Product Details

• Actors: Joe Wilson, CJ Springer, Kathy Springer
• Directors: Joe Wilson, Dean Hamer
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Garden Thieves Pictures
• DVD Release Date: March 9, 2010
• Run Time: 56 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002Y3GZD2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,428 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Out in the Silence" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

OUT OF SILENCE - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Story, December 11, 2009

By 

James Klingger (York, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out in the Silence (DVD)

This film reminds me of an Agnes Varda documentary: you start out thinking it's about one thing, but it turns into quite another.

The story begins when the filmmaker runs an announcement of his marriage to another man in his hometown newspaper in the small, conservative town of Oil City, PA. Not surprisingly there is quite a backlash, especially from the head of a local right-wing fundamentalist group. But instead of spending the next hour on the pros and cons of same-sex marriage, the filmmaker begins to explore what it's like to be gay or lesbian in a rural community.

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Soon, the film evolves into a completely different set of interrelated stories about a gay youth who is being tormented at the oil City High School and his brave mom, two women who are trying to build a business, and a fundamentalist preacher who has second thoughts about the consequenceses of his religious pronouncements. Each character is wonderful in their own way, but I especially liked the mother, Kathy, who is like a lioness fighting for her cubs.

Despite the serious subject matter, the documentary has plenty of joy and humor. I was fortunate to watch a preview screening in my home town with a supportive audience, and they were alternately crying, laughing and cheering.

This is the best documentary I've watched in a long time. The real beauty is that it's not just for the already enlightened. Nobody with a heart could watch this film and not be deeply moved.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bold and Compelling, January 30, 2010

By 

Richard R. Hall - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out in the Silence (DVD)

I grew up in the mountains of western Pennsylvania in a place similar to the setting of this documentary. In the late 1970's and 1980's it was unheard of for anyone in my school to "come out." I doubt I would have known what that meant. This documentary beautifully reveals the pain experienced by gays trying to cope with life in small town America. The pacing is effortless. The intimate way the camera reveals the main characters lives illustrates the power of documentary to inspire empathy for "the other." The fascinating curveball in Oil City is the local American Family Association chapter, which is unusual but serves as a convenient metaphor for larger forces in the nation. I wish I could have seen a film like this when I was a teenager. I was most impressed by the gradual shift in the attitude of Evangelical Pastor Mark Micklos. Though all is not well in small town America, this work shows that progress is possible. Everyone who lives in rural areas and in small cities should watch this DVD.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will be good for promoting discussion and understanding, December 29, 2009

By 

WaterSheep - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out in the Silence (DVD)

I was lucky enough to catch an advance preview of this documentary, and sincerely hope it will be seen by as many groups and individuals as possible. As somebody very familiar with a similar community in Pennsylvania, I found the film an important window into small town America's slowly changing outlook on homosexuality and tolerance. While the filmmakers are open and upfront about their own point of view, they provide a nuanced, compassionate portrait of the residents of Oil City Pennsylvania. A very human story that will serve as a useful tool in promoting discussion and understanding among different people.