Best of 2004: Movies

If you missed these five great movies in the theater (a couple are still playing), get thee to the video store immediately. 1. Kinsey We knew in the hands of out writer-director Bill Condon (Gods & Monsters) that the story of Alfred Kinsey would be good, but this filmwhich includes the queer relationship between Kinsey (Liam Neeson) and his assistant Clyde (Peter Sarsgaard)made us think. And not just about sex! Laura Linneys performance as Kinseys overwhelmingly understanding wife is unforgettable. 2. Latter Days It may not be the most perfect movie ever made, but something about this story of a West Hollywood playboy and the gay Mormon who changes his life really cuts to the core. With touching performances (including a fabulous Jacqueline Bissett) and a positive queer message, this is one not to miss. 3. Bad Education Pedro Almodovars latest (and possibly most openly queer) work made our pulses race. Gael Garcia Bernal turns in a stunning performance as a duplicitous young man determined to see his idea for a movie made a reality. Worth watching twice: once to get all the subtitles, and again to fully appreciate Almodovars master craftsmanship. 4. Tarnation Openly gay documentarian Jonathan Caouettes stirring portrait of growing up gay with his schizophrenic mother wowed audiences from coast to coast and across the seas as it played at the Sundance, Toronto, and Cannes film festivals. Made for just $218.30, the movie has already grossed nearly half a million dollars. 5. Brother to Brother Rodney Evanss moving portrait of an African-American gay teen and an elderly writer during the Harlem Renaissance is an example of both a great queer movie and a movie that deals with the heritage of black Americans. The film went on to win prizes at virtually every major gay film festival in the country (Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and San Francisco), and it also merited a special jury prize at Sundance.