” HOWEVER, AND SUAT THAT THIS TERPRETATN OF EVENTS IS EL’S ALONE. IF SO, EVEN EL’S OWN WORDS HAVE BETRAYED HIM—THE SIRE FOR “IS A VIO?” BE A REA TO SCTIZE HIS MEMORI AND OLIVER’S AND TERME THE TTH. NOT THAT A VIO WOULD PROVI MUCH ROLUTN. YOU ULD TURN ON TELEVISN THE ’80S AND SEE GEE MICHAEL SHAKG HIS ASS NIM JEANS AND STILL BELIEVE HE WAS STRAIGHT. YOU ULD SEE ROCK HUDSON PLAYG A STRAIGHT LEADG MAN ON DYNASTY WHILE HE PRIVATELY DIED OF AIDS. THE ONLY THG EL KNOWS IS THAT HE HAS ED TOUCHED AND LOVED OLIVER FOR THE LAST TIME.THE FIRST TIME I BEME AWARE OF THE AGILY OF OUR ROMANTIC MEMORI WAS RELLG MY OWN FIRST ENUNTER WH ANOTHER MAN. MUCH LIKE EL, ME WAS WH AN OLR MAN. BUT THE SUATN, EXCHANGG ADDRS THROUGH A PUTER THE LD WTER OF CHIGO WHILE I WAS A LLEGE STUNT, ULDN’T BE MORE DIFFERENT OM EL’S TERACTNS WH OLIVER. AND YET, THE WAY WE NAVIGATE SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS IS NOT AT ALL DIFFERENT OM EL AND OLIVER’S. THE T-AND-MOE GAME IS NO DIFFERENT THAN MSAGG A MAN ON A PUTER OVER A AGO, OR VIA AN APP ON YOUR PHONE—TENT N BE LOST THE LANGUAGE OF A STERILE ELECTRONIC NVERSATN, JT AS EL FAILS TO NOTICE THAT OLIVER WAS FLIRTG WH HIM WHEN HE PRSED HIS FGERS TO HIS BACK AFTER A GAME OF VOLLEYBALL. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME DRAWS S ROMANTIC NATURE OM THE IA THAT WE’VE EACH CRAFTED A FANTASY OF WHAT ROMANCE IS. FOR EL, ’S SWEEPG ROMANTIC GTUR. THE MECHANICS OF SEX IS PLEASURABLE, BUT HE FDS DISTASTE MASTURBATN, TOUCHG HIS OWN SEMEN, AND HE QUICKLY EACH OF HIS ENUNTERS. FOR OLIVER, HE PUTS ON A FE PERFORMANCE OF A ROMANTIC SUOR, BUT HE’S ABOUT SEX AND THE EMOTNS ARE SEND. PERHAPS WHAT EL TLY LEARNS IS THAT HIS MD, AS HE MA HIS SUMMER WH EL WORTHY OF THE BRONTë SISTERS, WAS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT OLIVER’S LIFE. IS THIS FILM TELLG THAT THE ILLN OF ROMANCE IS JT THAT? AN ILLN? PERHAPS, BUT THEN GUADAGNO HAS PRODUCED SUCH A LH FILM, BRIMMG WH THE BETY OF NATURE. SO IS HIS OWN POT OF VIEW AT ODDS WH THE FILM’S? GUADAGNO’S FILM ENDS WH OLIVER LLG EL TO PLAY THE ROMANTIC GAME THEY VISED DURG THEIR AFFAIR, WHERE OLIVER TOLD EL, “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, AND I’LL LL YOU BY ME.” ACIMAN’S NOVEL, HOWEVER, ENDS WH OLIVER AND EL MEETG YEARS LATER AND EL SILENTLY SPAIRG THAT IF OLIVER EVER TLY LOVED HIM, HE WOULD ONCE AGA “LOOK ME THE FACE, HOLD MY GAZE, AND LL ME BY YOUR NAME.” GUADAGNO’S ADAPTATN DO AWAY WH THIS END, PERHAPS BEE ’S PRSG, BUT ALSO BEE ’S NOT HOW HE VIEWS LOVE. IT’S WHY HIS FILM RELI SO MUCH ON THE MIC OF SUFJAN STEVENS, WHO ONCE SAID AN TERVIEW WH THE ATLANTIC, “IT’S NOT SO MUCH THAT FAH FLUENC AS LIV . IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, I AM LIVG AND MOVG AND BEG.” CALL ME BY YOUR NAME SUGGTS THAT EL DON’T TLY NEED TO KNOW WHETHER OLIVER LOVED HIM. BEE HE HAS HIS FEELGS, HE HAS HIS VHS TAPE OF THEIR MOMENTS TOGETHER TO DT OFF AND REPLAY HIS MD, AND IF HE WANTS TO BE TE, THEN IS TE. IT’S A GIFT TO A GAY DIENCE THAT RARELY RECEIV A HOMOSEXUAL ROMANCE THAT DON’T END TRAGEDY, AND WHO TURN TO CEMA TO PE THEIR OWN DISAPPOTMENT-FILLED LIV. TO TAKE A FANTASY-LIKE ROMANCE OF A YOUNG MAN AND AN OLR SUOR; TO IGNORE THE CREDIBLY UNSEXY ENUNTER THEY MAY HAVE HAD, DURG A LD CHIGO WTER, WH AN OLR MAN WHOSE IA OF ROMANCE WAS MUTG THE LATE SHOW WH DAVID LETTERMAN, THE FLICKERG OF THE TELEVISN SET MIRRORG A YOUNG LLEGE STUNT’S SACCHARE IA OF THEIR FIRST, NDLEL SEXUAL ENUNTER.GUADAGNO ASKS TO DISREGARD THAT THE ENTIRE SUMMER ULD HAVE BEEN HIS IMAGATN, ANOTHER ONE OF THE STORI THAT HIS MOTHER READS TO HIM AT NIGHT TO FORT HIM. CONCEIVABLY, EL’S FATHER MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THE FILM. HE’S A PROFSOR WHO REMNANTS OF THE PAST TO SHAPE HIS OWN TERPRETATNS OF EVENTS. WHEN SPEAKG OF ONE OF THE STATU HE AND OLIVER EXVAT OM THE OCEAN, THE PROFSOR SCRIB AS “BEGGG YOU TO SIRE THEM.” HOW DO HE KNOW? HE HAS FAH. IRA MADISON III
• 'CALL ME BY YOUR NAME' IS THE STRAIGHTT GAY MOVIE EVER

