User reviews

Russell is gay and is in the closet, he is keeping his head down to study with the hope of living up to his parent's dreams and actually getting into Yale. He is also playing it straight by dating girls and being the wing man for his best friend Gunnar.

Then he goes on a field trip and gets entangled with Jock footballer Kevin. His secret is now out but he still isn't. What follows is a 'nice' coming of age tale that will have no surprises but is warm and human enough to satisfy most viewers.

This is not a sexathon either - nothing to frighten the horses here - there is some humour, there is some bullying and abusive behaviour but that is essentially a story about growing up and being honest about who you are. I have seen some very negative reviews of this and was initially put off from seeing it; after watching it I actually felt good for having seen it - so this is one I can easily recommend.

I sat down to watch "Geography Club" without having read the synopsis, just thinking this to be another one of those teen comedy movies. I was surprised when I found out what it actually was all about.

Surprised, yeah, but not in a bad way. This movie is actually rather entertaining, but at the same time it is quite compelling and riveting. This is the kind of movie that you get swept away by, because the story is realistic and the characters even more so.

The story is about Russell (played by Cameron Deane Stewart) who is coming of age and is struggling with his sexuality. Standing at a crossroad of his sexuality, facing a very difficult social situation by outing his gay sexuality. He gets into a secret relationship with Kevin (played by Justin Deeley) who is on the college football team. Caught between his own morals and his friendship to Gunnar (played by Andrew Caldwell), Russell lives a double life.

Now, don't expect to be flat out laughing yourself to tears from this movie, because it is not that kind of comedy. This movie is more of a subtle comedy that is very realistic and tied to events that we can relate to in one way or another.

The movie is nicely told and directed by director Gary Entin. But even more importantly, it is so nicely acted out on the screen by every one on the cast list.

"Geography Club" is a very nice movie that you should take the time to sit down and watch.

You can tell from the opening scene what type of movie this is going to be and I didn't mind one bit. The handsome school jock is closeted and finding it difficult to hook up with anyone until he meets another closeted high school jock. A small group of nerdy types regularly hold meetings in a school classroom under the guise of a Geography Club, knowing such a group would surely be ignored by the rest of school. Of course they are the local gay kids hiding behind the sign. The handsome jock stumbles upon the club and is convinced to join.

I think the holding power of this movie is the lead character played by Cameron Deane Stewart. He is very good in this role, very likable and very handsome. The story line is fairly slim on drama but the movie does redeem itself in the closing scenes. I must say I went in to this movie not excepting a lot and came our surprised enough to write this review and to say give it a go. Also look out for the cool cameo by Scott Bakula (Qantam Leap and later playing gay in Looking), in a very uplifting and rewarding scene around the family dinner table.

Like several other reviewers before me, I just happened upon this movie and therefore had few expectations. And, like them, I was pleasantly surprised. As a mature gay man, I think the topic of bullying in schools is an important, yet complicated one: it is easy to sit back from the action and judge, but to experience it -- especially at such a confusing time of life -- isn't quite so black and white. So. ultimately, I thought it was a good film and was happy to have discovered it.

Then I went to IMDb to offer a rating - perhaps a "7" - and learned that the film was based on a series of books written by Brent Hartinger. So, I ran over to Audible.com and purchased the first and, upon completion of that, the remaining three books. Then, my opinion changed a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the acting was actually quite good and that (for a small film) the production quality was higher than one might expect. However, the liberties that the screenplay writers took with the book's rich content were mind-boggling. As a life-long fan of both books and movies, I fully understand that strict translations of page to screen are nearly impossible and often fall flat when they do occur. However, the extent of the changes were so pervasive that it is nearly impossible to recognize some of the characters - in fact, reading the book helped me understand my confusion over the conflicting actions/statements of some of the characters in the film, who it appears were patched together from other characters in the book.

I think what bothers me more than anything is that I fear several of the liberties taken by the screen writers will really threaten any possibility of screen versions of the sequels in the book series. It's a shame, because the journey of these characters is a good and honest one that I think many teens would find compelling.

I awarded 5 points for tackling the topic in a realistic and accessible manner. An extra point for the nice portrayals by the young cast. It's still a good movie, but could easily have been a better one had the writers taken better care and trusted the original author. I encourage anyone interested in this movie or its topic to look for the books (hard copy, e-book, or audio book).

