Customer Reviews

Say Uncle

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Paul (Peter Paige) is one of the innocent, self consciously nerdy people, who just don't want to listen. An artist and somewhat of a recluse, Paul is gay and well meaning, but he has a rather unhealthy attachment to the schoolyard and aggressive interest in other people's children. When his godson's family moves to Japan, Paul goes ballistic, bursting in on the distressed new owners of his godson's home and loitering in the local playground.

Paul isn't a pedophile, he just loves kids, but he doesn't really comprehend the ramifications of his actions. His best friend, Russell (Anthony Clark) - who at one stage tells Paul that he loves him - advises caution, because people will talk and he could get into deep trouble. After all, helping a little girl go potty in a toy store and brushing down children's bottoms whilst playing in the sandpit does come across as a bit creepy.

It doesn't take long for us to realize that Paul is playing with fire, the problem is while we are supposed to sympathize with him, in reality, he comes off as remarkably self-centered and juvenile and also frustrating. Following a brief period of denial, Paul soon trades gloominess and despair for fixation, and decides to work as a stock boy in a toy store and then offer his baby-sitting services as a "manny" who knows what children really want.

Leave it up to concerned local mother Maggie (Kathy Najimy) to lead the moral majority and decide - for no good reason - that Paul fits the classic profile of a child predator. Together with some of the other mothers she begins a type neighborhood watch in the form of a witch-hunt to "bring Paul in" before he actually commits any crime.

Because Paul is gay and kindly and sort of innocent, we are supposed to see him as the victim, and to a certain extent he is. Still, if you were a parent wouldn't you be concerned if an unknown single man approached kids in the park and started playing in the sandbox with them? If so, you may not find Paul, and his deranged Peter Pan complex, and his anger at the big, bad world of grown-up people quite as charming as Paige does.

Besides the obvious reticence to actually empathize with Paul, Say Uncle does do a good job of presenting a hot-button issue where mothers of young kids can often rush to judgment, becoming hysterical over this issue for no good reason.

Peter Paige wrote, directed and cast himself in the lead and while the film presents the results of two people's misconceptions about each other quite well, the results are still often wobbly, somewhat misconstrued and wildly out of balance. The moral subtleness of Paul and Maggie's dilemma just doesn't come across as well as it could and rather than trying to deal with gay persecution and social mistrust, Say Uncle mostly comes off as a wishy-washy study of one man's wildly inappropriate behavior. Mike Leonard October 06.

In the indie film "Say Uncle" (2005), Paul Johnson (Peter Paige) is a very sweet but extremely naive gay artist, working an awful telemarketing job to pay the bills. A loner with few friends, he lives for the time he spends playing with his little godson, the child of his best friends. When a job causes that family to relocate to Japan, Paul tries to replace the joy he felt playing with the child by spending time with children in a local park. All goes fine until one of the mothers, played by Kathy Majimy, decides that a gay man who hangs out with children must be a pedophile, and organizes the neighborhood - embellishing the truth for what she considers the safety of innocent children - to bring him to justice.

Besides his starring role, Paige (who was Emmett in "Queer As Folk") is the screenwriter and director of this film. The cast includes a lot of great actors, including Majimy, Gabriel Union, Melanie Lynskey, and comic Anthony Clark as Paul's co-worker and best gay friend. In my opinion, the basic concept was good and the story had a lot of potential in more experienced hands, but came off largely unrealistic and somewhat preachy. The production could have also been better served by a more knowledgeable director. Paige's acting is very good, but the character as writeen comes off as borderline psychotic and barely sympathetic, with his propensity toward denial and inability to comprehend possible implications of his own actions. The latter is explained too briefly in one short sequence at the end about his childhood, and should have more thorough.

Overall, I give the film three stars out of five. DVD has brief "making of" featurette, storyboards and trailer.

[...]

Another of those 'written, directed, starring' movies that should have been filtered through a careful producing team, SAY UNCLE will probably get an audience because of Peter Paige's fans from QUEER AS FOLK (it looks like the entire cast and team put up the money for the production!). The theme of the story is an important one - single gay men who love children are targets for homophobic people to label as sexual predators - but the film fails to engage us on both sides of the fence.

