Educational Media Reviews Online

Michael Glatze, portrayed by James Franco, transforms his life from one of infinite love, caring and selflessness to a life of dedication to Christian fundamentalist values. Based on his irrational fear of dying and fear of what happens when one dies, Michael succumbs to the Christian siren song of eternal life. All Michael has to do is “embrace the fear” by abandoning real love and replacing it with love of God. Replacing selflessness on earth with selfish hope for an immortal life for his soul. In Michael’s case, one can wonder if his bargain is with God or the Devil.

The movie is not dogmatic. It doesn’t hide Michael’s hypocrisy and narcissism. Michael begins as a gay activist. He’s a writer who is always trying to “do good.” His love affairs are genuine. Michael is loved and admired. As time passes, his focus changes from helping others to worrying about his own soul’s fate. He becomes irrational and religious. Many times, Michael is asked, “Are you OK?” While always answering in the affirmative, clearly, he is not OK. His lovers and admirers are bewildered. He sponges off his lovers. Michael says and does things that cause deep hurt and pain to his lovers and the gay community even while maintaining a fantasy of trying to “do good.” To their credit, his former friends and lovers do their best to try to understand Michael, but ultimately, he is lost.

Michael is still alive. The movie focuses on the period of his life where he transitions from gay activist, through a myriad of religious experiences and acquaintances including a Mormon man he can’t take his eyes off of and a Buddhist with whom he has a brief, confused relationship. Ultimately, Michael marries Rebekah, a woman he meets at a Christian school, and becomes a Christian pastor with his own flock. Now he “helps” gay youth by shaming them. We know Michael could not bring himself to have heterosexual sex when given the opportunity. As of this writing, Michael and Rebekah are still married.

The value of this movie in class is tracing the changes in Michael as fear sparks a faint religious memory that ultimately consumes him. Michael studies. He explores his religious side. His focus changes from outward to inward. He uses people. God talks to Michael regularly. Michael says, “I’m sorry” to those he hurts, but he continues hurting people in God’s name. Obvious topics for discussion involve the morality of Michael’s actions. For fundamentalist Christians, one could discuss whether Michael’s actions are redeeming or have doomed him to the lake of fire.