Common Ground (2000 film)

Last updated
Common Ground
Directed by Donna Deitch
Written by Paula Vogel (segment "A Friend of Dorothy's")
Terrence McNally (segment "Mr. Roberts")
Harvey Fierstein (segment "Andy & Amos")
Produced by Brian Kerwin
A.D. Oppenheim
Starring Edward Asner
Beau Bridges
Harvey Fierstein
Brian Kerwin
Margot Kidder
James LeGros
Brittany Murphy
Jason Priestley
Mimi Rogers
Helen Shaver
Eric Stoltz
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Steven Weber
Distributed by Showtime
Release date
  • January 29, 2000 (2000-01-29)
Running time
105 minutes
Country United States
LanguageEnglish

Common Ground is a 2000 Showtime television film directed by Donna Deitch and written by Paula Vogel, Terrence McNally and Harvey Fierstein.

Contents

Plot

"A Friend of Dorothy's"

In the 1950s, Dorothy Nelson (Brittany Murphy) joins the United States Navy where she meets the Friends of Dorothy, a code name for a group of gay and lesbian sailors. Nelson meets Billy (Jason Priestley), who takes her to an interracial nightclub that tolerates gay people. However, the NIS raids the nightclub, and Nelson is among those servicemembers who receive a blue discharge for "sexual perversion." Returning to Homer, she tries to restart her life as a public school teacher, but her unfavorable discharge prevents her from getting a job. When her homosexuality becomes public knowledge, her mother expels her from the house, forcing her to seek shelter at a family friend's grocery store. However, the townspeople disapprove of this arrangement, and Nelson becomes homeless. An independent-minded woman named Janet (Helen Shaver) at the local diner defends her against the verbal harassment and advises Nelson to go to the bohemian Greenwich Village, a place where she might be free to be herself.

"Mr. Roberts"

The second story flashes forward to the town of Homer in the 1970s, towards the end of the Vietnam War. There a closeted gay high school French language teacher, Mr. Roberts (Steven Weber), has a student named Tobias Anderson, nicknamed Toby, (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) who is on the verge of coming out of the closet, and who he suspects wishes to confide in him. Roberts must keep his homosexuality a secret for the fear of losing his job, but his live-in boyfriend Gus (Scott McCord) pressures him to set a good example for the students by illustrating the importance of tolerance and justice. Toby visits a prostitute on the advice of his swimming coach, with the idea that she can help him "become a man", but rather instead gives him some good advice about being himself.

After Toby is sexually assaulted by bullies and is discovered by Roberts, Roberts then himself comes out to his students and lectures them on the evils of bias-motivated hatred. Toby graduates from high school and leaves Homer to attend college in the big city.

"Andy and Amos"

The final short story takes place in the present day (2000), when a father and the townspeople have to come to terms with the fact that two men will be getting married during a commitment ceremony to be held in the town. Ira (Ed Asner), the father, is planning to lead a protest march against the wedding, while his son, Amos (James LeGros), is nervous about getting married and going against the cultural stereotype of gay men. The film ends on a positive note, with father and son reconciling and the wedding taking place as scheduled.

Cast

Production

A Friend of Dorothy's was written by Paula Vogel; Mr. Roberts was written by Terrence McNally; and Andy & Amos was written by Harvey Fierstein. [1] [2] [3]

The plays star Brittany Murphy, Jason Priestley, Steven Weber, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Edward Asner and James LeGros. The film contains three short stories about gay Americans during different time periods in the fictional town of Homer, Connecticut, and their efforts to find "common ground" or respect from the heterosexual majority. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrence McNally</span> American playwright (1938–2020)

Terrence McNally was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," McNally was the recipient of five Tony Awards. He won the Tony Award for Best Play for Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class and the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime, and received the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1996, and he also received the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and the Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the highest recognition of artistic merit in the United States. His other accolades included an Emmy Award, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, four Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Obie Awards, and three Hull-Warriner Awards.

A "friend of Dorothy" (FOD) is a euphemism for a gay man, first used in LGBT slang. Stating that, or asking if someone is a friend of Dorothy, is a furtive way of suggesting sexual orientation while avoiding hostility. The term was likely based on the character Dorothy Gale of the Oz series of novels, which have been interpreted as including much queer subtext. Actress Judy Garland, who portrayed Dorothy in the 1939 Wizard of Oz film, is considered a gay icon. Writer and critic Dorothy Parker is thought to be another potential origin of the term. The "friend of Dorothy" euphemism was commonly used throughout the 20th century, but its use has declined in recent decades as LGBT acceptance has advanced.

