Is Llie Mann Gay? - Gus what all people say about

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• THE STORY BEHD BLOCKERS’ UNEXPECTED GAY ROMANCEDIRECTOR KAY CANNON AND STAR GION ADLON AND RAMONA YOUNG ON THE FILM'S POTENTIALLY GROUNDBREAKG KISS.BY JOANNA ROBSONAPRIL 6, 2018RAMONA YOUNG AND GION ALDON STAR AS ANGELI AND SAM BLOCKERS.BY QUANTRELL D. COLBERT.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHIS ARTICLE NTAS PLOT TAILS FOR BLOCKERS.BLOCKERS HAS E A LONG WAY OM S ORIGS AS A SPEC SCRIPT LLED CHERRI, ABOUT A TR OF DADS TRYG TO PROTECT THE VIRTUE OF THEIR THREE STRAIGHT DGHTERS WHO PLAN TO LOSE THEIR VIRGY ON PROM NIGHT. OPENG WI RELEASE THIS WEEKEND, ’S A BAWDY VEHICLE FOR ADULT STARS LLIE MANN, IKE BARHOLTZ, AND JOHN CENA, A POWERFUL TRODUCTN FOR TEEN STARS KATHRYN NEWTON, GION ADLON, AND GERALDE VISWANATHAN, AND A LLG RD FOR DIRECTOR KAY CANNON, THE WRER OF THE PCH PERFECT FILMS MAKG HER DIRECTORIAL BUT. PREMIERG AFTER RAV AT SXSW, WH REVIEWS PRAISG S PROGRSIVE ATTUS TOWARDS FEMALE EMPOWERMENT, TERGENERATNAL MUNITN, AND TREATMENT OF SEXUAL NSENT THE POST-WESTE ERA.AND ’S THE SEND STUD EDY THE LAST MONTH TO FEATURE WHAT WAS ONCE NSIRED EXTRAORDARY: A CLIMACTIC KISS BETWEEN TWO GAY TEENAGERS. ADLON’S SAM, WHILE AIMG TO LOSE HER VIRGY JT LIKE HER STRAIGHT IENDS, IS HARBORG A CSH ON A GIRL NAMED ANGELI (RAMONA YOUNG). THE WAY THAT STORY PLAYS OUT, AND NEVER ONCE FLCH DURG THEIR TRIUMPHANT END-OF-MOVIE KISS, MEANS BLOCKERS, ALONG WH FOX’S LOVE, SIMON, MAY HAVE FALLY BROKEN THROUGH A TABOO BIG-BUDGET STUD FILMMAKERS HAVE BEEN TRYG HARD TO CRACK FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS.“IT ME OM ME,” CANNON SAYS ANKLY OVER THE PHONE, WHEN ASKED HOW THE GAY LOVE STORY VELOPED AFTER JIM AND BRIAN KEHOE’S ORIGAL SCRIPT UNRWENT MULTIPLE RE-WR. “IT WAS MY IA TO MAKE SAM GAY AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGT CHANG. WHEN I RECEIVED THE SCRIPT, THE MOM WAS ALREADY THERE. BUT THERE WAS VERY, VERY LTLE FOR THE DGHTERS. I WANTED TO SHOW THREE PLETELY DIFFERENT RELATABLE STORI OF WHO REPRENTS HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS.”SAM’S CSH ON ANGELI IS APPARENT OM THE FIRST MOMENT THE ADLON’S CHARACTER FUMBL AND STAMMERS HER PRENCE. BUT AMID THE SLAPSTICK EDY AND GROSS-OUT HUMOR, BLOCKERS NSISTENTLY MAK TIME FOR A NUANCED LOOK AT SAM’S ANXIETI ABOUT G OUT, MUCH LS PURSUG HER FIRST KISS ALONGSI HER STRAIGHT IENDS, JULIE AND KAYLA. “SAM’S STORY WAS ALWAYS LEADG WH THIS IA OF BEG WORRIED THAT SHE WOULDN’T NNECT WH HER IENDS BEE THEY WERE LOSG THEIR VIRGY TO GUYS AND SHE WASN’T READY TO LOSE HER VIRGY, LET ALONE NONT HER