I might never have seen this film if it weren't for my friendship with the writer/director and his friendship with my late son. I am grateful that I saw it. "Disregarded" approaches the themes of being closeted/coming out in a very thoughtful and subtle way - showing the viewer not only the big questions but also the daily, grinding, almost offhand micro-aggressions faced by LGBTQ people all the time.
Early in the film, the main character, Blake, is only beginning to realize that he is different from his straight friends and acquaintances. He suffers in silence as his schoolmates launch homophobic slurs against students outside of their circles and especially those who appear different are vulnerable. His fear of being cast as an outsider leads him to acquiesce to this behavior, making him feel guilty and cowardly at the same time.
As his awareness grows, his close friends also notice that changes are occurring in his behavior and point of view. Confused and in pain, he sometimes overreacts to their questions, again increasing his anguish and guilt. He is also feeling progressively lonelier among his apparently straight friends. Ultimately he becomes attracted to someone who is harassed and ostracized by his fellow students.
The director and cast have woven these manifold pressures into a comprehensible and cohesive picture of the challenges faced by LGBTQ students who are merely trying to find happiness and to survive as minority members of a polarized, insensitive, and sometimes threatening society. At the same time, the movie tempers Blake's difficult journey with patience, kindness, and hope.
"Disregarded" will make you think and it will grab your heart.
Early in the film, the main character, Blake, is only beginning to realize that he is different from his straight friends and acquaintances. He suffers in silence as his schoolmates launch homophobic slurs against students outside of their circles and especially those who appear different are vulnerable. His fear of being cast as an outsider leads him to acquiesce to this behavior, making him feel guilty and cowardly at the same time.
As his awareness grows, his close friends also notice that changes are occurring in his behavior and point of view. Confused and in pain, he sometimes overreacts to their questions, again increasing his anguish and guilt. He is also feeling progressively lonelier among his apparently straight friends. Ultimately he becomes attracted to someone who is harassed and ostracized by his fellow students.
The director and cast have woven these manifold pressures into a comprehensible and cohesive picture of the challenges faced by LGBTQ students who are merely trying to find happiness and to survive as minority members of a polarized, insensitive, and sometimes threatening society. At the same time, the movie tempers Blake's difficult journey with patience, kindness, and hope.
"Disregarded" will make you think and it will grab your heart.
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