WHY DO GAYS KEEP FALLG FOR CALL ME BY YOUR NAME?

André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name has twice been hailed as a morn gay classic: 2007, when the novel, about an unlikely summer romance between two young men Italy, h bookstor, and this month, as the languoro film adaptatn hs theaters.

Still, the fact remas that gay men adore this story about two young scholars, El (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer), who embrace unr the roof of El’s tellectual-bohemian fay for a handful of weeks. Why has Call Me by Your Name attaed such an inic “gay” stat when is anythg but? When s ma characters seem almost aggrsively isolated om gay culture or polics?

When s prec protagonist has to be remd that ’s gche to make fun of people who are openly gay? Here’s one theory: Perhaps we gay boys have fallen for this ungay romance bee ’s so straight—and if we gays love anythg, ’s chasg after straight guys. The book was penned by a straight thor who says that he has never had a gay relatnship his life, and tells the story of two apparently heteroflexible but largely hetero-leang men who seem to experiment wh same-sex sex only furtively their liv.

‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’ IS A GAY LOVE STORY, M THE SELF-TORTURE

Ined, all “gay” sex tak place off screen—only boy-girl or boy-u sex happens wh the ame. And the only openly gay characters—a pair of “boyiend tw-ed” amics who vis El’s parents for dner—are portrayed as ridiculo Tweedlm-and-Tweedlee typ.

However, spe all this, gay dienc have sought ways to embrace this straight-guys-gone-wild narrative as an thentic gay romance agast all available evince. When Call Me by Your Name first me out, for example, my gay iends ma a pastime of qutng Aciman’s sexualy. He’s married wh children, but those gay sex scen are way too real.