SEXUALY, AND SO SHE’S FULL OF FEAR,” CANNON EXPLAS. WHEN SHE OVER THAT FEAR AND KISS RAMONA, ’S A FAIRLY STUNNG LEAP FORWARD FOR AN DTRY THAT’S BEEN PUBLICLY SKTISH RECENT YEARS ABOUT GAY ROMANCE.BOTH THOR: RAGNAROK AND BLACK PANTHER SHOT BUT EVENTUALLY CUT SCEN THAT REVEALED THEIR CHARACTERS AS GAY OR BISEXUAL—AND THOUGH THE “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” DISNEY’S BETY AND THE BEAST WAS BALLYHOOED, DIDN’T AMOUNT TO MUCH. EVEN A CHARACTER EMBRACED AS ONE OF THEIR OWN BY GAY DIENC, KATE MCKNON’S HOLTZMANN 2016’S GHOSTBTERS, WAS FORCED TO STAY AMBIGUO. ASKED DIRECTLY WHETHER HOLTZMANN WAS GAY, DIRECTOR PL FEIG OFFERED THE DAILY BEAST A SILENT NOD AND GR: “I HATE TO BE Y ABOUT , BUT WHEN YOU’RE ALG WH THE STUDS AND THAT KD OF THG . . .” BEFORE SHGGG APOLOGETILLY.THIS TIME, NOBODY IS KEEPG QUIET OR APOLOGIZG. “THERE WAS NO PHBACK ON !” CANNON SAYS FIRMLY ABOUT UNIVERSAL’S REACTN TO HER SCRIPT CHANG. “MAYBE I’M MISREMEMBERG, BUT I THK THAT WAS ALL REALLY EXCG TO SHOW SOMETHG DIFFERENT. IT WAS A GROUP EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO WHAT HIGH-SCHOOL GIRLS ARE REALLY TLY EXPERIENCG AND WE ULDN’T NY THAT.”MILLENNIAL ACTRS YOUNG AND ADLON, MEANWHILE, WONR WHAT THE BIG AL IS. “I THK ’S FUNNY THAT PEOPLE KEEP ASKG ME WHAT ’S LIKE TO PLAY SAM VERS A REGULAR TEEN,” ALDON TELLS ME. “I’M LIKE, ‘SAM IS A REGULAR TEEN.’ SHE HAS A CSH ON SOMEONE JT LIKE ANYONE HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WANTS TO KISS SOMEONE, SHE WANTS TO BE WH THEM. SHE’S JT A GIRL WH A CSH AND I DON’T THK SHOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHAT GENR THAT CSH HAPPENS TO BE.” YOUNG AGRE: “I HAD NO NCERNS WH WHATSOEVER AND I WAS PLETELY PASSNATE ABOUT DOG ANGELI JTICE.”BUT CANNON, 43-YEARS-OLD AND A 6-YEAR VETERAN OF THE STUD SYSTEM, HAD ENDLS WORRI ABOUT GETTG THE SAM AND RAMONA ROMANCE, AND THEIR CHARACTERS, RIGHT. ADLON’S LAST NAME MIGHT BE FAIAR TO FANS OF HER MOTHER PAMELA ADLON’S WORK ON THE FX SERI BETTER THGS, BUT THE ACTRS HAD TO DN JT LIKE ANYONE ELSE AND WALKED AWAY NVCED SHE DIDN’T GET THE ROLE. BY STG CHE-AMERIN YOUNG AS SAM’S LOVE TERT, CANNON AIMED FOR AN EVEN BROAR LEVEL OF REPRENTATN AND TERSECTNAL QUEERNS HER FILM. “I WAS TRYG TO MAKE THE ST DIVERSE AND THE ROLE OF ANGELI CERTALY ULD LL FOR THAT. RAMONA, I LOVED HER DN SO MUCH, SHE’S A GREAT WEIRDO.”UNLIKE SAM, ANGELI IS NOT AT ALL NFED ABOUT HER SEXUAL INTY. CANNON CRACKS UP RELLG YOUNG’S DRY, NFINT LIVERY OF THE LE WHERE RAMONA REVEALS TO SAM THAT SHE KNEW SHE WAS GAY WHEN SHE HELD CLASSMATE DASH LOWENSTE’S DICK AND SAID “FUCK NO.” SAM HAS A SIAR REVELATN HERSELF LATER THE FILM.