‘Palmer’ Heralds Jt Timberlake as Hollywood’s Latt Savr of Gays

Contents:

• JT TIMBERLAKE CLAR HIMSELF AN LGBT+ ALLY AND TO QUOTE OPRAH, WE’VE NEVER HEARD THIS OM ANY GAY PERSON
• LANCE BASS THOUGHT TIMBERLAKE WAS GAY
• JT TIMBERLAKE IS HOLLYWOOD’S LATT SAVR OF GAYSCAN’T STOP THE FEELINGAPPLE TV+TIMBERLAKE IS FANTASTIC AS AN EX-N FATHER FIGURE TO A GENR-NONNFORMG BOY. BUT WHY IS HOLLYWOOD OBSSED WH STRAIGHT-MAN REMPTN ARCS LGBTQ+ STORI?KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED JAN. 27, 2021 7:06AM EST IT MAY BE THE SE THAT MANY OF ARE STILL FLOATG AROUND OUR FEEL-GOOD STUPOR, EAGER TO FEED THE HIGH AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AFTER A FOUR-YEAR PLUMMET DOWN A BOTTOMLS EMOTNAL AND PSYCHOLOGIL WELL. IT’S NOT EVEN POSIVY OR HOPE THAT WE’RE HANGG ON TO, BUT THE ABILY TO FEEL ANYTHG NORMAL WAYS AGA—TO GRIEVE, TO MOURN, TO FEEL EVERYTHG OM ANGER TO RELIEF AND, Y, EVEN JOY.MAYBE WE DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE THAT, FOR FOUR YEARS, WE’VE BEEN HOLDG OUR BREATH. IT’S NOT UNTIL WE EXHALED THAT WE REALIZED THAT ALL THE FEELGS WERE READY TO POUR OUT, THE GOOD ON, BAD ON, AND ALL THE ON BETWEEN. IT’S A LOT OF FEELG TO DO! IT’S EXHSTG, BUT ALSO TOXITG.AND RIDG ON THAT BUZZ IS THE NEW JT TIMBERLAKE-STARRG DRAMA PALMER, AND S THEM OF TOLERANCE, REMPTN, EMPATHY, AND THE CELEBRATN OF OTHERNS.IT IS CEMATIC FORT FOOD AT A RARE AND OVERDUE BANQUET TIME FOR EARNTNS, GOODNS, AND REMRS THAT LTLE SPARKS OF HUMANY STILL EXIST. PALMER IS, AS FAR AS THE THGS GO THE WORLD OF ART AND CEMA, GEILLY ENGEERED TO FORCE YOU TO—ER, I MEAN LET YOU—FEEL THGS. IN THE FILM, OUT FRIDAY ON APPLE TV+, TIMBERLAKE PLAYS AN EX-N NAMED EDDIE PALMER, WHO AFTER SERVG 12 YEARS FOR A FELONY, RETURNS TO HIS HOMETOWN THE RAL SOUTH TO LIVE WH HIS GRANDMOTHER, VIVIAN (JUNE SQUIBB, INIC AS ALWAYS), WHO RAISED HIM. LIVG A TRAILER NEXT DOOR IS A NOTHG-BUT-TROUBLE SGLE MOM (JUNO TEMPLE) AND HER 7-YEAR-OLD SON, SAM (NEWER RYR ALLEN). PALMER GAZ OUT THE WDOW AT THEM, WATCHG THE MOTHER AND SON PLAY WH DOLLS TOGETHER, AND RAIS AN EYEBROW. PALMER IS SURPRISED ONE MORNG TO FD SAM THE HOE. HIS MOTHER TOOK OFF—NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME—AND, AS SHE’S DONE BEFORE, VIVIAN TAK HIM . THEY EAT MEALS TOGETHER, AND GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER. VIVIAN LETS SAM DO HER HAIR AND PLAY WH HER MAKP. SAM IS REMARKABLY UNSELF-NSC ABOUT HIS BEHAVR, EVEN AROUND PALMER. “YOU KNOW YOU’RE A BOY, RIGHT? BOYS DON’T PLAY WH DOLLS,” PALMER SAYS. “WELL I’M A BOY, AND I DO,” SAM SHGS REPLY.WHEN VIVIAN TRAGILLY DI HER SLEEP ONE NIGHT, ’S LEFT TO PALMER TO RE FOR SAM. YOU WOULD THK THE TWO WOULD IMMEDIATELY CLASH. BUT PALMER SE THE WAYS WHICH THE MUNY, BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS, BULLY SAM OVER HIS UNFLAPPABLE NFINCE HIMSELF TO PROUDLY WANT TO DRS LIKE A PRCS AND HAVE TEA PARTI WH THE GIRLS AT SCHOOL. PALMER BE AN UNFLCHG SUPPORTER AND FENR OF SAM, AND THE KD OF FATHER FIGURE THAT A BOY LIKE THAT SPERATELY NEEDS.FOLKS, YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE THIS: THEY SAVE EACH OTHER.THE BT THG ABOUT