Whole New Thing (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Ah, I love a chance to do a little alliteration in my reviews.
This Canadian film is very entertaining and very well done. The story of a young boy coming to grips (often), with his sexuality is handled with good taste and intelligence. The acting, particularly by Aaron Webber, is subperb. If he's not actually gay, he certainly does a good job of conveying some of what it means to be thirteen and dealing with such issues.
The sub-plot involving Emmerson's mother cheating on his father with a Cylon (inside joke), is less interesting, but still good. Frankly, that could have made for a decent stand-alone movie, but here it somewhat drags focus away from the main plot.
I'd like to see a sequel to this film, which is not something I say every day, especially not in the context of a gay film, most of which follow the checklist of gay movie cliches (ie: character dies, usually through suicide, character gets gay bashed or character gets AIDS).
>>> SPOILER WARNING!

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Emerson Thorsen, 13, lives with his parents in their eco-home in the wilds of Nova Scotia. The precocious teen has completed his first book, writing and illustrating all 1000 pages of it. Meanwhile, the home-schooled youth can barely add 2 + 2, so his mother enrolls him in the local junior high. Emerson isn t happy about the move, and has trouble fitting in at the new school. One of Emerson s new teachers is Don Grant, a 42-year old closeted gay man. Emerson initially is scornful of his teacher, but when Emerson speaks up in class, Don treats his ideas seriously. Emerson's scorn changes to respect, but soon he develops his first crush on Don. Emerson throws himself into this awakening of the heart with dangerous abandon. Don, who isn t out to the students, reacts with alarm. Eventually, Don has to learn how to curb Emerson's feelings without crushing his spirit. In the process, both student and teacher learn valuable lessons about surviving growing pains.

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