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHBEYOND THE HANDLG OF THE YOUNG WOMEN THEMSELV, CANNON WAS ALSO NCERNED WH HOW THE CHARACTERS AROUND THEM WOULD REACT TO SAM’S G OUT. THIS CLUS GENTLE TREATMENT OF SAM’S ERSTWHILE PROM DATE CHAD—A ROUND-FACED FEDORA-WEARG GGER WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN A WALKG PUNCH LE ANY OTHER MOVIE—AND SPECIAL ATTENTN TO HOW AND WHEN SAM WAS OUTED, EVEN LOVGLY, BY HER DAD HUNTER (BARHOLTZ). BUT SAM’S IENDLY, FAILED BEDROOM ENUNTER WH CHAD AND TWO TLY POIGNANT G-OUT SCEN, FIRST WH HER FATHER AND THEN WH HER IENDS, PROVI ALL THE CLARY SHE NEEDS TO LEAD HER BACK TO RAMONA.WHEN SAM AND RAMONA DO FALLY KISS, YOUNG, ADLON, AND CANNON ALL AGREE ’S THE FILM’S BOLST STEP—AND ONE BOTH THE STUD AND DIENC HAVE EMBRACED. WHEN THE FILM PREMIERED TO A ROWDY DIENCE AT SXSW AT LAST MONTH, THE KISS BETWEEN SAM AND RAMONA WHICH IS TREATED AS THE MOVIE’S ROMANTIC CLIMAX, DREW THE BIGGT, MOST ECSTATIC REACTN OM THE CROWD. CANNON SAID THAT WHEN SHE SCREENED THE FILM FOR IENDS AND FAY, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK WRER LREN MORELLI WAS BROUGHT TO TEARS BY THE KISS. “‘IF I HAD HAD THIS MOVIE WHEN I WAS 15 YEARS OLD . . .” SHE TOLD CANNON. “I NNOT BELIEVE THAT TEENAGERS ARE GONNA GET TO SEE THEMSELV ON SCREEN LIKE THIS.”ADLON HEARD SIAR STORI. “I’VE ALREADY HAD A UPLE PEOPLE E UP TO ME AND TELL ME THAT SOMEONE THEIR FAY HAS E OUT BEE OF EVEN JT THE PREVIEW, OR PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY WISH THEY HAD THIS MOVIE WHEN THEY WERE HIGH SCHOOL.”SO HAVE LOVE, SIMON AND BLOCKERS PERMANENTLY TORN DOWN A WALL? IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT WHILE THE FORMER IS MARKETED EXPLICLY AS A GAY LOVE STORY, BLOCKERS TREATS SAM’S JOURNEY AS DISTCT OM BUT PART AND PARCEL WH THE HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS THE FILM. IT’S REHGLY NORMALIZG—WHICH SEEMS TO BE A MISSN STATEMENT FOR THE MOVIE’S ST AND CREW. “THIS YEAR ’S BEG A VERY NORMAL THG TO SEE AND FEELS SO SPECIAL TO HAVE AN EMPOWERG STORY LE A MOVIE LIKE THIS, A TIME LIKE NOW,” ADLON SAID. “I KNOW THAT YOUNG WOMEN ARE STARVG TO SEEM THEMSELV FILMS LIKE THIS, WHERE THEY’RE JT NORMAL KIDS GOG THROUGH ‘NORMAL’ THGS,” CANNON ADDS. “I PUT THE SEND NORMAL QUOT BEE THE IA OF A YOUNG WOMAN STGGLG WH HER SEXUALY MIGHT BE FOREIGN TO SOME PARENTS. I HOPE THAT WHEN KIDS WATCH AND PARENTS WATCH , BRIDG THIS MUNITN GAP BETWEEN A KID WHO MIGHT BE GOG THROUGH SOMETHG LIKE THIS AND THEIR PARENTS.”NOT AN ORDARY GOAL FOR A MOVIE VOLVG JOHN CENA BUTT-CHUGGG BEER. BUT BLOCKERS IS NO ORDARY FILM.JOANNA ROBSON
• IS LLIE MANN GAY?

