Light Up is an intimate documentary that focuses on the lives of five people in Atlanta—four Black gay men and one Black transgender woman. It’s a really personal look at their backstories and how they’ve dealt with prejudice and mental health struggles because they felt they had to hide who they truly were. The big thing they all share is that every person interviewed has found a way to push through those hard times. Now, they're all at a place where they feel totally comfortable being themselves and speaking their truth. The five people sharing their journeys are Simone Tisci, Derek Jae, Octavius Terry, Obio Jones, and Benjamin Carlton. Derek Jae is already pretty well-known from reality TV, while Simone Tisci is a successful makeup artist who is now working on breaking into acting. Then there’s Octavius Terry, who used to be a record-breaking track and field star. He actually cut his athletic career short because he was so scared his coaches and teammates would find out he was ...
Make the Yuletide Gay is a kindhearted and very low impact coming out tale with only the slightest bit of angst getting in the way of the feel good vibe. If only every gay person could have it this easy when it's time to confront the parents with the truth of the matter.
Heading home for Christmas break, college senior Olaf, kisses his boyfriend Nathan goodbye and heads off. But Nathan, abandoned by his rich jet-setting parents at the last minute, decides to follow Gunn home and share Christmas with his family. But what Nathan does not know is that Olaf is not out to his family. In fact, Olaf actually stops at a rest stop to change clothes and hair to 'straighten' himself up for his family. At home Olaf is greeted by her overtly zeal mother who is always giggly and wants Olaf to meet with some nice neighborhood girl and date. She keeps bringing up this topic. His father is a college professor and stoner of 40 years who has so baked his brain that he can hardly remember his name or speak a complete sentence. When Nathan arrives, he is ok to pretend to be straight but as the days go by, he begins to resent to lie. He can't understand why Olaf cannot come out to his parents who are full of life and love. Olaf's reason is that he cannot afford to loose his parents love. Love wins and on Christmas day, Olaf finally comes out to his parents. After a stunned silence, there is big surprise when Olaf's father gives money to his mother saying he lost the bet. Apparently the parents had known for a long long time and were just waiting for Olaf to tell them. Finally everyone gets their love and they can be who they actually are and want to be.
The mother was a little annoying at first with constant giggles but her character kind of grows on you. By the end, I loved her antics and her while personality. She was so full of life. Every family should have such a character. The father was also korky in a weird way. The boys Olaf and Nathan had a decent chemistry and some of the dialogues were so double meaning but when at the end everything comes out, you can't even imagine how embarrassing things could be if it happened with someone in real life.
Its funny and naughty. (5.5/10)
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