this was the world my uncles grew up in. small town , rural life . parades , veterans , iced-tea ,
promises & simply knowing that anything different or strange was a threat that quite often
needed to be dealt with. it was this fear of the unknown in a community of 1200 which led to
hatred & the bitterness & the anger that came with it. i , as so many did in the mid-eighties , fled
to N.Y.C. where i would find acceptance & a kinder world. harsh , yet , kinder too. i knew that if i stayed
i would never be allowed the happiness denied to that certain uncle or that unmarried cousin.
this departure led to a very different world. & when i retired to a very quiet life in a house in the mountains on a lake ; that was when reconnections began. & with these reconnections came contentment . & with this contentment came a forgiveness. acceptance . a certain grace.

This is one of the most memorable, true movies I have seen in many years.
I do not want to spoil the experience you are about to have watching this movie. So rather than tell you a synopsis of the story, I will tell you what this film is.

This is a story of love, of hate, of family, of heartbreak, of being true to oneself. The actors are excellent and the story rings true. I loved this movie. What a pleasure to watch. And this movie is a gift. Like reading classic literature, you become enmeshed and invested in the characters, the plot, the family. Beautifully acted, wonderfully produced, the story and the characters will capture your heart early in the movie. I was so invested in the characters I did not want this movie to end.

This story reminded me of my mother and one of the many valuable lessons she taught me. She was born in 1916 and was a wise, sage woman lightyears ahead of her time. She had a cherished friend she had loved since they were four years old, a wonderful woman. I remember Mom told me that "Helene" was different than any of her many friends I had previously met. She explained that difference to me as the way someone is born and that although different, that difference did not make Helene wrong, just unique. My mother remained friends with her her entire life. And my mother's explanation set the tone for me as a very young girl to understand, accept, and celebrate each individual for the beauty of who, and not what they are.

I think so much hate and anger comes from people being afraid. And not understanding. We do not choose who we are. Rather, we are who we are.

Thank you, Amazon. You are setting a precedence for excellence with this movie, and so many of your productions I have had the pleasure to watch. I didn't think there were very many movies worth watching that were made since the 1940's. Amazon's productions make me want to watch movies again.

If you don't want to view a sexual scene between two men then don't watch this movie. This rating system currently requires at least one star to submit the rating instead of allowing for zero stars. Thus one star was selected.

From firsthand experience, I can say this is an accurate picture of a gay man's rural small-town experience, though the "rural" aspect is somewhat stereotypical in that "big-city" folks can be as narrow and cruel as some of the small-town family members in this film. Alan Ball is always generous with his gay characters (e.g., David Fisher in SIX FEET UNDER), and the same critical kindness is present here. A Southern flavor with the young "naive" niece discovering her uncle's gayness. I was worried the ending might not be happy but, after some worrisome twists and turns, things end up well in a touching, tear-making conclusion. Nice to see a film about North Carolina actually filmed there. And kudos for Amazon for (finally) sponsoring another adult film that is thoughtfully shaped and uplifting. There have been too many juvenile, unpleasant features lately. Please , Amazon, support more films like this. The world falls apart, and folks need inspiring entertainment. Thank you, Alan Ball.

And if you do not learn something good from it, there is no hope for you. Even though I am heterosexual I have always accepted same sex people. To me they are no different than anyone else. This drove a wedge between my narrow minded family and myself. But I really don't care. I have met a lot of wonderful people in my life simply because of my open mind. Hopefully this movie will open others minds and they will see things the way they should be seen. Who cares what others do? If they are not forcing you or your loved ones to do it then it should not be a threat to you.

Another dumb Amazon original.

I was enjoying it till the gay stuff. That is when I stopped

Repulsive! Another indicator of a perverse nation.