THE STORY BEHD BLOCKERS’ UNEXPECTED GAY ROMANCEDIRECTOR KAY CANNON AND STAR GION ADLON AND RAMONA YOUNG ON THE FILM'S POTENTIALLY GROUNDBREAKG KISS.BY JOANNA ROBSONAPRIL 6, 2018RAMONA YOUNG AND GION ALDON STAR AS ANGELI AND SAM BLOCKERS.BY QUANTRELL D. COLBERT.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHIS ARTICLE NTAS PLOT TAILS FOR BLOCKERS.BLOCKERS HAS E A LONG WAY OM S ORIGS AS A SPEC SCRIPT LLED CHERRI, ABOUT A TR OF DADS TRYG TO PROTECT THE VIRTUE OF THEIR THREE STRAIGHT DGHTERS WHO PLAN TO LOSE THEIR VIRGY ON PROM NIGHT. OPENG WI RELEASE THIS WEEKEND, ’S A BAWDY VEHICLE FOR ADULT STARS LLIE MANN, IKE BARHOLTZ, AND JOHN CENA, A POWERFUL TRODUCTN FOR TEEN STARS KATHRYN NEWTON, GION ADLON, AND GERALDE VISWANATHAN, AND A LLG RD FOR DIRECTOR KAY CANNON, THE WRER OF THE PCH PERFECT FILMS MAKG HER DIRECTORIAL BUT. PREMIERG AFTER RAV AT SXSW, WH REVIEWS PRAISG S PROGRSIVE ATTUS TOWARDS FEMALE EMPOWERMENT, TERGENERATNAL MUNITN, AND TREATMENT OF SEXUAL NSENT THE POST-WESTE ERA.AND ’S THE SEND STUD EDY THE LAST MONTH TO FEATURE WHAT WAS ONCE NSIRED EXTRAORDARY: A CLIMACTIC KISS BETWEEN TWO GAY TEENAGERS. ADLON’S SAM, WHILE AIMG TO LOSE HER VIRGY JT LIKE HER STRAIGHT IENDS, IS HARBORG A CSH ON A GIRL NAMED ANGELI (RAMONA YOUNG). THE WAY THAT STORY PLAYS OUT, AND NEVER ONCE FLCH DURG THEIR TRIUMPHANT END-OF-MOVIE KISS, MEANS BLOCKERS, ALONG WH FOX’S LOVE, SIMON, MAY HAVE FALLY BROKEN THROUGH A TABOO BIG-BUDGET STUD FILMMAKERS HAVE BEEN TRYG HARD TO CRACK FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS.“IT ME OM ME,” CANNON SAYS ANKLY OVER THE PHONE, WHEN ASKED HOW THE GAY LOVE STORY VELOPED AFTER JIM AND BRIAN KEHOE’S ORIGAL SCRIPT UNRWENT MULTIPLE RE-WR. “IT WAS MY IA TO MAKE SAM GAY AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGT CHANG. WHEN I RECEIVED THE SCRIPT, THE MOM WAS ALREADY THERE. BUT THERE WAS VERY, VERY LTLE FOR THE DGHTERS. I WANTED TO SHOW THREE PLETELY DIFFERENT RELATABLE STORI OF WHO REPRENTS HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS.”SAM’S CSH ON ANGELI IS APPARENT OM THE FIRST MOMENT THE ADLON’S CHARACTER FUMBL AND STAMMERS HER PRENCE. BUT AMID THE SLAPSTICK EDY AND GROSS-OUT HUMOR, BLOCKERS NSISTENTLY MAK TIME FOR A NUANCED LOOK AT SAM’S ANXIETI ABOUT G OUT, MUCH LS PURSUG HER FIRST KISS ALONGSI HER STRAIGHT IENDS, JULIE AND KAYLA. “SAM’S STORY WAS ALWAYS LEADG WH THIS IA OF BEG WORRIED THAT SHE WOULDN’T NNECT WH HER IENDS BEE THEY WERE LOSG THEIR VIRGY TO GUYS AND SHE WASN’T