Woody plays gay in The Walker

So far, this year has seemed pretty bleak in terms of gay and lesbian content in the movies. There is, however, going to be at least one movie with a lead gay character gracing national screens. THINKFilm has just acquired the North American distribution rights to Paul Schrader’s The Walker starring Woody Harrelson, Kristen Scott Thomas and (the lesbilicous) Lily Tomlin, which premiered at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

Harrelson plays gay as Carter Page, the “Walker” of the title (walkers are gay male escorts who accompany socialites to all those parties their absentee powerful husbands can’t be bothered to attend). In his role of gay boyfriend to the Ladies of Washington D.C., Page finds himself immersed in scandal involving his best friend, Lynn Lockner (Scott Thomas), which careens horribly out of control.

Given Schrader’s past films Raging Bull and Taxi Driver (for which he wrote the screenplays), and American Gigolo and Cat People (which he directed), it’s probably safe to assume that isn’t the point at which “hilarity ensues”. A few of Schrader's other pictures, like Auto Focus and The Comfort of Strangers have contained some homoerotic (or at least suggestive) content, but usually as one of the many dark desires knocking around in the straight man's depraved libido. It will be interesting to see if Schrader's portrayal will be an honest depiction of a gay in crisis, or will he use Page's homosexuality as yet another dark color to paint his cast of disaffected characters.

Of course, it won’t be bad to see Harrelson in some natty tuxedos (every man looks great in a tux). Unfortunately it doesn’t seem that there is any chance of a Brokeback-style love scene, but a boy can daydream. I’ve attached below a clip of Harrelson during his stint on Will & Grace (though he didn’t play gay that time, he was around other gay men, so it kinda counts. Besides, Debra Messing’s red pleather suit is gay enough for both of them).

Expect to see The Walker in theaters late in the 2007 to position it for consideration for the Academy Awards. Let’s hope it’s worth the wait.