This is a comedy movie of great moments. In&Out has a hilarious spoof of the Oscars (complete with very sharp Forrest Gump take-off and cameos from Whoopi Goldberg and Glenn Close); a painfully funny scene in which Kevin Kline tries not to dance; and that kiss. Yes, the much-talked about scene, when Kevin Kline and ex-Magnum PI Selleck pucker up for a long, lasting comical tonguing.
Of course, In&Out is also a comedy about people accepting what they are, whether it's gay, straight, fat or thin, and the world being a better place once they do. Fortunately, director Frank Oz keeps these sugary moments brief; instead he plays the In&Out story (inspired by the blubbering speech Tom Hanks gave for Philadelphia back in '93) completely for laughs. Debbie Reynolds delights in her mad-mom role, obviously with an eye on a genuine Oscar. Instead of creating a scene when her son finally makes up his mind, she coerces her fellow mothers into a sensational confessional session. Cameron's supermodel-type girlfriend (Shalom Harlow) plays the stereotype to the hilt. "I've got to shower and vomit," she says when he tries to drag her out.
Joan Cusack, as the girl who's only desire is to get married, is by degrees degraded and boosted, but ends up as the candidate most likely to live happily ever after. As for Kline, he takes pleasure in a role that is a big, stark contrast to his serious Ice Storm performance, and plays his character as broadly as possible. The chances are that in a month when Oscar films are dominating the schedules, it's this little gem that's going to clean up at the February box office.
What could have been an angst-ridden drama becomes a light, frothy comedy in the hands of Muppet man Oz. In%26Out may be low on logic, but it's high on great character acting, smart one-liners and the feelgood factor.
