Both movie and discussion spark lots of thought
Breakfast with Scot
By Bill Rea

Michael McGowan; Laurie Lynd, director of Breakfast with Scot; Ken Nakamura; Jan Smith-Bull of Monday Night at the Movies; and CBC Radio film and pop culture critic Jesse Wente took part in the panel discussion after Saturday's showing. They were thanked by Sue buckle of FTP

Last week's Reel Cinema for a Real Cause festival, held at the Empire Theatres in Bolton, offered some great movies, along with opportunities to think.

That was aided to a large extent by the panel discussion that followed the Saturday afternoon showing of Breakfast with Scot.

The discussion delved into issues of the message of the movie, as well as attempts at government censorship and the state of independent film making in Canada.

The movie, directed by Laurie Lynd (who sat on the panel), dealt with two gay men, Sam and Ed, who unexpectedly become guardians of Scot, the 11- year-old son of the late girlfriend of Ed's shiftless brother, and are shocked to realize the boy is more effeminate than they are. The film, a comedy with a couple of moments of pathos, addresses such issues as persecution and acceptance, as well as coming to terms with one's own reality.

As Lynd himself commented during the subsequent discussion, the story looked at a "gay couple threatened by a sissy kid."

The discussion was moderated by Jesse Wente, film and pop culture critic for CBC Radio, who wondered about using the guise of comedy to address certain social issues.

"I think it's a good story," Lynd commented, adding the film tried to take a casual attitude to gay subject matter and a misfit trying to fit in. He added this is something that most everyone can relate to.

Writer, director, producer Michael McGowan, whose credits include Saint Ralph, starring Gordon Pinsent, said he tries to combine comedy with heart. A good film, he said, makes the viewer question their reaction and their own life.

Lynd added he believes people are reached more with comedy than with a soapbox.

Jan Smith-Bull of Monday Night at the Movies, agreed comedy can help get a message out, but it's not always essential. She cited the example of the film Philadelphia, which was not a comedy, but still carried a strong message.

Ken Nakamura, an independent film producer and distributor, pointed out a lot of people film makers sell their products to are not movie buffs, but number crunchers.

Lynd said he tries to make something entertaining when he makes a film. "It can't be a private delight," he remarked.

Wente observed there are disadvantages to making films in Canada, as opposed to the U.S., although he said it's easier to make movies like Breakfast with Scot here, without the pressures of Hollywood.

McGowan agreed there are pitfalls, "but I do think it's a gift."

Lynd also agreed there's more artistic freedom, adding the making of a film like that wouldn't have happened in the States.

There was also talk of Bill C-10, a new bill that would give the federal Heritage Department the power to deny funding for films and TV shows it considers offensive.

One of the gay men in Breakfast with Scot is a former NHL star with the Toronto Maple Leafs (the film is set in Toronto). Lynd said both the Leafs and NHL signed on to have their logos used, but there have been efforts to discredit the movie as trying to encourage young people to become homosexual. He also said there was a lot of media attention generated by an American man on the Internet, who Lynd said identified himself as "an exgay, whatever that is."

"It's always people who have never seen the film, of course, weighing in," Lynd observed.

McGowan wondered what the point of legislation like Bill C-10 would be, adding there are already laws in place to avoid the extremities the bill is supposed to counteract. He also pointed out a lot of great cinema could be deemed by some to be controversial.

Lynd also commented a lot of people in favour of the bill would say they are defending family values, but he argued their positions would be based on hate. Breakfast with Scot, he said, is based on acceptance.

Lynd told Wente when he starts a project, the first criteria is it has to be something that beckons him, and that he wants to do. This is an important consideration, since he's going to be involved with it for about five or six years.

But he added he feels a sense of responsibility too, stating he couldn't make a film that sends out a message he doesn't think should go out.

He also had words of praise for Noah Bernett, the young actor who played Scot. He said there are a lot of good child actors in Canada, but there were several parents who didn't want their sons auditioning because of the gay content in the role.

"The kid is amazing," he declared. "He's nothing like Scot. He's totally at home in his own skin."

The festival was in support of Family Transition Place, and Lynd thought Breakfast with Scot was an appropriate film to show at the event. "I think its heart is in the same place as your organization," he remarked.