THE SUM OF US

Australia, 1994
Director: Geoff Dowling
Stars: Russell Crowe, Jack Thompson, John Polson

Available on DVD - order here

A combination of melancholy, tenderness and knockabout Australians adds up to make The Sum Of Us the best Australian gay-oriented film.

Russell Crowe stars as the burly rugby playing Jeff Mitchell who’s gay and lives with his father Harry, played by the Aussie screen veteran Jack Thompson. John Polson, the co-ordinator of popular Sydney short film festival Tropfest and now a Hollywood director (Swimfan), is Crowe’s smitten (well who wouldn’t be) love interest, Greg.

Jeff and Greg’s romance is ill-starred, getting off to an unpromising start, interrupted by Harry interfering with excessive friendliness, and Jeff’s emotional reservations. Divorcee Harry is getting older and trying to find a new love for himself, and having a similar run of hesitant luck to his son.

Amazingly, even though everything takes place in inner-suburban Sydney, there’s not a harbour vista or a thumping disco scene to be found in The Sum Of Us.

Even more amazingly - apart from a flashback sequence that would have been better off out of the film - there’s nary a gay disco in sight. Jeff and Greg meet at a gay bar, but don’t conduct their romance through a network of bitchy, yet lovable (pass the machine gun) gay friends, and neither do they debate Mardi-Gras ticketing policies, protest marches, or other gay-scene issues in cafes, clubs and bars.

Having said that, it is a little coincidental that they are both so straight acting, and both so plain. I’m sure plenty of gay couples are like this, but every now and then the writer’s hand is visible – such as when Jeff says he wants his life to be about so much more than just being gay. I was thrilled, but despondent, for how many guys like this are so blasé about being gay without being disaffected, so close to their family, and so solidly built?

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