I would argue not. Time and again, the general public have proven that they are perfectly able to surprise those who think they know better – H. L. Mencken’s popular maxim that “No one… ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people” isn’t always true. Look at public attitudes towards gay marriage in recent years – Gallup polls mark support at over 50% for equal rights in same-sex marriage in its last three annual readings, and 2013’s reading of 53% is double that of 1996’s 27%, only sixteen years ago.
CBS and ABC come to similar conclusions with their separate studies, which suggests that those numbers are about right. That means that public opinion has increased steadily from the Clinton years, through the Bush years, into the Obama years. The recent Supreme Court ruling that DOMA is unconstitutional and the subsequent legal actions that are sure to follow, testing what that ruling means day-to-day, signal that maybe public attitudes in the US will be further changed in the months and years to come. If Behind The Candelabra had been released in five years, maybe it wouldn’t struggle to find a cinema release.
What I’m not saying is that places with a cinematic release are an egalitarian sexual utopia. In the UK, same sex marriage with equal rights is very much on the way, it still isn’t here yet. The DOMA ruling will no doubt expedite that process, as the UK won’t want to be seen to lag behind. That said, the UK does have a long tradition of gay portrayals on television and in movies, even though they may not always reflect reality. The embrace of Behind The Candelabra shown by the UK – taking £1.6 million in its first week on limited release – shows that there is certainly a higher commercial tolerance for this subject matter.
To clarify – things aren’t perfect, but they’re getting there. People in the future will look back on the controvery surrounding this film and laugh, the way we look back on the scandal surrounding D. H. Lawrence’s 1954 novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Remember, editors at the time thought that Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill A Mockingbird would prove controversial, and it too went on to become a smash hit. Perhaps we haven’t changed so much after all – those in charge will forever underestimate our appetite for change and progression, unless we support films that champion so-called (somewhat patronisingly)Â “alternative” lifestyles. Variety is the spice of life, and we need to make those above us aware of that fact, else we’ll spend the rest of our lives watching World War Z and puking in a popcorn bucket.
I’ve gone off track. What I’ve spent close to a thousand words saying is that for cinema to remain relevant, films must reflect life and homosexuality is as valid as anything else. We just need that one popular lesbian comedy-drama to really seal the deal. Filmmakers, assemble!
