Tru Loved: Difference between revisions

| writer = [[Stewart Wade]]

| narrator =

| starring = [[Najarra Townsend]]<br /> [[Jake Abel]]<br /> [[Matthew Thompson (actor)|Matthew Thompson]]<br /> [[Alexandra Paul]]

| studio = BrownBag Productions (II)<br /> Tru Loved

| distributor = Regent Releasing<br /> here! Films

| country = {{FilmUS}}United States

| budget =

Tru begins to spend time with Lodell's best friend, fellow footballer Manuel, but when he bullies openly- gay classmate Walter, Tru defends Walter and they become friends. They try to establish a [[Gay Straight Alliance]] and although a conservative teacher and a [[The closet|closeted]] English teacher refuse to support the group, the school drama teacher agrees to be the faculty sponsor. The first meeting is successful, with several people attending a long discussion on [[same-sex marriage in California]], but during football practice at the same time, the coach calls the players "ladies," rants that "kids can't even say prayers in class, but the [[faggot (slang)|fags]]... get their own club!" He then asks his team if they want to "put a little muscles into these plays or go meet [their] boyfriends at the Gay Scouts of America," to which they answer that they want to "play ball."

At the end of the Gay Straight Alliance meeting Tru meets a gay-rights supporter, [[Hipster (contemporary subculture)|hipster]]-[[geek]] senior Trevor. She initially thinks he's gay, but they quickly form an intimate relationship. Trevor, raisedRaised by his uncle, a [[LGBT literature|gay fiction]]-author authoruncle, Trevor is open-minded about Tru's family arrangement. Later, Tru discovers that Lodell and Walter are sexually involved, and she ends her faux-relationship with Lodell. When Lodell and his teammates destroy a Gay Straight Alliance banner, Trevor sends out a mass [[coming out]] e-mail from Lodell's account. Tru is upset by this but eventually forgives him.

Tru's mothers have a small backyard commitment ceremony attended by teachers and other locals. Lodell arrives to announce that he has left another faux-relationship, and he has the opportunity to reconcile with Walter and meet [[David Kopay]]. Manuel arrives with his football coach and punches Lodell for not revealing his sexuality. He refuses to accept homosexuality, but promises to continue being a friend to Lodell. Lodell performs a self-penned song, the school principicalprincipal dances with Trevor's uncle, and the closeted English teacher is advised by friend and fellow teacher Ms. Maple ([[Jane Lynch]]) to be open about his sexuality. In the short final scene, Lodell comes out to his mother and grandmother and introduces Walter as his boyfriend.

The film premiered at the [[Sedona Film Festival]] on 28 February 2008 and at the [[Frameline|Frameline Film Festival]] on 21 June 2008. It received 14 awards at six [[film festivals]]. The film went into limited national release on 17 October 2008.

{{As of|2020|06}}, the film holds a 39% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ratedbased theon film18 35%reviews with an average rating of 4.66/10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tru_loved|title=Tru Loved (2008)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref> Kevin Thomas of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the film "engaging, timely and courageous",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-24-et-capsules24-story.html|title='Tree of Life' isn't sturdy|date=24 October 2008|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref> but the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' called it "worthless drivel for the gay-lesbian market".<ref>http{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoeschicagoreader.com/mchicago/tru_lovedtru-loved/Film?oid=1071501|title=Tru Loved|work=Chicago Reader|date=16 October 2008 |access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref> Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] caused a controversy when his published review of the film revealed that he had stopped watching after only eight minutes;, making it one of only four films he haswalked sinceout on (the others being ''[[Caligula (film)|Caligula]],'' ''[[Jonathan Livingston Seagull (film)|Jonathan Livingston Seagull]],'' and ''[[The Statue (1971 film)|The Statue]]''). He explained: "At what turned out to be the eight-minute mark, I paused the disc, looked at my notes so far, and thought, 'There's my review right there.' The movie had left me not wanting to see more." He later watched and reviewed the entire film and promised to never again review a film he hashad not seen "in its entirety. Never. Ever."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/10/definitely_read_me_second.html|title=Definitely read me second|last=Ebert|first=Roger|work=Roger Ebert's Journal|publisher=Sun-Times News Group|date=21 October 2008|access-date=7 March 2009}}</ref> In his review of the full film, Ebert gave it one star and suggested that the film would be appealing primarily to younger gay teenagers, and that "[t]he actors all have to deal with roles that are under- or over-written, and with characters that are one-dimensional stereotypes (the coach, the grandmother, both gay dad parents)."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081015/REVIEWS/810150277|title=Review|last=Ebert|first=Roger|work=rogerebert.com|date=15 October 2008|access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref>

[[Category:English-language2008 drama films]]