PALMER IS THAT YOU’VE SEEN BEFORE. IT’S BIG DADDY, BUT SER. IT’S ABOUT A BOY, BUT THE BOY IS GAY. I N’T SPEAK TO HOW GNIZANT THE FILMMAKERS, CLUDG DIRECTOR FISHER STEVENS AND SCREENWRER CHERYL GUERRIERO, WERE OF THIS FORMULA, BUT THE FILM IS ALL THE BETTER FOR NOT STRAYG OM , HTG EVERY FAIAR BEAT WH THE PRECISN OF THE STRGS PLUCKED THE ATIC-GUAR SRE THAT YOU N ALREADY HEAR JT BY MY SCRIBG THIS MOVIE.IT LOOSENS THE TAP ON ALL THOSE AFOREMENTNED, BOTTLED-UP EMOTNS AND LETS THEM SPRAY OUT WH ALL THE FORCE OF A FIREHOE: A LUGE OF THARTIC APPRECIATN FOR SAM’S STGGLE, PALMER’S SELFLSNS, AND THEIR FORTU FACG THE BUMPY ROAD AHEAD A CEL SOCIETY. ADVERTISEMENT YOU WILL CRY, AND YOU WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. YOU WILL BE PROUD OF YOUR EMPATHY, AND OF YOUR WOKENS. THAT LTLE BOY SAM DON’T SERVE A HARD LIFE JT BEE HE LIK GIRLY THGS AND LIV A TOWN FULL OF HOMOPHOB! IT’S A MOVIE THAT DOUBL AS A PAT ON THE BACK FOR S TARGET DIENCE, AND THERE LI THE SLIGHT PROBLEM.THE MSAGG IS IRREFUTABLE. TIMBERLAKE, TO HIS CRED, IS EXCELLENT, A TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO A PROMISG ACTG REER THAT HAD AT ONE POT APPEARED WOBBLY. ALLEN AS SAM IS A REVELATN. PALMER IS SO WATCHABLE YOU ALMOST DON’T NEED TO FULLY PAY ATTENTN AND YET YOU’D STILL REAP ALL THE EMOTNAL BENEFS. BUT ’S THIS THG WHERE I LEGIMATELY LOVED A MOVIE THAT I’M NOT SURE I’M GLAD EXISTS.IN ADDN TO THE “UNLIKELY PARENTAL FIGURE TO A LOST CHILD” OVRE, THERE’S ANOTHER, CREASGLY FAIAR GENRE THAT PALMER BELONGS TO: THE EMOTNALLY MANIPULATIVE OSR-BA WHICH A REFORMED HOMOPHOBE TRANSFORMS TO A GAY SAVR. IN OTHER WORDS, WELL-MEANG FILMS THAT DON’T SO MUCH TREAD, BUT ABE, THE FE LE BETWEEN HUMAN SIGHT AND EXPLOG QUEER PA.IT’S A PLITED TENSN TO DISCS, AND THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS ABOUT HOW TO TELL THE STORI, OR EVEN IF THEY ARE STORI THAT SHOULD BE TOLD.WHILE A FAR SUPERR FILM, THERE ARE NOT OF PALMER THAT ARE REMISCENT OF JOE BELL, THE MARK WAHLBERG DRAMA THAT PREMIERED AT THE TORONTO INTERNATNAL FILM FTIVAL THIS FALL, BUT WAS JT RECENTLY MOVED OFF THE RELEASE LENDAR TO A TBD DATE LATER THIS YEAR. THERE ARE ECHO, TOO, OF FALLG, THE UPG FILM WRTEN, DIRECTED BY AND STARRG VIGGO MORTENSEN ABOUT A GAY SON RECKONG WH HIS FATHER’S ABIVE HOMOPHOBIA AS HIS OLD AGE BEGS TO CLOSE THE WDOW OF OPPORTUNY FOR CLOSURE. ADVERTISEMENT “IT’S A PLITED TENSN TO DISCS, AND THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS ABOUT HOW TO TELL THE STORI, OR EVEN IF THEY ARE STORI THAT SHOULD BE TOLD.” THE TWO FILMS ARE EMOTNALLY GELG STORI ABOUT TORTURED BUT EVOLVG RELATNSHIPS BETWEEN UNACCEPTG FATHERS AND THEIR GAY SONS, AND THE SRS THAT LGER OM SUCH A GHT BOND. THEY BOTH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE EYE-OPENG ENTRé TO PLITED NVERSATNS ABOUT SEXUALY AND MASCULY THAT ULD DO GREAT GOOD FOR DIENC.BUT BOTH FILMS ALSO ENTER THE NVERSATN OF WHO SHOULD BE TELLG THE STORI OF THOSE WHO ARE MARGALIZED AND UNRREPRENTED. NEHER SATISFY THOSE TIRED OF WATCHG THE STGGLE FOR QUEER ACCEPTANCE FILTERED THROUGH STRAIGHT CHARACTERS’ JOURNEYS AND CRAFTED BY STRAIGHT CREATIVE