THE GAY MELODRAMA AND FANTASY OF ‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’FIRST LOVEA LOOK SI FILMMAKER LU GUADAGNO’S RIVETG GAY LOVE STORY, STARRG TIMOTHéE CHALAMET AND ARMIE HAMMER, WHICH IS EARNG SER AWARDS BUZZ. (WARNG: SPOILERS)IRA MADISON IIIUPDATED DEC. 29, 2017 4:34PM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 24, 2017 7:15AM EST SONY PICTUR CLASSICS“I HAVE TOUCHED YOU FOR THE LAST TIME, IS A VIO?” THE SUMMER OF 1983, TWO YEARS AFTER THE BUT OF MTV AND THE POPULARIZATN OF THE MIC VIO, IS WHERE WE FD TIMOTHéE CHALAMET’S TEENAGE EL, ATTEMPTG TO SCE ONE OF HIS FATHER’S VISG GRAD STUNTS (ARMIE HAMMER’S OLIVER). EL’S SCTN IS HIS MOVEMENTS—HOW HE WRIGGL HIS HIPS LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON, DAVID BOWIE, OR MADONNA THEIR EARLY ’80S VIOS, HOW HE KEEPS HIS BEDROOM DOOR OPEN AT NIGHT TO LET THE MOONLIGHT SUGGT HIS TENTNS, HOW HE DARTS AROUND OLIVER’S BODY DURG NVERSATNS LIKE AN ARCHAEOLOGIST EXAMG AN UNEARTHED STATUE. IN TRANSLATG A BOOK LIKE ANDRé ACIMAN’S CALL ME BY YOUR NAME TO A FILM, A BOOK THAT FOC SO MUCH ON THE TERR FANTASI OF S PROTAGONIST, DIRECTOR LU GUADAGNO HAD QUE THE TASK. AS TURNS OUT, GUADAGNO IS APT AT CREATG FANTASY HIMSELF—THE FILM PLAYS LIKE A VHS TAPE YOU’VE REWOUND SEVERAL TIM, HOPG TO RELIVE THE MAGIC OF THE FIRST TIME PLAYED OUT BEFORE YOUR EY. THE QUTN AT HAND CALL ME BY YOUR NAME THEN, BE: IS EVEN POSSIBLE?THE MELODRAMATIC SETTG OF THE ITALIAN UNTRYSI, WH S ROLLG HILLS, SENSUAL SWIMMG POOLS AND WATERFALLS, AND THE LOOMG ARCHECTURE OF ITALY’S PAST PLAYS TO HOW THE FILM EXPLOR THE APOCRYPHAL NATURE OF MEMORY. SGER-SONGWRER SUFJAN STEVENS, WH HIS NEBULOLY CHRISTIAN ROCK MIC, NTRIBUT NEW MATERIAL TO THE FILM’S SOUNDTRACK THAT QUTNS HOW WE REMEMBER OUR PAST. “OH, TO SEE WHOUT MY EY / THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU KISSED ME,” STEVENS SGS ON “MYSTERY OF LOVE,” REFLECTG ON EL AND OLIVER’S FIRST TIMATE ENUNTER. EL LIVED THAT MOMENT, Y, BUT PERHAPS HIS MEMORY HAS BETRAYED HIM? THE FILM’S NCLN LEAV EL ON THE VERGE OF TEARS, MOROSELY REMEMBERG HIS NOW-EXPIRED RELATNSHIP WH OLIVER AS STEVENS’ “VISNS OF GION” POS THE QUTN: “IS A VIO? IS A VIO? IS A VIO?” AFTER ALL, IF THE MOMENT TLY HAPPENED THE WAY EL REMEMBERS , WOULDN’T OLIVER STILL BE WH HIM? WOULDN’T HE HAVE BEEN THERE PERSON AT CHRISTMAS WHEN EL’S FAY RETURNS, STEAD OF PHONG HIM WH THE VASTATG NEWS THAT HE’S ENGAGED? “‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’ DRAWS S ROMANTIC NATURE OM THE IA THAT WE’VE EACH CRAFTED A FANTASY OF WHAT ROMANCE IS.” STEVENS EXPLOR THE DOUBT OF OUR MEMORI “VISNS OF GION,” WHICH REFERS TO THE BIBLIL PROPHET GION WHO GOD SHEPHERD TOWARD A SURPRISE VICTORY. FOR MANY YOUNG GAY MEN WHO HAVE THEIR FIRST SEXUAL ENUNTER, N BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW IF THE NCLN WAS FOREGONE OR AN ACT OF DIVE TERVENTN. IN A SOCIETY WH FEW PICTNS OF ROMANTIC LOVE BETWEEN GAY MEN, LET ALONE THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS AS TEENS, HOW ULD EL KNOW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY POSSSG HIM? IT TAK A NVERSATN WH HIS FATHER, MICHAEL STUHLBARG’S LYLE, TO PROCS HIS FEELGS AND REGNIZE THAT THERE IS A PRECENT FOR HIS EMOTNS. OLIVER OFFERS HIM NO SUCH GUIDANCE, SAVE FOR SEXUAL TUTELAGE, BEE EL LATER LEARNS THAT HE WAS MERELY A SUMMER AFFAIR: OLIVER HAD A WOMAN BACK THE UNED STAT, A WOMAN HE KNOWS TIMATELY ENOUGH TO MARRY.AND SO EL SCRIBBL JOURNAL ENTRI TO KEEP A RERD OF HIS MEMORI, LIKE THE TIME HE ACC OLIVER OF GIVG HIM THE LD SHOULR. OLIVER, 24, TELLS 17-YEAR-OLD EL TO “GROW UP,” HOWEVER, AND SUAT THAT THIS TERPRETATN OF EVENTS IS EL’S ALONE. IF SO, EVEN EL’S OWN WORDS HAVE BETRAYED HIM—THE SIRE FOR “IS A VIO?” BE A REA TO SCTIZE HIS MEMORI AND OLIVER’S