Corpus Christi is a 1998 American play by Terrence McNally, written in 1997 and first staged in New York in 1998, dramatizing the story of Jesus and the Apostles, depicting Jesus and the Apostles as gay men living in modern-day Texas. McNally arranges the narrative through anachronisms that represent Roman occupation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul C. Vogt</span> American actor and comedian (born 1964)

Paul Calvin Vogt is an American actor and comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on the sketch comedy programs Mad TV, The Big Gay Sketch Show, and The Rerun Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theatre Intime</span>

Theatre Intime is an entirely student-run dramatic arts not-for-profit organization operating out of the Hamilton Murray Theater at Princeton University. Intime receives no direct support from the university, and is entirely acted, produced, directed, teched and managed by a board of students that is elected once a semester. "Students manage every aspect of Theatre Intime, from choosing the plays to setting the ticket prices."

Donna Deitch is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and actor best known for her 1985 film Desert Hearts. The movie was the first feature film to "de-sensationalize lesbianism" by presenting a lesbian romance story with positive and respectful themes.

<i>The Visit</i> (musical) Musical

The Visit is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander.

The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company was a regional Canadian theatre company, producing plays from 1962 to 2012. The following is a list of the productions that have been staged since its inception to its final season of 2011–2012.

The Hull-Warriner Award is an award bestowed by the Dramatists Guild of America. The award is unique in that it is given by dramatists to dramatists. It is presented annually by the Dramatists Guild Council to an author, or team of authors, in recognition of their work dealing with difficult subjects including political, religious, and social mores of the times.

Kristin Hanggi is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter; and theater director best known for the 2009 Broadway musical Rock of Ages. The jukebox musical received five Tony Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. She has also directed two national tours, and West End, Australia, Toronto, and Las Vegas productions.

<i>Tribute</i> (2009 film) American TV series or program

Tribute, also known as Nora Roberts' Tribute, is a 2009 television film directed by Martha Coolidge starring Brittany Murphy and Jason Lewis. The film is based on the 2008 Nora Roberts novel of the same name. It is part of the Nora Roberts 2009 movie collection, which also includes Northern Lights, Midnight Bayou, and High Noon. The movie debuted April 11, 2009 on Lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Gay Men's Chorus</span>

The New York City Gay Men's Chorus is a choral organization in New York City that has been presenting an annual concert season for more than four decades.

Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone? is a play by Terrence McNally.

It's Only a Play is a play by Terrence McNally. The play originally opened off-off-Broadway in 1982. It was revived off-Broadway in 1986, and on Broadway in 2014. The plot concerns a party where a producer, playwright, director, actors and their friends eagerly wait for the opening night reviews of their Broadway play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daryl Roth</span> American producer and director

Daryl Roth is an American theatre producer who has produced over 90 productions on and off Broadway. Most often serving as a co-producer or investor, Roth has also been a lead producer of Broadway shows such as Kinky Boots, Indecent, Sylvia, It Shoulda Been You, and The Normal Heart.

<i>Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life</i> 2018 documentary film

Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life is a 2018 documentary film about playwright Terrence McNally. It was directed, produced and written by Jeff Kaufman, and produced by Marcia S. Ross. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2018. It will be distributed by The Orchard in November 2018. An expanded and illustrated version of the script will be published by Smith and Kraus in October 2018. Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life aired June 14, 2019 on PBS’ “American Masters.”

<i>Working in the Theatre</i> American TV series or program

Working in the Theatre is the American Theatre Wing’s documentary series created to highlight the theatre industry's inner-workings. The series profiles notable members of the industry, and provides a closer look at unique stories and important work. Working in the Theatre aims to inform audiences about typically less well-known aspects of the theatre by sharing The Wing's extensive knowledge of the industry. The series has been running for more than four decades, and has featured extraordinary work from numerous members of the industry. Working in the Theatre receives leadership support from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Dorothy Strelsin Foundation. The series is also supported, in part, by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Kirdahy</span>

Thomas Joseph Kirdahy is an American Tony and Olivier Award-winning theatrical producer, film producer, lawyer, and activist.

References

  1. Jones, Kenneth. "Ferstein, Vogel & McNally Pen TV Playlets About Gay Life for Showtime Drama Jan. 29" Playbill, January 28, 2000
  2. Goodman, Walter (January 28, 2000). "TV Weekend: From Gay Bashing to Gay Marriage". New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Zahed, Ramin. "Review: ‘Common Ground’" Variety, January 27, 2000