TEAMS. THAT SHOULDN’T WHOLLY DISUNT ANY OF THEIR CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS, BUT ’S A WORTHY NSIRATN.HOW DO PALMER ENTER THE PICTURE?SAM IS 7 YEARS OLD. HIS SEXUALY IS NOT DISCSED, OBVLY—AGA, HE IS 7. BUT GENR INTY AND EXPRSN ARE AT THE ROOT OF HIS RELATNS WH EVERY CHARACTER THE FILM, AND PECIALLY WH PALMER. THOSE WHO ATTACK HIM ARE PORTRAYED AS BIGOTS. BUT SAM’S JOURNEY, WHILE THE TALYST FOR PALMER’S OWN, IS SENDARY TO . IT IS ONCE AGA A FILM THAT IS CENTERED ON THE STRAIGHT, CIS CHARACTER’S REMPTN.THAT SELF IS BEG SOMEWHAT OF A TROPE. ADVERTISEMENT WHERE ONCE THE JUICY ROLE FOR A STRAIGHT ACTOR WAS PLAYG THE PERSECUTED QUEER PERSON, NOW ’S THE CHARACTER WHO HAS A CRISIS OF NSCIENCE ABOUT THEIR ROLE THE PERSECUTG THAT IS APPEALG. IT’S AN EVOLUTN THE INTY POLICS OF STG QUEER ROL, BUT STILL BEGS THE QUTN OF THE VALUE OF THIS KD OF STORYTELLG. APPLE TV+ THERE IS THE PRUMPTN THAT THIS IS SOMETHG FEEL-GOOD WHEN IS ACTUALLY, AT LEAST SOME RPECTS, DOG HARM. I N’T TELL YOU HOW SPIRG IS TO SEE JT TIMBERLAKE PLAY A TOUGH GUY WHO BE PLETELY ENAMORED BY AND ACCEPTG OF A GENR-NON-NFORMG YOUNG BOY. IT MEANS SOMETHG—A WHOLE LOT, ACTUALLY—TO HAVE ON FILM A FATHER FIGURE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTG A CHILD THIS WAY. BUT THE ABE THAT PALMER WNS, AND THE DIENCE WNS, IS TRIGGERG, NO SMALL WAY PERPETUATG AND NORMALIZG THOSE THGS.IT N’T BE REERATED ENOUGH HOW PLITED ALL THIS IS. SAM IS A HEROIC CHARACTER, AND ’S SO REHG TO WATCH HIM PRENT WH UNBRIDLED NFINCE, REGARDLS OF GENR NORMS. BUT HE’S ALSO FALLIBLE. HE’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO ADORE, PREC AND KD-HEARTED. HE HAS TO BE ORR FOR A STORY LIKE THIS TO WORK. PERFECTN IS STILL REQUIRED TO BALANCE OTHERNS IF DIENC ARE GOG TO GET ON BOARD.IT’S BETIFUL TO SEE THE WAYS WHICH PALMER AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE THE MUNY SUPPORT AND FOSTER SAM’S TERT AND INTY. HE’S HAVG A HEALTHIER UPBRGG THAN MOST, WHO ARE NSTANTLY SILENCED OR RRECTED OR ABED. WHEN YOU’RE OLR, OUT, AND PROUD WH A SUPPORT SYSTEM, YOU’RE CELEBRATED FOR YOUR FASCATN WH DIVAS AND PRCS AND PRETTY THGS. BUT WHAT IF WE GAVE CHILDREN, LTLE BOYS, THAT SAME PERMISSN? WHAT IF PLAYG WH BARBI WASN’T ILLIC, A REASON FOR SHAME?THOSE QUTNS ARE ALLOWED TO BE RAISED THIS MOVIE, BUT ONLY BEE OF PALMER’S OWN HEROIC PASSN. ADVERTISEMENT THE IA OF A SAVR REQUIR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS SAVG. THAT LACK OF AGENCY, EVEN A STORY AS FEEL-GOOD AS THIS, IS A NTUATN OF THE S OF HARMFUL HOLLYWOOD TROP WHICH QUEERNS AND GENR INTY ARE ED AS PROPS.I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IF YOU MA THIS FAR TO THIS REVIEW, YOU ARE A PERSON WHO WILL BE MOVED BY THIS FILM. AND I’M GLAD. IT FELT NICE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE AND FEEL WARM SI, TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT A BETTER FUTURE FULL OF PALMERS AND SAMS.THE FACT THAT THE MOVIE IS SO EASY TO LIKE AND BE EMOTNALLY AFFECTED BY IS WHY ALSO MERS SUCH SCTY. AND THE MOST VALUABLE THG N DO IS VE THE NVERSATN I HOPE SPARKS. KEV FALLON
• I THK JT TIMBERLAKE MIGHT BE GAY