This film tells the story of a young man in high school, who is coming to terms with his sexuality with help with his new friends in the Geography Club.

"Geography Club" shows that a low budget and no frills film can be heartwarming and fun to watch. The plot follows a 16 years old man called Russell, who meets a football jock. He is terrified of coming out, but with the right support he lives happily. It is a great coming of age story, with emphasis on self acceptance; and living your own life for yourself and not anyone else. It is a powerful film, especially the scene where the bullied boy invites Russell to sit down. "Geography Club" is a powerful and touching film, and it breathes of positivity. I really enjoyed watching "Geography Club".

This film has mostly solid acting and quite high production values, but it shies away from any deep thinking, offering sentimentality instead. If you're in high school, it might provide a bit of inspiration, or it might just make you wish you lived in the movies instead of real life.

The high school where the subjects of this film go have an after school club called The Geography Club. Not something you think would be a great activity. Imagine discussing topography and climate of individual regions on our club as an exciting activity after school.

But in this place it is a euphemism where kids who are LGBT or wondering if can go for a bit of safe space. God only knows they need it. For those who are stereotypes they're needing it bad and that's obvious.

But our main characters Cameron Deane Stewart and Justin Deeley are not stereotypes. They're both jocks, Stewart runs track and Deeley is a football player who gets Stewart on the team just so they can hang out and it seem normal. These two should they want to make the leap and it's a pretty formidable decision need this also as the film demonstrates.

Rough as it is to come out, Stewart gets untimely ripped from the closet and that's ready or not you have to deal with it then. Saddest case of all in the film is Russell Olivares for whom school is just living hell. He doesn't even know if he really is attracted to men, he only knows he's at peace only when he plays the cello.

Best moment for me is when Deeley walks into the Geography Club and past a phalanx of future Trump voters, some former teammates. He's had a bad time when Stewart was outed and they react differently to the experience.

Geography Club is highly recommended for young gay audiences. Should be required for PFLAG audiences.

That's right: I'm seven minutes and forty-five seconds into this movie, and I'm already declaring it a 10/10.

Why? Because these kinds of gay movies are joyous, a breath of much-needed fresh air, and---I daresay---IMPORTANT.

Currently---and despite our much-lauded progressive attitudes---watching a "gay romance" is a bit like walking a Vietnam-era minefield: You're never quite sure if the characters and relationships you're rooting for are going to catch AIDS, be lynched, and/or commit suicide by the end... because they usually do. (Consider: The most mainstream "gay romance" at the time of this writing ends with one of our heroes being tire-ironed to death on the side of a freeway.)

So: "Living happily ever after" is one hell of a risky bet.

Admittedly, there's an undeniable place for such poignant, melancholy fare... but sometimes... sometimes... I just want to watch a cheesy, happy movie! Does that make me a bad person?! That was a rhetorical question: NO! No, it does not!

Dammit, I want to watch a movie where I know, going in, that the muffin I'm smiling for isn't going to suffer horribly and then die alone! No one likes minefields!

And seven minutes and forty-fives seconds in, this movie told me I wasn't in a minefield.

That is one HELL of a rare treat in the desolate, self-immolating landscape of despair to which we're so-often subjected.

A very entertaining and compelling comedy. It's one of those timeless movies that stay relevant regardless of what decade you're in. It's an inspiring & touching comedy about friendship, identity & the courage to speak out. Reminds me of My So Called Life. It combines humor, wit and important life lessons. The whole cast did a great job, portraying complex characters, making it easy to identify with the situations they face. I especially loved Grant Harvey's portrayal of Nolan, one of the most complex characters of the movie. The filmmakers (Gary & Edmund Entin) succeed in capturing the reality that plays out across schools across the country, where being different can be frightening, awkward and disturbing. Fans of Brent Harbinger's book will love this movie, it captures the optimism and drama in a realistic and believable way. Probably geared towards young adults, it should be seen by anybody.

The film is shallow. Sometimes you cannot believe the plot or characters. I liked the cinematography and music though. And closing credits are made quite nice :)

The main character is underplayed. Well, I mean the actor (Cameron Deane Stewart) did not cope portraying the character. And the film's script did not help in that. I do not see him really struggling for anything. On the other hand, Justin Deeley was more emotional while also not showing his difficulties (or the reasons for the actions). And I've not seen a "chemistry" between the two. Kevin is a great buddy to Russell, but not a boyfriend. Maybe Teo Olivares acting stands out a bit, it was really good (although his character is undeveloped also).

