The Miseducation of Cameron Post takes us back to the ’90s to confront the lingering problems of today, and it proved potent enough to take Sundance’s biggest prize.
Based on the novel of the same name, the movie follows a teen sent to a gay conversion camp after her sexuality is revealed to her guardians. Luckily, these programs are becoming less and less common in the United States, but the underlying assumption that anything outside of heterosexuality is wrong and needs corrected still hangs around in many cultures. By going back to a time when this was more overtly expressed the film will be able to explore its harmful effects more directly, but the retro take also leaves it open to criticism.
There’s a growing argument that films featuring LGBTQ characters should embrace the freedom of the moment and focus on telling stories where characters are happier and more integrated into society. Difficult coming out stories or those featuring violence and oppression aren’t a staple like they used to be, and those films still revolving around this content often get muted praise in comparison to happier fare (look at what happened to last year’s Beach Rats). The Miseducation of Cameron Post could be headed for similar critiques regardless of its quality, and by all accounts it is of very high quality.
Writer/director Desiree Akhavan has explored pressured identities before in Appropriate Behaviour, and she’s assembled a cast worthy of the difficult topic. The main teens are played by Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, and Forrest Goodluck, who have varying degrees of experience but have all held their own in attention-grabbing projects. The always great Jennifer Ehle leads the adults, and several more familiar faces are slated to appear.
The team behind The Miseducation of Cameron Post seems poised to pull off the material, but will audiences be receptive to the story? If nothing else, it at least looks to be a conversation starter.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is directed by Desiree Akhavan and stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, and Forrest Goodluck. It will be released in the US on August 3rd, 2018 and in the UK on August 31st, 2018. For international release dates, click here.
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