Learn about bear culture in a rowdy comedy from the director of Raising Heroes. A bear chaser bursts onto the scene, where he finds friendship and conflict.
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Aside from Bear Cub, few gay films give much screen time to the bear community. BearCity not only provides a crash course in the unapologetically hirsute gay subculture but also provides frequent laughs and shows a heart much bigger than any of the exposed bellies.
Though young and cute, Tyler (Joe Conti) hates the twink culture that welcomes him. He secretly longs for the company of less fashion-obsessed and thin-obsessed men. When Tyler finally gets up the nerve to visit a bear establishment, he finds some of the same gossip and cattiness that he found elsewhere, but also finds men that he sees as potential friends, or potentially more.
The movie quickly spins into subplots, but keeps them threaded together. The comedy and sexual tension often give way to surprisingly dramatic or tender moments.
When Tyler moves in with Fred (Brian Keane) and Brent (Stephen Guarino of Logo’s The Big Gay Sketch Show), he becomes intertwined in their rising relationship changes and in their circle of friends. From the attractive and unattainable Roger (Gerald McCullouch) to the loving mama bear Michael (Gregory Gunter), all the characters help Tyler discover himself and his place in the local bear community.
Douglas Langway (Raising Heroes) directs, from a script he wrote with Lawrence Ferber. They provide a fast pace, with the more serious moments interjected between lighter ones.
Some of the more graphic scenes will offend many viewers. However, the movie’s honesty and the characters’ search for acceptance in a world of supposed perfection will attract many other viewers.
I wrote the above review long before the sequels arrived and haven’t seen them but hope to do so in the future.
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