Out made quite the news a few days ago when it came to light that it was the first film (well, short film) from the Disney house to feature gay characters. Disney markets itself as a family entertainment service (its older and more mature sibling being Hulu). And it was a point-of-contention for many that there isn’t enough representation of the LGBTQ community under Disney’s huge umbrella.
However, now we have Out, and I must say, I’m quite touched at the execution.
Manuel and Greg
Out starts with a very good boi and another equally good boi looking sliding down a rainbow and looking on.
Couple Greg and Manuel and their very good boi Jim and getting ready to move elsewhere. As they are talking about fond memories, Greg’s greatest nightmare comes true in the form of his parents. They are here to help him move, but are unaware of his sexual orientation. The entire movie is focused on Greg, as he struggles to tell his parents about Manuel. While he struggles to comprehend how to break the truth to them, his body switches with that of Jim. What follows are a hilarious few minutes of Greg (in Jim’s body) trying to stop his mother from discovering the truth.
Out is different from everything that I have seen from Pixar, whose signature style is three-dimensional and realism-infused. Instead, Out is like a watercolour painting that you probably once saw in an art gallery. The colours and the lines all blend together with each other like a waterfall or the sky. The art style is unique and fresh, and makes Out look very pretty. In addition to that, it is also very colourful and fun – you won’t be able to look away.
A mother’s love
Out features the struggles that people from the LGBTQ community go through when it comes to coming out to their parents. Greg’s parents are two very different people. His mother and loud and very of energy, while is father occasionally comes up with a “hmph”. However, they love their son very much, and that is evident in every scene. Towards the end of the Out, we see his mother breaking down infront of Jim, telling the dog that she wishes Greg would talk to them. I think this is one of the struggles of growing up. When you’re young, life is much simpler. But as you grow older, certain boundaries start popping up which you can’t, or won’t, cross. However, that doesn’t mean your parents would love you any less. It’s one of the most tender moments of the movie and would definitely make you want to go and hug your parents.
Out is written and directed by Steven Clay Hunter and is 9 minutes long. But in those 9 minutes, it talks about a variety of emotions and problems that real people face everyday. Much like Pixar’s other movies, Out definitely invokes various emotions that make you feel warm and mushy. And at the end of the 9-minutes, you start wishing for it to be a feature-length film.
Out is streaming right on Disney+ Hotstar.