Gray Matters
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Forgettable coming-out comedy for older teens.
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Gray Matters
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What's the Story?
Ad exec Gray (Heather Graham) lives in Manhattan life with her heart-surgeon brother Sam (Tom Cavanagh) – siblings so close that strangers sometimes assume they're a couple. When they decide to look for people for each other to date, Gray finds Sam a gorgeous zoologist named Charlie (Bridget Moynahan); exactly one date later, Sam and Charlie get engaged. The hitch is that -- as Sam, Charlie, and Gray head to Las Vegas for the elopement -- Gray finds herself more and more attracted to Charlie. After the ladies end up clinched in a deep girl-on-girl kiss (not that the intoxicated Charlie can remember it), Gray has a life-changing panic attack. When she returns home, Gray retreats but must ultimately deal with her confusion.
Is It Any Good?
This film is a sometimes-amusing but mostly confused mess. Graham and Cavanagh have built their acting careers on their irresistible charm, but even these two paragons of cute can't save screenwriter Sue Kramer's predictable directorial debut.
As Gray retreats into her overanalyzing personality, she seems like a character from a very sub-par Woody Allen script. Eventually she accepts herself as a lesbian, but only after a hysterical confrontation with Sam about how she'll never be able to hold hands with her lover or have a wedding or children – meanwhile, she lives in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. Bottom line? Even in the limited genre of coming-out comedies, Gray Matters matters not.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Gray decided to come out. Ask your kids how they feel about her fears that she'll never get married, have kids, or be able to publicly display affection because she's gay. Parents and kids can also discuss Gray and Sam's sibling relationship. Why did someone assume they were a couple? What were the pros and cons of their constant togetherness? If your kids have siblings, ask them how they think their relationships will change as they get older.
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 22, 2007
- On DVD or streaming: June 19, 2007
- Cast: Bridget Moynahan , Heather Graham , Tom Cavanagh
- Director: Sue Kramer
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Yari Film Group
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: some mature thematic material, sexual content and language.
- Last updated: June 19, 2023
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