The Trip Movie Review:


Republicans as Queer Folks

"The Trip" is not a re-release of the quintessential psychotropic Peter Fonda vehicle of the sixties or a remake for the new century. It's the first gay, AIDS romantic comedy of the new century. It breaks no new ground, has a few glitches in dialog and some over-the-top scenes with silly stereotypes that are all too familiar. Yet, there are many laugh out loud moments, a solid cast, including some interesting choices, and a basically sweet romance that covers over a decade. It's worth the ride.

The film is broken into chronological segments that do a good job of showing the changes of characters, costumes, decors, language, and music. It's a trip down memory lane for those of us who lived through the era of change from 1973 to 1985. The period has been chronicled in other films from different perspectives, but this nails it quite well. There is not to be forgotten footage of Anita Bryant and her minions trying to lock gays in the closet while tossing away the key. In the current political climate, with the likes of myopic Katholic Rick Santorum making ignorant statements, the thrust of this film is still relevant and calls for continual vigilance. The struggle for equal treatment under the law is an ongoing battle and this film offers some motivation.

The Republican aspect is both amusing and sobering. Gays have always been discriminated against, but the Party of Lincoln (the first gay president) makes for really strange bedfellows as the Log Cabin Club can surely attest. This conflict plays out in many ways and is at the core of this film. The leads do a nice job of conveying the difficulty in getting past stereotypes to realize what's truly important in life.

I don't mean to imply that this is all political polemics, as most of it is romance applicable to all combinations of couples and features lots of light moments. Ironically, Jill St. John, looking as hot as ever, does a hilarious turn as an understanding mom, who in one scene, puts down an old Republican who looks eerily like Henry Kissinger, one of her real life beaus. Julie Brown plays her zany self as a Madonna wanna be while Alexis Arquette is stereotypically histrionic, yet he finds a rhythm and makes it work. The same can be said of Sirena Irwin who starts off as the hippy girlfriend of the male lead who, after the initial anger of rejection, becomes a life long friend. Her phases from a Chrissie ditz (Three's Company) to a scientologist fitness guru (a nod to Peter's little sis, Jane,) to a sober businessperson with heart, mirrors the film's progress into adulthood. Ray Baker as the controlling center is perfectly stiff, as the role requires.

The sound track is fun, as are the costumes, sets, and makeup. Writer/Director Miles Swain makes a good first effort here and evokes compelling performances, especially out of his male leads, Larry Sullivan and Steve Braun. A thoughtful, good time should be had by all after the initial disappointment of not seeing Peter Fonda on LSD. There is some cannabis inhalation though…

T R Black

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