Most coming-of-age films center on young boys who are typically straight and who do typical straight things like play sports, fight with siblings, try to make friends and fall in love with a girl, as they become more mature and form their identity. Leave It To Beaver (1957) was the TV template for that young boy coming-of-age narrative. This film has a setup that feels like it could be the premise to a Leave It To Beaver episode. "Wally and Beaver go on a camping trip" could be the logline here, except change the names to Will and Jamie.
Isaac Krasner stars as Jamie, a 14-year-old with mop-top curly hair. He's chubby, a bit overweight. Yet, he seems very upbeat and happy. He likes to dance. He likes to play cards. He loves to cook. So much so, he could be a chef. He's very smart and can rattle out trivial knowledge about all kinds of things, including bears. Speaking of which, bears are not only animals, but they're also a term that refers to large, hairy, gay men. This is significant because it seems as though Jamie is a teenage bear. Unless you've never met a gay person or been around an effeminate man, it's bizarre that no one realizes that Jamie has that potential. This film takes place in the present day but everyone's ignorance to Jamie's potential homosexuality makes it seem like maybe this is the days of Leave It To Beaver.
David Johnson III co-stars as Dan, a guy in his late 20's, early 30's, maybe older. He's the boyfriend of Jamie's female cousin Allie, played by Dora Madison Burge (Dexter and Friday Night Lights). He's from Austin, Texas. He loves basketball, specifically the Mavericks. He's a large, hairy man. Everything we get about him codes him as being absolutely heterosexual. However, that doesn't stop Jamie from being attracted to him and fantasizing that Dan is a "bear." Dan and Allie take Jamie and his older brother Will, played by Taj Cross (Young Rock and PEN15), on a camping trip. The whole film then becomes the tension and awkwardness of Jamie navigating his realization of his same-sex attraction to Dan. There's a good deal of comedy that is derived from this tension and awkwardness.
Moonlight (2016) was about a teenage boy also realizing his same-sex attraction or his possible queerness. That aspect was more opaque. Yet, Moonlight has its boy character be attracted to another boy who is the same age, so it's more appropriate. Call Me By Your Name (2017) was also about a teenage boy realizing his same-sex attraction, but that film has its boy character be attracted to an older guy, a veritable man that makes it more inappropriate. Here, Dan is probably more than twice the age of Jamie, so if anything happened between them, it would be beyond Call Me By Your Name. It would be in fact illegal.
Because the inappropriateness was too much for some people in Call Me By Your Name or other films about LGBTQ youth, writer-director Corey Sherman just has his protagonist realize his same-sex attraction but never provides him an opportunity to act upon it or experience the joy of it. At least, the opportunity isn't experienced in a physical way. The ending does have a cathartic moment that is a good alternative to having a physical expression of his homosexuality, which did win me over to this film's side.
Not Rated but for general audiences.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 30 mins.
Available on VOD + DVD.