READY TO LOSE HER VIRGY, LET ALONE NONT HER SEXUALY, AND SO SHE’S FULL OF FEAR,” CANNON EXPLAS. WHEN SHE OVER THAT FEAR AND KISS RAMONA, ’S A FAIRLY STUNNG LEAP FORWARD FOR AN DTRY THAT’S BEEN PUBLICLY SKTISH RECENT YEARS ABOUT GAY ROMANCE.BOTH THOR: RAGNAROK AND BLACK PANTHER SHOT BUT EVENTUALLY CUT SCEN THAT REVEALED THEIR CHARACTERS AS GAY OR BISEXUAL—AND THOUGH THE “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” DISNEY’S BETY AND THE BEAST WAS BALLYHOOED, DIDN’T AMOUNT TO MUCH. EVEN A CHARACTER EMBRACED AS ONE OF THEIR OWN BY GAY DIENC, KATE MCKNON’S HOLTZMANN 2016’S GHOSTBTERS, WAS FORCED TO STAY AMBIGUO. ASKED DIRECTLY WHETHER HOLTZMANN WAS GAY, DIRECTOR PL FEIG OFFERED THE DAILY BEAST A SILENT NOD AND GR: “I HATE TO BE Y ABOUT , BUT WHEN YOU’RE ALG WH THE STUDS AND THAT KD OF THG . . .” BEFORE SHGGG APOLOGETILLY.THIS TIME, NOBODY IS KEEPG QUIET OR APOLOGIZG. “THERE WAS NO PHBACK ON !” CANNON SAYS FIRMLY ABOUT UNIVERSAL’S REACTN TO HER SCRIPT CHANG. “MAYBE I’M MISREMEMBERG, BUT I THK THAT WAS ALL REALLY EXCG TO SHOW SOMETHG DIFFERENT. IT WAS A GROUP EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO WHAT HIGH-SCHOOL GIRLS ARE REALLY TLY EXPERIENCG AND WE ULDN’T NY THAT.”MILLENNIAL ACTRS YOUNG AND ADLON, MEANWHILE, WONR WHAT THE BIG AL IS. “I THK ’S FUNNY THAT PEOPLE KEEP ASKG ME WHAT ’S LIKE TO PLAY SAM VERS A REGULAR TEEN,” ALDON TELLS ME. “I’M LIKE, ‘SAM IS A REGULAR TEEN.’ SHE HAS A CSH ON SOMEONE JT LIKE ANYONE HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WANTS TO KISS SOMEONE, SHE WANTS TO BE WH THEM. SHE’S JT A GIRL WH A CSH AND I DON’T THK SHOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHAT GENR THAT CSH HAPPENS TO BE.” YOUNG AGRE: “I HAD NO NCERNS WH WHATSOEVER AND I WAS PLETELY PASSNATE ABOUT DOG ANGELI JTICE.”BUT CANNON, 43-YEARS-OLD AND A 6-YEAR VETERAN OF THE STUD SYSTEM, HAD ENDLS WORRI ABOUT GETTG THE SAM AND RAMONA ROMANCE, AND THEIR CHARACTERS, RIGHT. ADLON’S LAST NAME MIGHT BE FAIAR TO FANS OF HER MOTHER PAMELA ADLON’S WORK ON THE FX SERI BETTER THGS, BUT THE ACTRS HAD TO DN JT LIKE ANYONE ELSE AND WALKED AWAY NVCED SHE DIDN’T GET THE ROLE. BY STG CHE-AMERIN YOUNG AS SAM’S LOVE TERT, CANNON AIMED FOR AN EVEN BROAR LEVEL OF REPRENTATN AND TERSECTNAL QUEERNS HER FILM. “I WAS TRYG TO MAKE THE ST DIVERSE AND THE ROLE OF ANGELI CERTALY ULD LL FOR THAT. RAMONA, I LOVED HER DN SO MUCH, SHE’S A GREAT WEIRDO.”UNLIKE SAM, ANGELI IS NOT AT ALL NFED ABOUT HER SEXUAL INTY. CANNON CRACKS UP RELLG YOUNG’S DRY, NFINT LIVERY OF THE LE WHERE RAMONA REVEALS TO SAM THAT SHE KNEW SHE WAS GAY WHEN SHE HELD CLASSMATE DASH LOWENSTE’S DICK AND SAID “FUCK NO.” SAM HAS A SIAR REVELATN HERSELF LATER THE FILM.