This was a great movie. The cast was wonderful--in particular the actor who played Frank. Wow. He was amazing.

This is a tough story of coming out that addresses family acceptance and rejection in a way that I've not seen depicted nor expressed so accurately and endearingly on screen.

Definitely worth the watch

What was it like being gay in the 1960s? What was it like being a "sinner" of any kind in the south (and often still is today)? This movie does a good job of showing reality.

It's a low-budget film, but for this story that's a blessing. If the story were prettied up, like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," they'd have to play down the gay part of the story, in order to make a profit. I much prefer a low-budget reality.

Ditto for the character of Beth. As a Lesbian, I'd have rather seen her have a bigger role, but the story isn't hers; it's Frank's, and her role is to observe and tell the story, not to be an active character.

Well done.

Excellent story, characters and filming. It's honest and heartfelt without veering into sentimentality or melodrama. Loved it.

This was a great story and very emotional, heart felt! The ending was more of a surprise than I anticipated, especially for the 70's and in South Carolina.

The film is beautifully done with characters that people would recognize from their own lives: relatives that are nosy or close-minded, children who are told in many ways directly and indirectly to be seen and not heard and dreamers who are shut out for daring to think or act differently. So, in many ways, this is a story about the dynamic between conformity and resistance. How much of either do you need to engage in to really be happy? How much comes from your inner self? How much from outside sources?

The audience sees Uncle Frank's story from the view of his niece Beth. Beth is a teenager on the cusp of adulthood who feels she doesn't fit in with her family and many others in a small, Southern town. Beth relates to Frank in her experience of feeling like an outsider within her family, though the things she wants to do/try aren't really radical at all especially by today's standards. She wants to read more books by women, dance as a majorette, curse, try alcohol...Most importantly, Beth is curious which allows her to ask straightforward questions about how her uncle grew up and rarely visits the family. You see her mentally question why her uncle (a thoughtful, stoic man with a prestigious job in NYC of all places) is met with so much hatred no matter how kind and respectful he is towards his father and why no one openly talks about it.

If it were told from the perspective of another relative or family friend, growing up in the same generation of Frank, this would be another story. Often, those of us in the same generation more often question why someone doesn't try harder to blend in or change themselves. Frank has tried this approach for decades yet he still faces backlash and disrespect from his family, especially his father. So neither Frank nor his family become happy or benefit from this approach. This film will make you think about where the pressure to shrink oneself comes from and who really benefits.

This started out to be kind of funny and quirky but ended up much deeper and more meaningful than the previews looked!

I could relate to the Uncle and his relationship with his father and how hard it was for him to go to a funeral and hear people idealize and idolize a father who was really a cruel and unaccepting person. My father was very similar and I couldn't go to his funeral. It would have been too much to sit through all the lies.

I always thought Beth was gay too from the previews but it's interesting that it never really clarified this in the movie but left it an open question. Maybe she was bi-sexual or asexual. She didn't seem all that interested in either men or women and described her one sexual experience with a female friend as "embarrassing" and more of a way to practice kissing. Maybe she didn't know her own sexual orientation yet. It's true that not all people know from a young age. Some need to try things out in order to know.

The family dynamics were interesting; a mix of people, but almost all seemed to be outspoken.

The Uncle's partner, Walli was clearly very committed to him and stood by him in situations that others may have walked out. He clearly caused him alot of pain with his drinking and yet he was still there for him. Definitely a keeper!

I'm glad it had a happy ending after all the agony the Uncle had been through all those years and that most of the family ended up accepting him when they found out he was gay, most importantly his mother.

Do not pass up this movie because it is about a gay couple. I almost did and was so glad I watched it.

I was wowed by the movie. Very seldom do I rate a movie five stars. I liked "Uncle Frank," and I loved "Wally." Powerful. Heart wrenching at times, but all of the best movies are, in my opinion.
If you're not a judgmental homophobic, you will not like this movie, because the love scenes were of a man and a man.
If you're a decent, non-judgmental human being, you will love this movie.

*Frankly, I am thoroughly disgusted by the homophobic, judgmental and unnecessary comments. You could rate it one star and just say, "it was not for me." You don't need to be so hateful.
One of my friends is gay, and I LOVED hanging out with him when I was the age the niece "Beth," was.
I was judgmental and taught that gays were going to hell. You know what? The disgusting judgmental people would be the first to burn in the fires of hell, if, indeed there was a hell. They don't even read their bibles. There's a passage where their own savior told his disciples, "Judge not lest you be judged, measure for measure."

I cannot recommend it enough.