Paul Johnson (Peter Paige) is bonded to his godson and in every way seems the perfect godfather - if a bit too much on the infantile side of maturity. His world collapses when his friends move with his godson to Japan and Paul realizes he has nothing. He loses his job, grazes on donuts, and finally begins to seek employment in kids' stores, baby-sitting, and other kid related projects (even trying to adopt a child while jobless), all the while playing with kids in the park. The mothers in the park all love the fact that he appears to be a stay-at-home dad who entertains their own children, until one mother (Kathy Najimy) becomes suspect that he is a pedophile and organizes the city against him. The ending is predictable and phony and doesn't say much that is good about either Paul's manner of adapting to his life needs nor the mothers' taking responsibility for their misjudging: it just ends.

Paige is a talented guy but he needs a good director to give him some insights on how to step out of clichés and stereotypes and become at least a facsimile of a real human being. Oddly enough we are left with a feeling that his 'Paul' is a man who behaves like a child and will probably never cross the line into adulthood. The supporting cast is satisfactory but the production values are weak. The redeeming factor is the sense that everyone had a good idea to explore: the journey just doesn't compel us. Grady Harp, September 06

The film deals with a community's misunderstanding over the exact role single gay men play in society and how gay men relate to children within the framework of our society. The film doesn't believably deal with that dilemma.

1. Not all gay men are pedophiles. In fact, quite the opposite is true: most child molesters are heterosexual. 2. Many gay men feel a need to nurture children, but society is not willing to allow for those feelings.

The main character, Paul (played beguilingly by Peter Paige) loves children and soon misses a young godson who has moved away with his parents. To make up for the loss, Paul haunts playgrounds to play with children, and tries to establish careers in toy stores, as a baby sitter, as a "manny" (a male nanny) to maintain close contact with kids who can help him nurture his love for children. He even attempts to adopt a child while having no financial means to take on such a responsibility.

And there lies the problem with this film: in any neighborhood on any planet, Paul's behavior would be justifiably suspicious; and any parent would be diligent in protecting his/her child from predators. As is pointed out ad nauseam in the film, Paul "fits the profile" of a child predator, and a concerned mother (played by Kathy Najimy) goes on a mission to have Paul taken off the streets because of her misguided suspicion that he is a child molester.

While no person should be accused of a crime without fundamental proof, the attempt to have the concerned mother's character portrayed as a homophobic buffoon is an insult to all concerned parents. Adversely, it's time for gay characters to be portrayed in film as responsible adults rather than forlorn, misunderstood victims who can act as they choose and expect society to fawn all over these idiotic misfits.

Even though not a pedophile, Paul's character is clearly unbalanced and should not be presented to us as a victim of society's homophobia. Clearly, this is a character that, if really found in our neighborhood today, would need some sort of counseling.

If the film portrayed a responsible, working gay man facing obstruction at every turn in his attempt to adopt or to work in a field that could bring him the fulfilment he needs, then this film would have worked in so many different ways. Instead, we are expected to feel sorry for an unstable character who probably shouldn't be allowed to adopt because he clearly does not have the means to establish a safe, stable life or a stable relationship, which is offered to him (and refused) by his best friend (Anthony Clark, who is quite excellent in the part). And there we have it again...another film with a self-loathing gay character who can't find a meaningful relationship but instead indulges in selfish and misguided fantasies about the sort of life he believes society denies him.

Perhaps it's time for gay filmmakers to stop with the "woe is me, I'm a poor misunderstood victim" style of filmmaking and present believable characters who strive to achieve what they want while meeting the responsibilities required by a civil society.

On the other hand, straight society needs to get over the moral high-handed belief that only heterosexuals are fit for parenting or that gay men cannot possibly be able to love children without criminal intent.

I had high expectations, perhaps too high, for this film. I loved Peter Paige in Queer as Folk, and I thought incorrectly that this movie would mirror his performance in his earlier work. Also, how could a movie starring Lisa Edelstein and Kathy Najimy go astray? There are several things I did not like about this film.

