Ask the Flying Monkey (January 15, 2009)

Have a question about gay male entertainment? Ask the Monkey!

Q: Can I be honest? I didn’t really like Milk. I mean, it was interesting history, but I just wasn’t that involved in the story. Does that make me a bad gay? – Marty, Las Vegas, NV

A: The Monkey feels your pain. Milk definitely wasn’t a bad movie, and it did have that incredible performance by Sean Penn. Likewise, the footage of Anita Bryant (dated and yet … not) was fascinating. But as a movie? The Monkey agrees it was merely pretty good, not great.

Part of the problem is that Milk is based on actual events, and historical events don’t always lend themselves to satisfying, or even coherent, story arcs. Case in point: Dan White didn’t really kill Harvey Milk for being gay — in fact, he only killed him as sort of an afterthought, after killing the person he was really mad at, Mayor Moscone, for reasons totally unrelated to the story (basically, because White was nuts which, frankly, isn't very interesting dramatically). Yet, naturally, this was made to be the film's denouement.

The Monkey also often found the affected performances by Luna and Hirsch, not to mention director Gus Van Sant’s “experimental” touches, to be a tad distracting.

Does this make us bad gays? Fortunately, we live in an era where there are enough high profile “gay” projects that it’s okay to occasionally be a little disappointed in one, and even reluctantly admit it out loud.

Q: Twilight hottie Peter Facinelli starred as a young male hustler in a TV movie back in 1995 called The Price of Love. Any chance it might ever see the light of day on DVD? I remember it was quite a good film, despite being yet another "gay hustler" movie. -- Mo, Des Moines, IA

A: The Flying Monkey wonders what was in the water at Fox in the early 90s — first, 1992’s gay teen sudser Doing Time on Maple Drive, then this? But yes, your memory is accurate. The movie was landmark for its time.

Brett, played by Facinelli, runs away from a violent home. He’s straight, but is befriended by a group of gay hustlers. Slowly Brett’s revulsion with hustling is replaced by the realization that this might be what he has to do to survive. Soon Brett’s life involves creepy old men, cops looking to bust him, and gay-bashers chasing him down alleys. An interesting subplot has one of the gay kids, Beau (Evening Shade’s Jay R. Ferguson), developing unrequited feelings for Brett.

"In some ways, I feel like it would be more controversial if done today," Facinelli tells the Flying Monkey." Back then, there were a lot of movies of the week, and The Price of Love stood apart from the others in taking on real issues. Because it was one of many TV movies being produced at the time, I think we got away with sliding it on the air, and once it aired I felt nothing but positive things come from it. It was very well reviewed, very well accepted."

In fact, Facinelli says, it's the kind of thing he most loves doing as an actor. "Personally, my love and passion lies in telling stories like this. Movies that, when you finish watching, have an effect on your life, and may even change your life, or beliefs, or inspire you in some way. I have done the 'popcorn' movies and they are always fun to do. But [movies like this] feed my soul."

Facinelli, who fought hard to get the part, researched the role, meeting hustlers on the streets of Los Angeles. "Years later I ran into a homeless teen we had met, and he said that the film encouraged him to get off of the streets. I thought to myself, 'That is powerful television.'"

Alas, Fox has not released it on DVD and tells the Monkey they have no plans to do so.

Incidentally, Facinelli, who is married to Jennie Garth, recently played “ambiguously gay-ish” in the first season of the terrific FX series Damages.

Peter Facinelli

Photo credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

Q: I'm sure there are cases of actors who play a gay role, then not so long later come out themselves, but I can only think of one: Robert Gant. Who are the others? – Vickie

A: It’s a question of authenticity, said Brothers & Sisters actor Luke Macfarlane when he decided to come out right before that show aired its famous same-sex wedding episode. If acting is about being truthful, are gay actors playing gay roles being a little disingenuous by deliberately withholding that piece of personal information, even as they tell the public everything else about themselves?

Next page! Anita Bryant won't shut her pie-hole. Plus, Brody Jenner heralds in the End of Days.