JT TIMBERLAKE CLAR HIMSELF AN LGBT+ ALLY AND TO QUOTE OPRAH, WE’VE NEVER HEARD THIS OM ANY GAY PERSON

Timberlake has the past said that he was “stoked” New York had troduced marriage equaly for gay upl, sayg he was proud the state had “the balls to stand up for what’s right”.

Lance Bass first thought the majory of ‘NSYNC was gay. “When we were the group, we thought Jt was gay, bee he told he wanted to do a gay part a movie, ” said Bass. The gay speculatn did not stop wh Jt Timberlake.

“We thought Chris was gay bee he ed to hang out wh a choreographer, ” Bass add.

LANCE BASS THOUGHT TIMBERLAKE WAS GAY

“I thk ’s awome that Lance thought I was gay while we were the band together, ” he told People.

And stg directors e up to me and say, ‘We n’t put you bee you’re gay. It’s About a Boy, but the boy is gay. That ltle boy Sam don’t serve a hard life jt bee he lik girly thgs and liv a town full of homophob!

JT TIMBERLAKE IS HOLLYWOOD’S LATT SAVR OF GAYSCAN’T STOP THE FEELINGAPPLE TV+TIMBERLAKE IS FANTASTIC AS AN EX-N FATHER FIGURE TO A GENR-NONNFORMG BOY. BUT WHY IS HOLLYWOOD OBSSED WH STRAIGHT-MAN REMPTN ARCS LGBTQ+ STORI?KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED JAN. 27, 2021 7:06AM EST IT MAY BE THE SE THAT MANY OF ARE STILL FLOATG AROUND OUR FEEL-GOOD STUPOR, EAGER TO FEED THE HIGH AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AFTER A FOUR-YEAR PLUMMET DOWN A BOTTOMLS EMOTNAL AND PSYCHOLOGIL WELL. IT’S NOT EVEN POSIVY OR HOPE THAT WE’RE HANGG ON TO, BUT THE ABILY TO FEEL ANYTHG NORMAL WAYS AGA—TO GRIEVE, TO MOURN, TO FEEL EVERYTHG OM ANGER TO RELIEF AND, Y, EVEN JOY.MAYBE WE DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE THAT, FOR FOUR YEARS, WE’VE BEEN HOLDG OUR BREATH. IT’S NOT UNTIL WE EXHALED THAT WE REALIZED THAT ALL THE FEELGS WERE READY TO POUR OUT, THE GOOD ON, BAD ON, AND ALL THE ON BETWEEN. IT’S A LOT OF FEELG TO DO! IT’S EXHSTG, BUT ALSO TOXITG.AND RIDG ON THAT BUZZ IS THE NEW JT TIMBERLAKE-STARRG DRAMA PALMER, AND S THEM OF TOLERANCE, REMPTN, EMPATHY, AND THE CELEBRATN OF OTHERNS.IT IS CEMATIC FORT FOOD AT A RARE AND OVERDUE BANQUET TIME FOR EARNTNS, GOODNS, AND REMRS THAT LTLE SPARKS OF HUMANY STILL EXIST. PALMER IS, AS FAR AS THE THGS GO THE WORLD OF ART AND CEMA, GEILLY ENGEERED TO FORCE YOU TO—ER, I MEAN LET YOU—FEEL THGS. IN THE FILM, OUT FRIDAY ON APPLE TV+, TIMBERLAKE PLAYS AN EX-N NAMED EDDIE PALMER, WHO AFTER SERVG 12 YEARS FOR A FELONY, RETURNS TO HIS HOMETOWN THE RAL SOUTH TO LIVE WH HIS GRANDMOTHER, VIVIAN (JUNE SQUIBB, INIC AS ALWAYS), WHO RAISED HIM. LIVG A TRAILER NEXT DOOR IS A NOTHG-BUT-TROUBLE SGLE MOM (JUNO TEMPLE) AND HER 7-YEAR-OLD SON, SAM (NEWER RYR ALLEN). PALMER GAZ OUT THE