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHBEYOND THE HANDLG OF THE YOUNG WOMEN THEMSELV, CANNON WAS ALSO NCERNED WH HOW THE CHARACTERS AROUND THEM WOULD REACT TO SAM’S G OUT. THIS CLUS GENTLE TREATMENT OF SAM’S ERSTWHILE PROM DATE CHAD—A ROUND-FACED FEDORA-WEARG GGER WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN A WALKG PUNCH LE ANY OTHER MOVIE—AND SPECIAL ATTENTN TO HOW AND WHEN SAM WAS OUTED, EVEN LOVGLY, BY HER DAD HUNTER (BARHOLTZ). BUT SAM’S IENDLY, FAILED BEDROOM ENUNTER WH CHAD AND TWO TLY POIGNANT G-OUT SCEN, FIRST WH HER FATHER AND THEN WH HER IENDS, PROVI ALL THE CLARY SHE NEEDS TO LEAD HER BACK TO RAMONA.WHEN SAM AND RAMONA DO FALLY KISS, YOUNG, ADLON, AND CANNON ALL AGREE ’S THE FILM’S BOLST STEP—AND ONE BOTH THE STUD AND DIENC HAVE EMBRACED. WHEN THE FILM PREMIERED TO A ROWDY DIENCE AT SXSW AT LAST MONTH, THE KISS BETWEEN SAM AND RAMONA WHICH IS TREATED AS THE MOVIE’S ROMANTIC CLIMAX, DREW THE BIGGT, MOST ECSTATIC REACTN OM THE CROWD. CANNON SAID THAT WHEN SHE SCREENED THE FILM FOR IENDS AND FAY, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK WRER LREN MORELLI WAS BROUGHT TO TEARS BY THE KISS. “‘IF I HAD HAD THIS MOVIE WHEN I WAS 15 YEARS OLD . . .” SHE TOLD CANNON. “I NNOT BELIEVE THAT TEENAGERS ARE GONNA GET TO SEE THEMSELV ON SCREEN LIKE THIS.”ADLON HEARD SIAR STORI. “I’VE ALREADY HAD A UPLE PEOPLE E UP TO ME AND TELL ME THAT SOMEONE THEIR FAY HAS E OUT BEE OF EVEN JT THE PREVIEW, OR PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY WISH THEY HAD THIS MOVIE WHEN THEY WERE HIGH SCHOOL.”SO HAVE LOVE, SIMON AND BLOCKERS PERMANENTLY TORN DOWN A WALL? IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT WHILE THE FORMER IS MARKETED EXPLICLY AS A GAY LOVE STORY, BLOCKERS TREATS SAM’S JOURNEY AS DISTCT OM BUT PART AND PARCEL WH THE HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS THE FILM. IT’S REHGLY NORMALIZG—WHICH SEEMS TO BE A MISSN STATEMENT FOR THE MOVIE’S ST AND CREW. “THIS YEAR ’S BEG A VERY NORMAL THG TO SEE AND FEELS SO SPECIAL TO HAVE AN EMPOWERG STORY LE A MOVIE LIKE THIS, A TIME LIKE NOW,” ADLON SAID. “I KNOW THAT YOUNG WOMEN ARE STARVG TO SEEM THEMSELV FILMS LIKE THIS, WHERE THEY’RE JT NORMAL KIDS GOG THROUGH ‘NORMAL’ THGS,” CANNON ADDS. “I PUT THE SEND NORMAL QUOT BEE THE IA OF A YOUNG WOMAN STGGLG WH HER SEXUALY MIGHT BE FOREIGN TO SOME PARENTS. I HOPE THAT WHEN KIDS WATCH AND PARENTS WATCH , BRIDG THIS MUNITN GAP BETWEEN A KID WHO MIGHT BE GOG THROUGH SOMETHG LIKE THIS AND THEIR PARENTS.”NOT AN ORDARY GOAL FOR A MOVIE VOLVG JOHN CENA BUTT-CHUGGG BEER. BUT BLOCKERS IS NO ORDARY FILM.JOANNA ROBSON

