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Disorienting Dick
USA 2022
produced by Richard Griffin, Adam G. Smith (executive) for Scorpio Film Releasing
directed by Richard Griffin
starring Graham Stokes, Terry Shea, Leslie Racine Vazquez, Sarah Reed, Neil Redfield, Albert Lin, James Bagley, Amy Webster Thompson, Victoria Paradis, Robert Kersey, Jaybird Walker, Alexander Wills, Ronald Martin, Megan Begin, Alec Farquharson, Nick Rizo, Greg Geer, Kevin Killavey, Bernie Larrivee jr, J.P. Cottam, Michael Forstadt, Mark Carter, Ricky Irizarry, Daniel Martens, Michael Varrati, Derek Laurendeau
written by Richard Griffin, Robyn Guilford, Daniel Martens, songs by Kissing Conest, Kraig Jordan
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Maureen Whiteman (Leslie Racine Vazquez) is the conservatives' top
candidate for a mayor's post on Rhode Island - not so much because she's
all that talented a politician but because she upholds conservative
values, to the extreme really ... oh and because her campaign is backed by
big money from Russia. Maureen's son Dick (Graham Stokes) is really a
model politician's son, too, he doesn't talk back, supports his mother's
ideas and ambitions without questioning them, and keeps out of all
scandals. Plus, he's engaged to a wholesome woman, Pat (Sarah Reed), so
some say he's really presidential material. But there's something odd with
Dick: Even though he's been with Pat for over 5 years, he's never ever
tried to get intimate with her - quite the contrary, whenever she is
taking the initiative, he knows no better than to hide under a blanket.
His mother of course is keen on him having offspring as it would look good
for her campaign, so she sends him to Hyde Hippocampus' (Terry Shea)
sexual orientation clinic - pronounce "sexual conversion camp"
here. However, Hyde Hippocampus has a brother, Jekyll (Terry Shea again),
who runs a sexual acceptance camp, and he has long figured Dick is
probably gay, so he kidnaps the boy and tries for him to come to terms
with his sexuality - but really, Dick, having been indoctrinated by his
mother for years, doesn't see himself gay and resents Jekyll's treatment,
even if he feels more and more drawn to his male patients and personnel.
But when Hyde kidnaps him back to his sexual orientation clinic, Dick
feels even more out of place, and from here on it's really a tug-o'-war
for the boy and even more so for his sexuality, something that gets even
worse then his mother and fiancée - interestingly enough on opposite
sides - join the fight ...
Now you might have already guessed it from above synopsis (or
probably the title even), Disorienting Dick is not the most subtle
of movies - actually I'd go so far as to say it tries to drive its message
home with a sledgehammer. And while this is normally not my thing, it
really works here, and not even so much because the film clearly has its
heart in the right place, but because its message is really the foundation
of its humour as such. And in regards to comedy, it might often come
across as blunt, and despite its well intentions the film is absolutely
not politically correct, but also hilarious in its lack of respect and its
anything-goes mentality. That all said, if you prefer to stick to your
conservative values over just enjoying a raunchy comedy, then this is not
a movie for you, but if you only remotely support LGBTQ-rights and are
into respect-free humour, you'll probably find this one hilarious.
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