Big Eden

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Big
Saw movie on Logo and desired to have it in my library. A very moving gay movie and the out come was a tear jerker. Acting was superb as were the actors.

Great story and acting; slight letdown at the end
SPOILERS AHEAD! This is a nice surprise of a movie--heartfelt without being smarmy, intelligent, literate, witty, quirky, and shot in a lovely wooded area. It's about a man in New York who comes back to his native Montana to care for his ailing grandfather. The man is also gay but unattached, though an old flame tries to get together with him again. A more fascinating character is called Pike (Eric Schweig), a Native American who runs the general store but is scared of what he feels for the prodigal fellow, played by Arye Gross. The townspeople turn out to be very warm and tolerant in regard to gay relationships, and they are quite supportive in many respects. The ending is just a slight letdown: why didn't Arye come clean with Pike instead of letting him think he had gone back to NY for good? They could have had a last-chance encounter at the airport, possibly. And what was Arye's reason for staying in Montana after all? Just because of Pike? Okay, I can see that, but up to the morning he was headed for the airport, we were led to believe he was abandoning everyone. Still, it is a very sweet film, nothing explicit, very little coarse language, if you are concerned about any of those things.

Well beyond the limits of credulity
I'm not sure what the intentions of the film maker were but clearly we were supposed to have our heartstrings touched by the happy ending. As others have noted, the initial premise of a NYC gay artist returning to his small town home might have provided interesting dynamics and conflicts to be explored, but instead the story revolves around the slapstick caricature of an improbable Montana town where everyone is not only gay-friendly, but intimately involved in getting the queers together, even though the queer boys themselves remain strangely uptight or full of unresolved emotional trauma about their gayness. I would have to say the most interesting part of the movie was figuring out that there was nothing substantial behind all the puzzling and apparently irrational behavior, particularly that of the gay native american, other than said unresolved conflicts, which of course made no sense considering the whole town was unimaginably gay friendly including the rednecks. Also, there is really nothing to explain why the main gay character is supposed to be so irresistible, not only to the two gay high school friends but to everyone else as well. Since it really can't be described as "absurdist" in its presentation, the utter incredibility of the story makes it seem simply hokey. I found only one scene had any real emotional impact, which was when the lead character lets his tears flow as grandpa let's him know he's aware on his grandson's orientation - that did ring true. On the whole though, I'd have to say this movie was, while not unwatchable, not very good either.

Big Eden is a BIG accomplishment in human storytelling.
Although I saw "Big Eden" for the first time over 12 months ago, it is a film which resonates - long, long after the closing credits have rolled. I fell in love with everything about this film. It is a piece of beautiful storytelling captured through an extraordinary ensemble cast of characters who bring home the qualities so vital and true in human relationships. The themes are universal, but the fact that this film may appeal to people who appreciate the LGBT genre only makes me want to applaud even more. Bravo, for the sensitive screenplay - and Bravo for such insightful direction. If you hunger for beautiful stories, please place "Big Eden" at the top of your list.

I had higher expectations
Unfortunately, I expected more about the movie. Scenery is great and actors' performances are good. The plot could be better worked.