WDOW AT THEM, WATCHG THE MOTHER AND SON PLAY WH DOLLS TOGETHER, AND RAIS AN EYEBROW. PALMER IS SURPRISED ONE MORNG TO FD SAM THE HOE. HIS MOTHER TOOK OFF—NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME—AND, AS SHE’S DONE BEFORE, VIVIAN TAK HIM . THEY EAT MEALS TOGETHER, AND GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER. VIVIAN LETS SAM DO HER HAIR AND PLAY WH HER MAKP. SAM IS REMARKABLY UNSELF-NSC ABOUT HIS BEHAVR, EVEN AROUND PALMER. “YOU KNOW YOU’RE A BOY, RIGHT? BOYS DON’T PLAY WH DOLLS,” PALMER SAYS. “WELL I’M A BOY, AND I DO,” SAM SHGS REPLY.WHEN VIVIAN TRAGILLY DI HER SLEEP ONE NIGHT, ’S LEFT TO PALMER TO RE FOR SAM. YOU WOULD THK THE TWO WOULD IMMEDIATELY CLASH. BUT PALMER SE THE WAYS WHICH THE MUNY, BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS, BULLY SAM OVER HIS UNFLAPPABLE NFINCE HIMSELF TO PROUDLY WANT TO DRS LIKE A PRCS AND HAVE TEA PARTI WH THE GIRLS AT SCHOOL. PALMER BE AN UNFLCHG SUPPORTER AND FENR OF SAM, AND THE KD OF FATHER FIGURE THAT A BOY LIKE THAT SPERATELY NEEDS.FOLKS, YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE THIS: THEY SAVE EACH OTHER.THE BT THG ABOUT PALMER IS THAT YOU’VE SEEN BEFORE. IT’S BIG DADDY, BUT SER. IT’S ABOUT A BOY, BUT THE BOY IS GAY. I N’T SPEAK TO HOW GNIZANT THE FILMMAKERS, CLUDG DIRECTOR FISHER STEVENS AND SCREENWRER CHERYL GUERRIERO, WERE OF THIS FORMULA, BUT THE FILM IS ALL THE BETTER FOR NOT STRAYG OM , HTG EVERY FAIAR BEAT WH THE PRECISN OF THE STRGS PLUCKED THE ATIC-GUAR SRE THAT YOU N ALREADY HEAR JT BY MY SCRIBG THIS MOVIE.IT LOOSENS THE TAP ON ALL THOSE AFOREMENTNED, BOTTLED-UP EMOTNS AND LETS THEM SPRAY OUT WH ALL THE FORCE OF A FIREHOE: A LUGE OF THARTIC APPRECIATN FOR SAM’S STGGLE, PALMER’S SELFLSNS, AND THEIR FORTU FACG THE BUMPY ROAD AHEAD A CEL SOCIETY. ADVERTISEMENT YOU WILL CRY, AND YOU WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. YOU WILL BE PROUD OF YOUR EMPATHY, AND OF YOUR WOKENS. THAT LTLE BOY SAM DON’T SERVE A HARD LIFE JT BEE HE LIK GIRLY THGS AND LIV A TOWN FULL OF HOMOPHOB! IT’S A MOVIE THAT DOUBL AS A PAT ON THE BACK FOR S TARGET DIENCE, AND THERE LI THE SLIGHT PROBLEM.THE MSAGG IS IRREFUTABLE. TIMBERLAKE, TO HIS CRED, IS EXCELLENT, A TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO A PROMISG ACTG REER THAT HAD AT ONE POT APPEARED WOBBLY. ALLEN AS SAM IS A REVELATN. PALMER IS SO WATCHABLE YOU ALMOST DON’T NEED TO FULLY PAY ATTENTN AND YET YOU’D STILL REAP ALL THE EMOTNAL BENEFS. BUT ’S THIS THG WHERE I LEGIMATELY LOVED A MOVIE THAT I’M NOT SURE I’M GLAD EXISTS.IN ADDN TO THE “UNLIKELY PARENTAL FIGURE TO A LOST CHILD” OVRE, THERE’S ANOTHER, CREASGLY FAIAR GENRE THAT PALMER BELONGS TO: THE EMOTNALLY MANIPULATIVE OSR-BA