OUR SON depicts the next step in the zeitgeist of LGBTQ+ equality: the right to divorce. Married for 13 years, an aspiring artist, former actor, and stay-at-home dad Gabriel (Billy Porter) and his ambitious partner, a book publisher devoted to his work Nicky (Luke Evans) appear to have created the perfect life together. But Gabriel is struggling to find a creative and personal spark while caring for their eight-year-old son, Owen.
Gabriel loves Owen more than anything; Nicky loves Gabriel more than anything. Despite appearances, Gabriel has been dissatisfied with their marriage for some time, and stress and anxiety flare as their relationship gets to an irreparable place, forcing the couple to head for a divorce. Now the two must navigate revealing the news to friends and family, and confront the changing reality of their love for each other and their son.
In select theaters on December 8
Releasing on VOD December 15
An emotional rollercoaster of a film. This film is a must-see for all LGBT+ individuals (and everyone else) Heart-wrenching at times but also sweet and tender. It’s nice to see a movie that treats the LGBT+ population like any other going through the ups and downs of their daily lives and coming out stronger in the end.
Of course, both Billy Porter and Luke Evans gave exceptional performances but credit also needs to go to the director as the movie progressed from scene to scene flawlessly and with purpose. The cinematography also made the film a joy visually. I have no criticism of this film and I highly recommend it.
We all know what a great talent Billy Porter is – an Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winning, and Golden Globe-nominated, actor, singer, director, composer, and playwright from Pittsburgh, PA. But I was surprised to find out what an amazing voice Luke Evans has as I stumbled across a video on YouTube of him singing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, and I have included it below for your enjoyment.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
By Bill Oliver
As a gay man with two sons whom I co-parent with a lesbian couple, I wanted to make a movie that reflects my experience and celebrates the experience of other queer parents. I also wanted to make a movie that entertains a universal audience who will empathize with its characters and recognize themselves in it.
Even though Our Son depicts a divorce, it is at heart a love story about a family in transition. Nicky and Gabriel are being shaken out of their routines, which causes them to realize how unhappy they have been in their marriage. Their lives, previously in stasis, are changing, and with change comes the pain of loss and the hope for renewal. The style of the film, using mostly available light and an unobtrusive, handheld camera, is intended to make the film feel real, loving, and lived-in, with a point-of-view of tenderness and empathy.
Making a film about two fathers allowed me to explore the different sides of parenting through the characters of Nicky and Gabriel. Despite their flaws, both men care deeply for their son, Owen. With Our Son, I wanted to show that men can be nurturing, and queer people can be loving parents. It was also important to show the resonance of the divorce on the biological and chosen families of Nicky and Gabriel. In Our Son, these supporting characters, like Nicky and Gabriel themselves, are simply going about their lives – celebrating a birthday, navigating a new relationship, expecting the birth of a first child, dealing with retirement, finding a job – as they cope with the divorce. The film is about custody in its many forms, how we take care of each other, especially in difficult times.
Through the struggle of divorce, Nicky learns to accept intimacy and vulnerability. A divorce lawyer I interviewed described witnessing a gay divorcing couple embrace in front of the family court judge. He was struck by this loving gesture. Gay people don’t take love for granted because for so long we weren’t allowed to be. Our Son is ultimately about a family learning how to love and overcoming their divisions for the sake of the greater good.
DIRECTOR: Bill Oliver
WRITERS: Peter Nickowitz & Bill Oliver
PRODUCERS: Fernando Loureiro, Eric Binns
CAST: Billy Porter, Luke Evans, Robin Weigert, Andrew Rannells,
Isaac Powell, Phylicia Rashad
Luke Evans – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Official Video)
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