Summer Movie Doldrums: Where Have All the Gay Cowboys Gone?

The answer is likely a combination of factors, but any way you slice it, it's troubling. After all, we'd rather be able to report on the gay movies of summer than have to make them up ourselves, as we did a few weeks back. We'll obviously be keeping close tabs on what the future holds, but for the next few months, these 10 flicks will have to tide you over (although I'd brush off your Six Feet Under box sets, just in case).

Knocked Up (June 1)

What's gay about a movie about an accidental pregnancy? Well, nothing — but recent comments made by actor-filmmaker Mike White (Chuck & Buck, School of Rock), who is a colleague of Knocked Up's creator, Judd Apatow, suggest that this outsider comedy might not be the most gay-friendly in its humor.

We love outsider comedies, but not when the outsiders have to pick on other outsiders to make themselves feel better. (Some folks had similar complaints about the gay jokes in Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin.) It would be a shame if what is apparently a hilarious movie were homophobic, particularly as it stars noted friend-of-the-gays Katherine Heigl (who herself seems uncomfortable with anti-gay jokes in the wake of her friend T.R. Knight's troubles).

Surf's Up (June 8)

Continuing Hollywood's recent habit of using penguins as a source for box-office gold, this computer-animated flick is a mockumentary of an event called the Penguin World Surfing Championship. As you may imagine, the penguins here can surf. Out actor Mario Cantone lends his voice to the film.

Death at a Funeral (June 29)

Director Frank Oz (In & Out, The Stepford Wives) brings us this dark comedy about a family funeral that goes awry when a stranger arrives claiming to be the dead patriarch's lover — and threatening blackmail. The film features Rupert Graves (Maurice, Different for Girls), Peter Dinklage (who played gay in The Baxter) and Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice).

One to Another (June 29)

This French mystery/drama/coming-of-age story is supposedly heavy on eye candy (mostly due to its four male leads) and intensely homoerotic, with a dash of gay intrigue to make things interesting. When bisexual Pierre doesn't come home, his sister Lucie uses her wiles to get information from his friends, and discovers a lot about her brother along the way. Co-director Jean-Marc Barr was the mysterious (and gorgeous) diver from the classic '80s flick The Big Blue.

Evening (June 29)

Gay author Michael Cunningham (The Hours, A Home at the End of the World) co-adapted (with author Susan Minot) the novel for this star-studded ensemble drama. Don't expect anything even remotely as gay as The Hours, but Cunningham's sensibilities will likely come through.

Cut Sleeve Boys (TBD)

This film might seem to be a run-of-the-mill gay romantic comedy, except for the fact that the two main characters are British Chinese. If one feels that one has seen this story before, the reason is that more of these stories are finding distributors such as Regent Releasing and here! Films, who are behind this film's theatrical release. These two companies have shown a commitment to releasing gay films, and for them it's not a novelty.

Note: This film has been included in prior movie previews due to the release date being bumped back.

Hairspray (July 20)

While there's nothing gay about Hairspray (especially not John Travolta in a dress, which is about the least gay thing I can think of), it's as camp as a row of tents and, of course, originally sprang from the twisted and beautiful mind of gay auteur John Waters. (Out gay director Adam Shankman handles directing duties this time around.) And hey — who doesn't love a good musical?