Premierg after rav at SXSW, wh reviews praisg s progrsive attus towards female empowerment, tergeneratnal munitn, and treatment of sexual nsent the post-Weste ’s the send stud edy the last month to feature what was once nsired extraordary: a climactic kiss between two gay teenagers. “It me om me, ” Cannon says ankly over the phone, when asked how the gay love story veloped after Jim and Brian Kehoe’s origal script unrwent multiple re-wr. “It was my ia to make Sam gay and that was one of the biggt chang.

When she over that fear and kiss Ramona, ’s a fairly stunng leap forward for an dtry that’s been publicly sktish recent years about gay Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther shot but eventually cut scen that revealed their characters as gay or bisexual—and though the “exclively gay moment” Disney’s Bety and the Beast was ballyhooed, didn’t amount to much. Even a character embraced as one of their own by gay dienc, Kate McKnon’s Holtzmann 2016’s Ghostbters, was forced to stay ambiguo. Asked directly whether Holtzmann was gay, director Pl Feig offered the Daily Beast a silent nod and gr: “I hate to be y about , but when you’re alg wh the studs and that kd of thg...

Cannon cracks up rellg Young’s dry, nfint livery of the le where Ramona reveals to Sam that she knew she was gay when she held classmate Dash Lowenste’s dick and said “fuck no.

IS LLIE MANN GAY?

For this gay prs exclive, the actrs rells the fx lbian actn on the set of “The Other Woman” (out April 25), clarifi statements she ma regardg her sexualy (don’t ll her bisexual), and advis the ladi to “step up a ltle b. Recently I was at the gay club and they played that unfettable sg-along om “The Sweett Thg”: “The Penis Song. When you did that song wh Selma Blair and Christa Applegate 2002, did you ever thk the gays would still be dancg to a song about penis this many years later?

” Why do you thk gay men particular are so drawn to the movi? Gays and lbians know what ’s like to be discrimated agast, to be the unrdog and to have to fight to be seen. Gog back, what movie of yours do you attribute to the begng of your gay followg?