In 2007, to the consternation of his friends, the prominent gay rights campaigner Michael Glatze, co-founder of Young Gay America magazine, announced he had become a Christian and been “healed” of his homosexuality, a stance he has maintained since, training as a pastor, setting up his own church and continuing to denounce gay life.
Supported by Gus van Sant, debut director Justin Kelly tells Glatze’s story in I Am Michael with a fairness and responsibility that prevents him ridiculing his stance as vigorously as he might like, compromising the film’s impact.
Zachary Quinto plays Michael’s wounded boyfriend, Emma Roberts his Christian wife — but the movie is made by a fine performance by James Franco, also a producer. He is equally convincing as happy gay Michael and as the hard-faced convert, so his transformation cannot simply be dismissed as delusional, however insulting it is to gay identity.
Glatze’s former friends now speculate he may never have been gay at all — and this discomforting drama received a muted reception at the LGBT-friendly Panorama strand here in Berlin.
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