WHICH A REFORMED HOMOPHOBE TRANSFORMS TO A GAY SAVR. IN OTHER WORDS, WELL-MEANG FILMS THAT DON’T SO MUCH TREAD, BUT ABE, THE FE LE BETWEEN HUMAN SIGHT AND EXPLOG QUEER PA.IT’S A PLITED TENSN TO DISCS, AND THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS ABOUT HOW TO TELL THE STORI, OR EVEN IF THEY ARE STORI THAT SHOULD BE TOLD.WHILE A FAR SUPERR FILM, THERE ARE NOT OF PALMER THAT ARE REMISCENT OF JOE BELL, THE MARK WAHLBERG DRAMA THAT PREMIERED AT THE TORONTO INTERNATNAL FILM FTIVAL THIS FALL, BUT WAS JT RECENTLY MOVED OFF THE RELEASE LENDAR TO A TBD DATE LATER THIS YEAR. THERE ARE ECHO, TOO, OF FALLG, THE UPG FILM WRTEN, DIRECTED BY AND STARRG VIGGO MORTENSEN ABOUT A GAY SON RECKONG WH HIS FATHER’S ABIVE HOMOPHOBIA AS HIS OLD AGE BEGS TO CLOSE THE WDOW OF OPPORTUNY FOR CLOSURE. ADVERTISEMENT “IT’S A PLITED TENSN TO DISCS, AND THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS ABOUT HOW TO TELL THE STORI, OR EVEN IF THEY ARE STORI THAT SHOULD BE TOLD.” THE TWO FILMS ARE EMOTNALLY GELG STORI ABOUT TORTURED BUT EVOLVG RELATNSHIPS BETWEEN UNACCEPTG FATHERS AND THEIR GAY SONS, AND THE SRS THAT LGER OM SUCH A GHT BOND. THEY BOTH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE EYE-OPENG ENTRé TO PLITED NVERSATNS ABOUT SEXUALY AND MASCULY THAT ULD DO GREAT GOOD FOR DIENC.BUT BOTH FILMS ALSO ENTER THE NVERSATN OF WHO SHOULD BE TELLG THE STORI OF THOSE WHO ARE MARGALIZED AND UNRREPRENTED. NEHER SATISFY THOSE TIRED OF WATCHG THE STGGLE FOR QUEER ACCEPTANCE FILTERED THROUGH STRAIGHT CHARACTERS’ JOURNEYS AND CRAFTED BY STRAIGHT CREATIVE TEAMS. THAT SHOULDN’T WHOLLY DISUNT ANY OF THEIR CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS, BUT ’S A WORTHY NSIRATN.HOW DO PALMER ENTER THE PICTURE?SAM IS 7 YEARS OLD. HIS SEXUALY IS NOT DISCSED, OBVLY—AGA, HE IS 7. BUT GENR INTY AND EXPRSN ARE AT THE ROOT OF HIS RELATNS WH EVERY CHARACTER THE FILM, AND PECIALLY WH PALMER. THOSE WHO ATTACK HIM ARE PORTRAYED AS BIGOTS. BUT SAM’S JOURNEY, WHILE THE TALYST FOR PALMER’S OWN, IS SENDARY TO . IT IS ONCE AGA A FILM THAT IS CENTERED ON THE STRAIGHT, CIS CHARACTER’S REMPTN.THAT SELF IS BEG SOMEWHAT OF A TROPE. ADVERTISEMENT WHERE ONCE THE JUICY ROLE FOR A STRAIGHT ACTOR WAS PLAYG THE PERSECUTED QUEER PERSON, NOW ’S THE CHARACTER WHO HAS A CRISIS OF NSCIENCE ABOUT THEIR ROLE THE PERSECUTG THAT IS APPEALG. IT’S AN EVOLUTN THE INTY POLICS OF STG QUEER ROL, BUT STILL BEGS THE QUTN OF THE VALUE OF THIS KD OF STORYTELLG. APPLE TV+ THERE IS THE PRUMPTN THAT THIS IS SOMETHG FEEL-GOOD WHEN IS ACTUALLY, AT LEAST SOME RPECTS, DOG HARM. I N’T TELL YOU HOW SPIRG IS TO SEE JT TIMBERLAKE PLAY A TOUGH GUY WHO BE PLETELY ENAMORED BY AND ACCEPTG OF A GENR-NON-NFORMG YOUNG