Queerly Ever After #55: MORGAN (2012)

Queerly Ever After is a bi-monthly column where I take a look at LGBT+ films that gave their characters a romantic happily-ever-after. There will be spoilers. Also, don’t forget to buy your Queerly Ever After merch right here.

Morgan (Leo Minaya), a former bicyclist who was left paralyzed and in a wheelchair following a tragic accident during a bike race, grapples with what his new situation means for his future and his ability to race again. One night, while heading home through his local park, he passes by a basketball court just as a basketball rolls past him.

The ball belongs to Dean (Jack Kesy), a soulful but troubled real estate agent mourning the recent death of his mother. Morgan and Dean shoot hoops together. After shooting hoops, Morgan shoots his shot and asks Dean out for drinks, not specifying whether he means as a date or just friends, and Dean says yes.

New Love

The next night, on their maybe date, Morgan and Dean get to know each other. Finally Morgan asks Dean if he said yes to him as just a friend, or if they’re on a date, and Dean admits he didn’t know whether or not Morgan meant a date when he invited him out, but he hoped he did. The two begin dating and, while Morgan has been out of the closet since his teens, he is still uncomfortable being affectionate in public, Dean, who has only recently come out (in fact, he never even told his mother) he wants to be able to hold Morgan’s hand and embrace him openly.

This is the first relationship Morgan has had since his accident and he’s still learning what he can and can no longer do. Unfortunately, the accident has made it almost impossible for him to get an erection, so his doctor prescribes him erectile dysfunction pills. They definitely work, but they also cause his blood pressure to skyrocket and one night in the shower he falls and passes out.

Old Habits Die Hard

As their relationship is progressing, Morgan is still grappling with his desire to be a competitive racer. He’s always been competitive, and he has the trophies to prove it, but competing was always something that came easy to him, not anymore. He decides that he’s going to get a bike that he can pedal with his arms and register for the race that caused his accident. As he throws himself back into training even though his doctor has told him he is not ready to race again, and his mother wants him to stop, a wedge comes between him and Dean. Eventually, Dean realizes that he can’t get Morgan to give up his need to race, but he also can’t sit back and watch as Morgan kills himself, so he breaks things off.

This finally works as an impetus to make Morgan realize that he can’t keep going on the way he is. Yes, he always enjoyed racing, but there are more important things in life than winning a trophy, and his relationship with Dean was more important. He finds Dean at the basketball court where they first met and admits he’s still in love with him and he dropped out of the race. Dean says he’s also still in love with Morgan, but things can’t be the way they were before. To prove he’s truly changed, Morgan kisses Dean in public.

In Conclusion: Morgan

By centering its love story on a paraplegic gay man, Morgan gives us a story that we haven’t seen before. Movies that feature leads with disabilities are few and far between. That being said, the movie itself is just so-so. The pacing and plotting are rather slow and the camerawork and lighting set-ups are flat. It’s not bad, it’s just not great, but it is nice to see a story that we don’t see very often.

Morgan was written and directed by Michael Akers. It came out on DVD in the USA on January 7, 2012. For all other release dates, see here.

Watch Morgan