AND TERME THE TTH. NOT THAT A VIO WOULD PROVI MUCH ROLUTN. YOU ULD TURN ON TELEVISN THE ’80S AND SEE GEE MICHAEL SHAKG HIS ASS NIM JEANS AND STILL BELIEVE HE WAS STRAIGHT. YOU ULD SEE ROCK HUDSON PLAYG A STRAIGHT LEADG MAN ON DYNASTY WHILE HE PRIVATELY DIED OF AIDS. THE ONLY THG EL KNOWS IS THAT HE HAS ED TOUCHED AND LOVED OLIVER FOR THE LAST TIME.THE FIRST TIME I BEME AWARE OF THE AGILY OF OUR ROMANTIC MEMORI WAS RELLG MY OWN FIRST ENUNTER WH ANOTHER MAN. MUCH LIKE EL, ME WAS WH AN OLR MAN. BUT THE SUATN, EXCHANGG ADDRS THROUGH A PUTER THE LD WTER OF CHIGO WHILE I WAS A LLEGE STUNT, ULDN’T BE MORE DIFFERENT OM EL’S TERACTNS WH OLIVER. AND YET, THE WAY WE NAVIGATE SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS IS NOT AT ALL DIFFERENT OM EL AND OLIVER’S. THE T-AND-MOE GAME IS NO DIFFERENT THAN MSAGG A MAN ON A PUTER OVER A AGO, OR VIA AN APP ON YOUR PHONE—TENT N BE LOST THE LANGUAGE OF A STERILE ELECTRONIC NVERSATN, JT AS EL FAILS TO NOTICE THAT OLIVER WAS FLIRTG WH HIM WHEN HE PRSED HIS FGERS TO HIS BACK AFTER A GAME OF VOLLEYBALL. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME DRAWS S ROMANTIC NATURE OM THE IA THAT WE’VE EACH CRAFTED A FANTASY OF WHAT ROMANCE IS. FOR EL, ’S SWEEPG ROMANTIC GTUR. THE MECHANICS OF SEX IS PLEASURABLE, BUT HE FDS DISTASTE MASTURBATN, TOUCHG HIS OWN SEMEN, AND HE QUICKLY EACH OF HIS ENUNTERS. FOR OLIVER, HE PUTS ON A FE PERFORMANCE OF A ROMANTIC SUOR, BUT HE’S ABOUT SEX AND THE EMOTNS ARE SEND. PERHAPS WHAT EL TLY LEARNS IS THAT HIS MD, AS HE MA HIS SUMMER WH EL WORTHY OF THE BRONTë SISTERS, WAS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT OLIVER’S LIFE. IS THIS FILM TELLG THAT THE ILLN OF ROMANCE IS JT THAT? AN ILLN? PERHAPS, BUT THEN GUADAGNO HAS PRODUCED SUCH A LH FILM, BRIMMG WH THE BETY OF NATURE. SO IS HIS OWN POT OF VIEW AT ODDS WH THE FILM’S? GUADAGNO’S FILM ENDS WH OLIVER LLG EL TO PLAY THE ROMANTIC GAME THEY VISED DURG THEIR AFFAIR, WHERE OLIVER TOLD EL, “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, AND I’LL LL YOU BY ME.” ACIMAN’S NOVEL, HOWEVER, ENDS WH OLIVER AND EL MEETG YEARS LATER AND EL SILENTLY SPAIRG THAT IF OLIVER EVER TLY LOVED HIM, HE WOULD ONCE AGA “LOOK ME THE FACE, HOLD MY GAZE, AND LL ME BY YOUR NAME.” GUADAGNO’S ADAPTATN DO AWAY WH THIS END, PERHAPS BEE ’S PRSG, BUT ALSO BEE ’S NOT HOW HE VIEWS LOVE. IT’S WHY HIS FILM RELI SO MUCH ON THE MIC OF SUFJAN STEVENS, WHO ONCE SAID AN TERVIEW WH THE ATLANTIC, “IT’S NOT SO MUCH THAT FAH FLUENC AS LIV . IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, I AM LIVG AND MOVG AND BEG.” CALL ME BY YOUR NAME SUGGTS THAT EL DON’T TLY NEED TO KNOW WHETHER OLIVER LOVED HIM. BEE HE HAS HIS FEELGS, HE HAS HIS VHS TAPE OF THEIR MOMENTS TOGETHER TO DT OFF AND REPLAY HIS MD, AND IF HE WANTS TO BE TE, THEN IS TE. IT’S A GIFT TO A GAY DIENCE THAT RARELY RECEIV A HOMOSEXUAL ROMANCE THAT DON’T END TRAGEDY, AND WHO TURN TO CEMA TO PE THEIR OWN DISAPPOTMENT-FILLED LIV. TO TAKE A FANTASY-LIKE ROMANCE OF A YOUNG MAN AND AN OLR SUOR; TO IGNORE THE CREDIBLY UNSEXY ENUNTER THEY MAY HAVE HAD, DURG A LD CHIGO WTER, WH AN OLR MAN WHOSE IA OF ROMANCE WAS MUTG THE LATE SHOW WH DAVID LETTERMAN, THE FLICKERG OF THE TELEVISN SET MIRRORG A YOUNG LLEGE STUNT’S SACCHARE IA OF THEIR FIRST, NDLEL SEXUAL ENUNTER.GUADAGNO ASKS TO DISREGARD THAT THE ENTIRE SUMMER ULD HAVE BEEN HIS IMAGATN, ANOTHER ONE OF THE STORI THAT HIS MOTHER READS TO HIM AT NIGHT TO FORT HIM. CONCEIVABLY, EL’S FATHER MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THE FILM. HE’S A PROFSOR WHO REMNANTS OF THE PAST TO SHAPE HIS OWN TERPRETATNS OF EVENTS. WHEN SPEAKG OF ONE OF THE STATU HE AND OLIVER EXVAT OM THE OCEAN, THE PROFSOR SCRIB AS “BEGGG YOU TO SIRE THEM.” HOW DO HE KNOW? HE HAS FAH. IRA MADISON III