BOY. IT MEANS SOMETHG—A WHOLE LOT, ACTUALLY—TO HAVE ON FILM A FATHER FIGURE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTG A CHILD THIS WAY. BUT THE ABE THAT PALMER WNS, AND THE DIENCE WNS, IS TRIGGERG, NO SMALL WAY PERPETUATG AND NORMALIZG THOSE THGS.IT N’T BE REERATED ENOUGH HOW PLITED ALL THIS IS. SAM IS A HEROIC CHARACTER, AND ’S SO REHG TO WATCH HIM PRENT WH UNBRIDLED NFINCE, REGARDLS OF GENR NORMS. BUT HE’S ALSO FALLIBLE. HE’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO ADORE, PREC AND KD-HEARTED. HE HAS TO BE ORR FOR A STORY LIKE THIS TO WORK. PERFECTN IS STILL REQUIRED TO BALANCE OTHERNS IF DIENC ARE GOG TO GET ON BOARD.IT’S BETIFUL TO SEE THE WAYS WHICH PALMER AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE THE MUNY SUPPORT AND FOSTER SAM’S TERT AND INTY. HE’S HAVG A HEALTHIER UPBRGG THAN MOST, WHO ARE NSTANTLY SILENCED OR RRECTED OR ABED. WHEN YOU’RE OLR, OUT, AND PROUD WH A SUPPORT SYSTEM, YOU’RE CELEBRATED FOR YOUR FASCATN WH DIVAS AND PRCS AND PRETTY THGS. BUT WHAT IF WE GAVE CHILDREN, LTLE BOYS, THAT SAME PERMISSN? WHAT IF PLAYG WH BARBI WASN’T ILLIC, A REASON FOR SHAME?THOSE QUTNS ARE ALLOWED TO BE RAISED THIS MOVIE, BUT ONLY BEE OF PALMER’S OWN HEROIC PASSN. ADVERTISEMENT THE IA OF A SAVR REQUIR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS SAVG. THAT LACK OF AGENCY, EVEN A STORY AS FEEL-GOOD AS THIS, IS A NTUATN OF THE S OF HARMFUL HOLLYWOOD TROP WHICH QUEERNS AND GENR INTY ARE ED AS PROPS.I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IF YOU MA THIS FAR TO THIS REVIEW, YOU ARE A PERSON WHO WILL BE MOVED BY THIS FILM. AND I’M GLAD. IT FELT NICE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE AND FEEL WARM SI, TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT A BETTER FUTURE FULL OF PALMERS AND SAMS.THE FACT THAT THE MOVIE IS SO EASY TO LIKE AND BE EMOTNALLY AFFECTED BY IS WHY ALSO MERS SUCH SCTY. AND THE MOST VALUABLE THG N DO IS VE THE NVERSATN I HOPE SPARKS. KEV FALLON

But ’s this thg where I legimately loved a movie that I’m not sure I’m glad addn to the “unlikely parental figure to a lost child” ovre, there’s another, creasgly faiar genre that Palmer belongs to: the emotnally manipulative Osr-ba which a reformed homophobe transforms to a gay savr. There are echo, too, of Fallg, the upg film wrten, directed by and starrg Viggo Mortensen about a gay son reckong wh his father’s abive homophobia as his old age begs to close the wdow of opportuny for closure.

I THK JT TIMBERLAKE MIGHT BE GAY

”The two films are emotnally gelg stori about tortured but evolvg relatnships between unacceptg fathers and their gay sons, and the srs that lger om such a ght bond. Is Jt Timberlake Gay?