Ahead of its January 29 premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, more photos have been released from director Justin Kelly’s certain-to-be-controversial drama I Am Michael. Based on a New York Times Magazine profile by out writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis, James Franco stars as Michael Glatze, a prominent gay activist who worked at XY magazine and co-founded Young Gay America magazine. He later renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical minister. Zachary Quinto costars as his longtime partner, Bennett. At one point in the film the two men indulge in a three-way with a character played by Charlie Carver.
Scroll down to see a few photos from the film.
DarkZephyr
I really don’t think Glatze needs this kind of spotlight, nor do we need him to have it.
badtungsten
@DarkZephyr: I tentatively agree. I am trying to reserve judgment until I actually see the film, but on the surface it does seem like giving this nut job any publicity at all is damaging to gay people.
boxjelly
I’ll be seeing this at Sundance and after watching a couple of interviews of Glatze I can’t understand how a movie is being made about him. I’ll reserve my opinion until after the film but he comes off as wishy washy as to who he really is. He joking the Mormon church at one point and even left that.
Cagnazzo82
Has James Franco come out yet?
frubino
Or they need to with romp up more credibility for whose had lasting standart into which to can rely and this is sex.
Arconcyyon
ja en annan film sex utan penetrering orgasm biter hårt oralsex bara återspeglar mycket värld att komponera universso vara betydande i karriären liv varje djur critter författare estralado filmregissörer. denna Skådespelaren James Franco hemsk och ful djur djur fula framgång i tv kanal uthyrningsföretag har just undertecknat nationella webbplatsen Tuor internationellt ….
heavylifter
Seems the only way the gay community can face the idea of a guy coming out of the straight closet is to zero in on a celebrity gay threesome, lol.
I looked at youtube vids of Glatze and he has none of the common effeminate traits like “gay voice” or body language – though I haven’t seen the way he walks.
So its obvious he is very likely to be a straight/bi curious type.
Then add to that his parents died in his teens, leaving him feeling lost and empty etc.
Then possibly add to that personality or character traits that predispose him to ambiguity and jumping on the first appealing political or identity band wagon that passes by.
Then you have the recipe for a guy who “comes out of the gay closet”, gets caught up in gay rights politics despite a nagging self doubt and dissatisfaction, who eventually quits “goes straight” and does religion.
Which is all fine by me, good on him, he seems very humane and centered, he speaks with experience and expertise about gay culture and politics as would be expected of someone who was a gay activist high flyer for many years.
However he crashes and burns when he tries to apply his own experience to gay guys.
jwtraveler
@heavylifter: “I looked at youtube vids of Glatze and he has none of the common effeminate traits like “gay voice” or body language – though I haven’t seen the way he walks.”
What?! Who are you? What are you doing here? And where did you come from? The 50s?
jwtraveler
I’m not interested in the film, but it might be worth the price of admission to see Franco and Quinto going at it.
heavylifter
@jwtraveler:
What?! Who are YOU? Have you actually met any other gay guys or do you live in an isolated village in the Appalachian mountains?
heavylifter
@jwtraveler:
And having expressed that sentiment what would your reply be to Glatze saying homosexuality is only lust and that is why he finally walked away from it.
jwtraveler
@heavylifter: Nonsense! Just like everything else that you write. Do you actually know any gay men or do you just see them on TV and in tea party propaganda?
damon459
I can’t believe this page is advertising this crap! Frankly it also makes me think less of the actors involved as well. Michael openly hates the gay community, so I really don’t want to know anything about him.
Will L
There seems to be no point in telling this guy’s story. Let him fade away.
I don’t think you can evaluate anyone’s sexuality by sizing them up against stereotypes. The way one projects has nothing to do with likes and desires.
TomMc
@heavylifter: “I looked at youtube vids of Glatze and he has none of the common effeminate traits like “gay voice” or body language – though I haven’t seen the way he walks. So its obvious he is very likely to be a straight/bi curious type.”
Seriously heavy?! I can’t put words into anyone’s mouth, but I do believe that even Mr. Glatze would find fault with that empirically-dubious utterance.
(Whatever the case, I hope you’re enjoying your weekend heavy.)
grrrrandy
Part of me wants to see this just to support the gay actors and gay-friendly actors, but the whole project just stinks of anti-gay propaganda to me.
Captain Obvious
Is it really surprising to people that James Franco who refuses to come out would play this character?
What I’m surprised about is Quinto working with him now that he’s no longer closeted.
It’s like since Hollyweird decided that openly gay actors don’t sell tickets they’ll just pretend that they are doing this because they’re amazing actors and allies. Franco has become a parody of himself which is crazy because he’s already a vastly overrated actor who’s breakout role was in Spiderman of all movies. Quinto’s career is largely the same. And Carver is young enough to get a pass in all this but it’s clear why Tyler Perry… I mean Franco wants to work with him.
NCSilverBear
Can’t say anything about the film because I haven’t seen it. Nor do I know this “Glatze” person. But, I will observe that @heavylifter certainly seems to have a mind cluttered with gay stereotypical clichés.
Clark35
@Captain Obvious: Yes James Franco is a boring closet queen.
Sluggo2007
@Clark35: I don’t think Franco is in the closet at all. He’s just being himself. He likes guys. Does he need to be labelled?
jwtraveler
@Sluggo2007: I don’t believe Franco is gay. Just not homophobic and enjoys challenging expectations. If he were to come out now, I’d feel disappointed, and betrayed.
Captain Obvious
@Sluggo2007: All the gay guys who are afraid of being “labelled” gay are afraid of being themselves in the first place.
Labels don’t hurt anyone, they make it easy to identify like company. All these cowards are doing nowadays with their fear of labels is leaving the closet door partially open but closing it any time someone uses the words gay or bisexual.
Dawson
Is this the gay Carver twin? I understand one of the twins is gay?
I don’t know the story but is this again a situation where the gay person sleeps with a woman since we know that all straight men when they break up want to sleep with gay men.
Bully2
I am unfamiliar with the subject of the movie, Glatze, but I sure do think that Franco and Quinto are a SEXY PAIR of guys, and I can’t wait to see them live (on film) getting hot and bothered in a passionate kiss (or more, with any luck).
We just don’t get to see enough hot actors (but who aren’t supermodels either), getting together — I like the pairing of these two.
enlightenone
@DarkZephyr: “I really don’t think Glatze needs this kind of spotlight, nor do we need him to have it.”
The fact that he stated that HE loved the film and gave so much support the making and final product speaks volumes. He is the person that said:
In an episode that’s not depicted in the film, Glatze wrote on his personal blog, “Have I mentioned lately how utterly disgusting Obama is? And, yes, it’s because he’s black. God, help us all.”
enlightenone
@heavylifter: “And having expressed that sentiment what would your reply be to Glatze saying homosexuality is only lust and that is why he finally walked away from it.”
It was clearly lust for him: raves, 3somes, etc. He treated himself and his gay “partners” (and they allowed him because he charmed them as he has Franco, Quinto, Gus, and Kelly (doing the devil’s bidding) as objects and wonder why he experienced emptiness that is now filled with the illusion of wife, God, and gullible church followers.
These extremes are symptoms of a personality disorder.
Clark35
Franco should just come out and stop being so closeted.