Geography Club (2013)

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Before I begin there are drastic changes from the the book and the movie adaptation, which may or may not be a bad thing.Movie Review: This movie is a coming of age story of Russell Middlebrook in a very small hometown. Like many other gay coming of age It deals with Russell trying to come to terms with his homosexuality. The main cast are relate able and the acting for most of the cast is very well done and excellent chemistry with one another. Since it is an adaptation from 1st person point of view the actors had the difficult task of portraying emotions through facial expressions, which in most scenes worked. One of the big issues that I do agree with some of the other reviewers is that character development wasn't the best and it focused more on the story. The story in my opinion was really well organized and they edited scene per scene to make it flow very well. Even though gay coming of age stories have been done before it's an enjoyable watch and very fast paced with a satisfying and more realistic ending. As a movie not comparing to the book and on it's own I give it an 8 out of 10.Movie VS Book Review (SPOILERS): The movie and book is drastically different and some of the choices the director made in my opinion made the it more interesting but also a few things I didn't understand why they changed. For instance Min in the novel is Russell's other best friend which I didn't get why they changed that. The movie was fast paced which I didn't mind but that did cut out in character development and some plot. Another change they made was that Russell was originally infatuated with Kevin from the start, they didn't have to make it pathetic but they could have at least made it apparent. They also over developed the bullies which could have been spent on the main characters. I did however like how they mad Ike more than a guy who liked Kevin, which was more annoying than anything else in the book. One of the main arguments that I had about the movie was that Kevin was less in the movie than he was in the book. In the book he also joined the Geography Club and spent a lot of time becoming friends with the others and teaching Russell how to play sports. Otherwise the movie I think did well. with those exceptions and they did well with some of the additions they made to fit the story.

Russell is gay and is in the closet, he is keeping his head down to study with the hope of living up to his parent's dreams and actually getting into Yale. He is also playing it straight by dating girls and being the wing man for his best friend Gunnar.Then he goes on a field trip and gets entangled with Jock footballer Kevin. His secret is now out but he still isn't. What follows is a 'nice' coming of age tale that will have no surprises but is warm and human enough to satisfy most viewers.This is not a sexathon either - nothing to frighten the horses here - there is some humour, there is some bullying and abusive behaviour but that is essentially a story about growing up and being honest about who you are. I have seen some very negative reviews of this and was initially put off from seeing it; after watching it I actually felt good for having seen it - so this is one I can easily recommend.

I have to first just say that they spent a lot of time filming the tree that George McFly falls out of, but I think I was already hooked by then(even though that would have been it for me, this movie would already have my approval). This is so well acted, and real. There are great performances by every single stereotype portrayed in this movie, and this movie is all stereotypes, but they all work. There is a great build up in the structure of the story, and the strength of the friendship between the two lead buddies is easily believable. But common how does Andrew Caldwell never age? Basically this is a more out of the closet, and less in the sound booth Glee without the need for all the singing. I Enjoyed the story, and really liked the characters (Meaghan Martin and Scott Bakula are just a bonus) I would recommend this for a good heartwarmer with no real surprises, but good none the less.

Geography Club is an inspirational movie that every LGBTQ youth should see. It's based off Brent Hartinger's novel of the same name and follows Russell Middlebrook as he learns to be proud of his sexuality and unafraid of what others think. Cameron Deane Stewart lends a quiet grace to the character of Russell and makes you hope that things will work out for him and his secret quarterback boyfriend Kevin, played by Justin Deeley. Their sweet romance was one of my favorite parts of this movie. When Russell and Kevin get caught kissing by Min, a fellow classmate, she invites them to join the 'Geography Club' which is the code name for a secret meet-up of fellow gay students. Min's girlfriend Terese is played by Hairspray's Nikki Blonsky in a role unlike anything she's done before and Alex Newell, from The Glee Project and Glee, puts in a heartfelt and humorous performance as Ike, a boy who's desperately trying to convince others he's "80% straight." As the movie goes on, Min wants to drop the 'Geography Club' façade and invite all students to join their school's first GSA but the others are unsure. The film doesn't shy away from showing the heartbreaking things that gay youth must deal with, including bullying, ignorance, discrimination and disappointment. Teens watching it will feel less alone and realize that other people are going through the same things they are. Geography Club sends out a message of tolerance, respect and love to its audience. The stunning performances from the young cast and the engaging, realistic storyline make Geography Club a must-see.