Jt as El search for gay sire his apparently straight csh, gay rears searched for gay sire our beloved thor.

One of my favore gay-world mors about Aciman emerged while he was still givg readgs to promote the book New York Cy: I heard that he uldn’t read passag ont of his son. ) I reunt only bee perfectly enpsulat what we gays love about Call Me by Your Name—the notn of a tragilly embattled straight man. Over the past few weeks, media verage of the film adaptatn has palized on this fascatn wh ambiguo straight men by other means, featurg terviews where the straight lead actors scribe their total fort wh pantomimg gay love on set.

So when we nsume this film, we’re willg to ll a gay masterpiece whout any of the ual mands, such as real gay actors playg realistic gay characters some sort of gay cultural or historil ntext. Jt look at Aciman’s meo: In se you missed , he played one member of the hilar actually gay uple the screen adaptatn. To be fair, I’m not sure Aciman was ready for this book to bee such a gay sensatn.

'CALL ME BY YOUR NAME' IS THE STRAIGHTT GAY MOVIE EVER

And really, on some level, the story is not so much homoerotic as is toerotic— tells the story of two boys wh nearly intil tellects and terts who fall love wh mirror imag of themselv and then ll out their own nam durg sex.

And yet, here we are, genuflectg as a group before a gay masterpiece that is absolutely not gay. I myself have three pi: one I bought myself, two were gifts, all now on loan to gays who seemed to need them and also my mom.

Anyone who’s read or even heard about the 2007 André Aciman novel, the morn gay classic on which the movie is based, will see the peach and immediately know what’s g: El absentmdly diggg at the peach’s flh, rvg a hole to wh his fgers before removg the ps, stickg his fgers si, and gettg an ia. There’s a stra of gay fictn le wh this, one that ntrasts the btally sgular life of the md wh the ner and outer liv of the flh, studyg the gap between who the characters are as logil, thkg subjects vers feelg, sirg on.