BIG EDEN
Before there was BROS, there was BIG EDEN (2000) (trailer here). A more obscure entry in the genre, BIG EDEN is a queer romantic comedy-drama that’s somehow a charming time capsule of the late 90s/early 2000s that’s also incredibly ahead of its time. The movie centers on Henry Hart (Arye Gross), a gay artist in New York City who returns to his small hometown of Big Eden, Montana after his grandfather Sam (George Coe) suffers a stroke. He reconnects with his childhood friend Pike Dexter (Eric Schweig), a sensitive and shy Native American man (Schweig himself is Indigenous Canadian) who has long harbored a secret crush on Henry. Perhaps surprisingly, there isn’t a single trace of small-town bigotry or that distinctly early-2000s flavor of homophobia to be found in this movie; the main conflict deals with the prospect of Henry losing his grandfather, Pike’s reluctance to admit his feelings, and a love triangle with Henry’s high school crush Dean (Tim DeKay). The two romantic leads are given emotional depth and dignity, and the entire town eventually rallies around Henry and Pike getting together, with plenty of home-cooked meals and community get-togethers aiding the process. Some critics have considered this an unrealistic premise, but I think it’s a much-needed dose of escapism into an ideal world where being openly queer in a small town just isn’t a big deal. BIG EDEN is about coming together as a community, making peace with past regrets, and opening up to the possibility of finding love by overcoming the fear of heartbreak.
— Lauren Kirksey, Development Intern
