2006 was one of the most hotly anticipated years for gay film since 1994, the year after Philadelphia blew the doors off the closet for gay characters in mainstream Hollywood films. Following the runaway success of Brokeback Mountain, it might have seemed that the multiplexes would soon be stuffed with gay characters of all stripes, living out their lives in the spotlight of mainstream America.

Of course, as with 1994, this wasn't exactly the case — and wishful thinking aside, nor should it have been. For one thing, Brokeback was a cinematic phenomenon akin to lightning in a bottle: The combination of script, director, stars and timeliness makes it nearly impossible to reproduce. And even if it were possible, the time that it takes to greenlight, shoot and distribute a picture would mean that any film hoping to follow the trail blazed by Brokeback would still be months away.

But 2006 was significant for gay audiences for other reasons. Even though Brokeback proved that audiences are receptive to an exhaustive — if heartbreaking — deconstruction of gay love, the films of 2006 made a case for something else: Gay characters fit seamlessly into the fabric of mainstream entertainment and don't necessarily need to be relegated to the dark, GLBT corner of the video store. Gay characters have a place at the table in virtually every genre, and for the most part are being allowed to live perfectly normal lives as out individuals.

Mainstream Films  

In probably the best gay role and performance of the year, funnyman Steve Carell infused Uncle Frank in Little Miss Sunshine with a sense of humor and humility that made his re-entry into society after a botched suicide attempt the most satisfying arc of the film. Sure, Frank is a mess, but it's because he was jilted by his lover for one of his competitors, not because he's gay. In fact, his sexuality is such a nonissue with him and his family (except control freak Greg Kinnear, as is revealed in a hilariously grueling dinner table scene) that it quickly becomes the least interesting thing about his character, allowing Carell to run with his trademark brand of dry, everyman comedy.

But self-consciously quirky indie dramedies thrive off this kind of conflict; it's not exactly groundbreaking to see a gay character thrown into an ensemble comedy to spice things up a bit. Disaster movies are another story entirely. Although it will likely go down as one of the most unnecessary and painfully misguided remakes in history, this summer's action thriller Poseidon indirectly acknowledged the camp cult following of its source material by giving us our first gay action hero: Richard Dreyfuss as Richard Nelson.

Much like Uncle Frank, Nelson is distraught because he's just been dumped — an experience that also leaves him suicidal — but he decides not to jump off the ship when he sees an enormous tidal wave rushing toward it. Ironically, he is one of the half-dozen characters who actually survive the disaster, and he saves a few other passengers along the way. None of the black or Latino characters, however, make it to the end. In fact, Nelson is forced to kick a Latino busboy (played by Freddie Rodriguez) who is clinging for his life off his leg at one point in order to survive. I guess it's safer to be gay than nonwhite on this ship.

Likewise, the stunning V for Vendetta took the matter of civil rights — particularly gay civil rights — quite seriously in its horrifying vision of a totalitarian future. Brilliantly adapted from the graphic novel by Alan Moore, the story tells of a world where choice and individuality are no longer acceptable, and a government imprisons and murders its own citizens for being gay. The film includes several heartbreaking tales of persecution of gays and lesbians, one of which centers around lead Natalie Portman's friend and mentor, played by openly gay British actor Stephen Fry.

Aside from being enormously sympathetic to gays and subordinated classes of all types (which is not surprising when you consider that Larry Wachowski, who co-scripted and co-produced the film with his brother, has been widely reported to be transgender), the film is a rousing, uncompromising call to arms for all citizens who have been lulled into accepting a government that persecutes them. And while the Democrats' taking of the U.S. House and Senate weren't exactly the equivalent of blowing up Parliament, one can't help but wonder if the filmmakers had smiles on their faces back in November.

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