In the film Tru Loved, sixteen-year-old Tru is uprooted by her lesbian moms from her comfortable LGBT-friendly home in San Francisco and moved to a conservative, suburban community in Southern California. Tru’s only friend is a closeted football player, and even that friendship is jeopardized when she starts the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance.
Rainbow Rumpus recently interviewed filmmakers Antonio Brown and Stewart Wade, who are also out and proud parents.
Rainbow Rumpus: Describe your background and how you got into filmmaking.
Antonio: I am a former university professor. Among the subjects of my lectures and research is the influence of media on our sense of identity. I have been fascinated by films and filmmaking for many years. After building our relationship, Stewart and I decided to partner in filmmaking. Stewart is a creative and innovative writer and director. We worked together to raise money and find distribution for his earlier feature film, Coffee Date, and the ball has continued rolling from there.
Stewart: I started life as a writer. I have a master’s degree in playwriting from UCLA, where I also studied film and quickly realized I had a passion for it. While I had some success as a screenwriter, I found it frustrating waiting for other people to make things happen—and then when they did happen, discovering that they hadn’t fully brought my vision to life. So I decided to give directing my own work a try.
Rainbow Rumpus: There are so few films or television shows that have in-depth, realistic representations of LGBT families. Are there any films or shows that you drew on for inspiration?
Antonio: I was influenced by early Disney films and idealistic situation comedies like Mary Tyler Moore, Bewitched, and The Brady Bunch, as well as my connections to and experiences in the intersections of the African American and gay communities.
Stewart: In general, I was influenced by early gay indie films like Parting Glances and the screwball comedies of the 1930s. For this movie in particular, I had in the back of my mind some of the best of the John Hughes movies.
Rainbow Rumpus: Was it difficult to find the resources to make a film dealing with LGBT families?
Antonio: Raising money for an independent feature is always a difficult proposition. I always say, our ability to raise funds is directly tied to Stewart’s ability to provide a high-quality screenplay. The relationship to social issues and the very real call for social justice in the film are subtle, and the movie is approachable. The depth and subtly of the material in addition to the quality of the writing, in terms of dialogue and situations, have helped us bring Tru Loved to the screen.
Stewart: Fundraising is always hard. But I would say that having a script with something meaningful to say probably helped us. If we’d been trying to raise money to make yet another low-budget slasher film, I don’t know how successful we would have been.
Rainbow Rumpus: Is it difficult to work on a film with your partner? Is it too much to see the same person at work and at home?
Antonio: I don’t think that it is difficult. I believe that because we have an intimate partnership, we are able to be direct with each other, in ways that can be difficult when you’re dealing with someone you’ve employed to work with you. We know that we have one common goal: to deliver the best film that we can and build a body of work that represents our talents and connects with audiences. So we are very honest with each other in terms of both critique and praise.
Because we work on different aspects of the film, we do not actually work together each day. I deal with contacting agents and talent, raising money, and promoting the films. Stewart works more on the creative aspects, writing, directing, and editing. At the end of the day, we come together to evaluate each other’s progress and support each other’s efforts. So it doesn’t get to be too much time together. During the height of filming, we actually spend less time together than usual.
Rainbow Rumpus: What message would you give to children or teenagers growing up in an LGBT family?
Antonio: We have a teenaged son. The first thing I’d say to teens is listen to your parents: they really do know best. And we all know that message will be heard! Seriously, I believe many folks would be surprised at how similar growing up in a GLBT family is to growing up in any family. We all want the same things for our children. Teens are all struggling to gain an independent identity; the family dynamic is very similar. I suppose my general advice to teenagers in GLBT families is to choose your friends wisely and remember that not everyone has to be your friend. It is OK if some folks don’t want anything to do with you or your family, as long as they are not posing any sort of threat. Walk away, and find friends who care. I’d say the same to teenagers from all backgrounds and various families.
Outfest 2006 named writer/director Stewart Wade one of “Five in Focus”—feature film directors chosen as “the next wave of hot new talent.” Early in his career, two of Stewart’s stage plays, Opening Night and Second Chance, were produced in Los Angeles. His first screenplay, On the Line, was optioned by Joanna Lancaster (executive producer of Ruthless People), and a screenplay called Wish List was sold to German television. Directed by Wiktor Grodecki, the film was retitled Ich wünsch Dir Liebe (I Wish to Live) and was so successful that it was subsequently released theatrically.
Producer Antonio Brown is a former university professor and an honored recipient of numerous academic awards and fellowships who sits on boards of directors and consults with social justice and community-based organizations. His educational background, career, and activism are driven by his commitment to social justice for all people.
Support the artists who support Rainbow Rumpus! Go to www.truloved.com and learn more about Tru Loved today!
Click here to view screenshots from Tru Loved >>
