How "Doing Time on Maple Drive" could garner just 7 out of ten points is astonishing to me. Even 16 years after its release this made-for-TV film remains the best written, most accurate portrayal of the fake "perfect family" I've ever come across, either on TV or the big screen.
In fact, after seeing it for the first time I spent weeks trying to figure out when someone interviewed my own family as research for a screenplay. Some of the key scenes in this film occurred nearly verbatim in my own household.
The genius of this script is its reality: it was one of the first gay-themed films that didn't either sugar coat the issue, or wrap it in cliché' tragedy. Yes, there is a suicide attempt, but it's only half-assed, the way most suicide attempts are in real life. This film is also distinguished by the performance of Bibi Besch who portrays the family's mother. Instead of welcoming her gay son with open arms and smiles, she is able to eventually muster nothing better than a forced acceptance which barely fronts utter disgust. Like it or not, that's the way things wind up in many families, a fact that's rarely portrayed in movies.
More kudos for the film's subplot which, instead of being a mere time-filler, nearly outshines the primary storyline in its engagement. Jim Carrey and James Sikking are amazing in this piece. Again, not a standard Hollywood plot resolution to be found anywhere.
In fact, after seeing it for the first time I spent weeks trying to figure out when someone interviewed my own family as research for a screenplay. Some of the key scenes in this film occurred nearly verbatim in my own household.
The genius of this script is its reality: it was one of the first gay-themed films that didn't either sugar coat the issue, or wrap it in cliché' tragedy. Yes, there is a suicide attempt, but it's only half-assed, the way most suicide attempts are in real life. This film is also distinguished by the performance of Bibi Besch who portrays the family's mother. Instead of welcoming her gay son with open arms and smiles, she is able to eventually muster nothing better than a forced acceptance which barely fronts utter disgust. Like it or not, that's the way things wind up in many families, a fact that's rarely portrayed in movies.
More kudos for the film's subplot which, instead of being a mere time-filler, nearly outshines the primary storyline in its engagement. Jim Carrey and James Sikking are amazing in this piece. Again, not a standard Hollywood plot resolution to be found anywhere.
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