Quite popular successful teenager as Russell (science - O.K., sports - could be a star, girls - several at a time willing to be with him)? Only his problem may be in not having many friends. And Kevin... So kind, almost pithless and team's leader? It's not a comedy nor a drama. I see no character to identify with in this movie. I even see no conflict. Well, some decisions have to be made, but that's all.

When everything about a movie is equally bad, it's interesting what stands out the most.

In this uniformly bad movie, it's the makeup. The actors are wearing SO MUCH MAKEUP, and there are so many extreme closeups in unnatural light and unnaturally saturated color photography, that all I see is the heavy lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow and blush on a guy who's supposed to be a macho jock and definitely is NOT supposed to be in drag. And that's on my TV - God knows what he would look like on the huge screen in a theatre, probably like the garishly made-up troll-woman on the old Drew Carey sitcom.

The heavy makeup is so distracting that it would completely sabotage any drama or comedy that's supposed to be going on, even if the writing, directing and acting weren't just as bad as the makeup. This is definitely one ONLY for dreamy-eyed adolescents and their middle-aged admirers, people who see life just as it looks in this movie - thick, cartoon-colored and all on the surface.

Yup, I would have to say "cute" is the best way to describe this entire movie. Geography Club is a reflection of modern teen high school culture, wherein pretty much all the actors (male and female) are beautiful to look at, dress well, and live predictable suburban lives. The fact that this particular film centers around the gay aspect of high school life, particularly through the eyes of the main character brings a slightly different side which most students may not know. However, all in all, there is nothing really profound or new being said here; just the trials and tribulations of a high school student who is trying to come to terms with his homosexuality, and figure out his relationship with someone he has a crush on. The production values are really well done and the acting, given the particularly light treatment subject matter (I've honestly seen heavier drama on this topic on television) make this just cute brain-candy. If you want a light, feel-good teen movie, this is a good way to spend a couple of hours.

I love Geography Club - the book, that is, not this film. The film is, honestly, unbelievable - crass, shallow, cliched. I was so disappointed. It's a sort of Hollywood C movie that ignores every gentle subtlety of the book. I realised something was wrong when Gunner first appeared. And from then on it was downhill all the way. If the director didn't like the book why did he make this film? If he did like it, why did he completely misunderstand it? Sorry, but it actually made me cry to see this failure.

This movies tells a story of a teen coming to terms with his sexuality. What I love about this movie is its a very realistic story that happens in every day life. Its a really nice movie and I wish there were more like this. I totally recommend that you watch this movie to everyone... LGBT or straight. Its a good watch and shows real problems that people face today.

Geography Club is a colorful film that challenges societal norms and simultaneously calls attention to the stereotypes that weigh on humanity. It tells a story of a group of students struggling with their identity and their journey to find their own sense of belonging. The difficulties of identifying as a homosexual are shown through the intense pressure from friends, family, and bullies that are received by individuals of the film at all ends. It exercises the powerful idea that how someone sexually identifies, does not determine who you are as a person. Heart rendering and delightful, this film is one that opens the door to a new era of acceptance and equality where people have the freedom of expression. The wonderfully done humor really balances the seriousness of the subject and gives it a positive tone throughout. It is a fantastic film that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, races, and sexualities and, I believe, will inspire for years to come.

Min (Ally Maki) catches Russell Middlebrook (Cameron Deane Stewart) kissing quarterback Kevin Land. The guys are desperate to hide it. Min wants them to join her 'Geography Club' which is actually a support group for gay teens with Terese (Nikki Blonsky) and Ike (Alex Newell). Russell comes to join the group. His friend Gunnar begs him to go on a double date with Trish (Meaghan Martin). Kevin brings him onto the football team. Brian tries to join with different problems of his own and they decide to open up the group to other teens. Their alternative teacher Mrs. Toles (Ana Gasteyer) gets suspended after an interview with the school newspaper.

It's slightly sweet and has good intentions with a serious subject matter. CDS is not a particularly charismatic lead although he gets the fear of the character very nicely. This feels more like a PSA than an actual movie. It just needs a better director to get a more compelling telling out of the material.