Until a few days ago I had never heard of the film BIG EDEN- and am still not quite sure from where the title came. I appreciated the total absence of any gay stereotypes and while it stretched one's imagination (greatly) regarding the plot and how it was presented in the film, in my mind, it could and has happened in just the way the director envisioned it. It would seem that his choice of a mythical(?) town in northwestern Montana was very much on purpose - making the whole thing improbable, at best. Still, that very romantic situation has happened a great deal in small town USA. Our director has changed the gender mix and I believe asked us to challenge our own human prejudices and failings. To a person, everyone in the film was completely believable. It was a romantic love story, as I saw it, with an unexpected but nevertheless real, valid, and honest gender mix. At one point it is obvious that the grandfather knows that his grandson is gay and is hoping that he will confide and share that with him. Some of the towns people depicted in this film are almost ALWAYS seen as conservative and close-minded and downright prejudicial in other films that deal with this particular subject matter. I'm happy to say that I do know lots of open-minded, live-and-let-people who would definitely enjoy and applaud this gem of a film. With all the sudden controversy about same-sex marriages it would seem that its appearance on cable tv was not only timely but very much on purpose. I have a longtime friend who grew up in Montana, and although he has yet to see the film, I'm quite sure that he would agree, that this particular romantic love story could NOT have happened as it did in the film in this small town in Montana. I'm more certain it could and has happened in more urban cities, like NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, et cetera. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend the film to anyone especially to those who have NEVER considered life without stereotyping others, or that LOVE and LOVING is not only the most beautiful and powerful gift we can give to and receive from one another, but it is also both limitless and has NEVER been gender specific. For me it is the highest form of human behavior and the very best experience we can have and share in our all too short lives on Earth. I'd enjoy hearing from others and their comments about the film. Our main character, unfortunately, is still too ashamed of who he is and is the direct source of his difficulty in telling his ailing grandfather of his gender affection for two of his male friends. Again I highly recommend this film as an alternative to all of the violent,negative, and mean spirited films that the Hollywood seems to happily produce for public consumption and in doing so, laugh all the way to the bank. Peace with out - Jesse