Let me first say what I did like about Say Uncle. I thought the overarching message of the film was quite noteworthy, that being gay men can actually love children for all the right reasons. The film highlights our societal predisposition that tends to connect a love of children and gay men with pedophilia, and gives the audience an alternate path that reconciles this prejudicial misconception with a much more fair and realistic truth. Hence, three stars.

Now what I didn't like. The acting was not what it should have been. I hate to say it, but it's true. The movie could have used an experienced director, because throughout the film the performances had a forced quality that lacked depth and fluidity. The movie could have benefited from a liberal editor, as well.

There are scenes in this movie that should have been cut, period. Exactly why did Paul Johnson (Paige) want to give his godson Morgan a nude painting of himself encapsulated in the outline of a hand? Extremely strange, regardless of any allegorical significance. On what planet would any parent in this universe appreciate such a gesture? Also, what's with Sarah (Edelstein) giving Paul a nude picture of her son dressed up in a cowboy hat and boots? If these types of parents actually exist, keep them far away from me. And let's not forget Paul's addiction to both donuts and playgrounds. Come on....

It was sad to see Paige squander an opportunity to make a good film, because I think he does have talent. I came away from this experience with a creepy/sad/bored frame of mind, ultimately disappointed with this movie. I think highly of the cast, but this film simply lacks wind....

I'm still not sure if I liked the movie or not. It was just plain weird watching throughout.

Peter Paige (Queer as Folk) plays Paul Johnson who is a gay godfather of one of his closest friend's son. When the family finally tells him that they're moving to Japan within the week, Paul is shocked and is left in a daze. As a result, he loses his job and binges on donuts.

Naive, Paul seeks to replace his grandson by playing with kids at the local park. At first, the mothers receive him warmly, assuming that he is a stay-at-home father. However, one by one, they began to interpret his behavioral patterns as of a pedophile. No thanks to Maggie (Kathy Najimy), who tells others that Paul fits the profile of a pedophile. (By the way, she looks good with all that weight loss!)

Oblivous to love, his best friend, Russell, tells him that his innocent behavior towards kids will get him in trouble. Plus, he tries to tell Paul that he's in love wit him. In denial, Paul continues his close ties with children. In digust, Maggie seeks to raise an awareness in the community that there's a pedophile among them.

All I can say that this movie was just really weird. I mean, it really is a hard sell that someone could really be that oblivious about some of one's approach to children just might be deemed inappropriate by others. Plus, the imaginary thinking and painting/graffitti by Paul on others borders on cheesiness.

I do look forward to Peter Paige's future attempts at writing and directing. I just hope he will improve dramatically from this one. This was just a little too freaky for me.

"Say uncle" is one of FEW movies that made me feel uncomfortable, while watching it. There were moments I could easily understand those parents who decided to defend their children (even if it wasn't necessary).
I haven't the foggiest if it's the fault of the script or just the way the main character is potrayed, but his obsession with kids seemed to me quite disturbing (sick at some moments).
There are however serious issues mentioned in this film, such as: intolerance, false accussations or prejudice and sex stereotypes. Unfortunately the total impression isn't positive.
Judge for yourself.

Although I found the premise of the movie hard to swallow--would an openly gay man who hangs out at the park, works at a children's store and distributes flyers of his "Manny" services really be so naive to assume that others would NOT suspect him of pedophilia? Especially in our 21st century/post Michael Jackson world? Childlike himself, Paul floats half an inch above the ground, but he's no stooge.
Yet I enjoyed the acting and the photography, and I appreciated the concept of the film. Few people would bat an eyelash at a woman who behaved as Paul did--after all, it's women who staff our day care centers and babysit our kids and teach our elementary students--but a man who wished to do so would be regarded as a perv, even if he really and truly loves children. It's a sad commentary, but as they say, the good suffer for the bad. I look forward to seeing more of Paige's work.

This movie was not a comedy. What it was is true. There is so much hatred, misunderstanding, and assuming in this world. Peter did a great job, so did Kathy Najimy. If you are open minded you might just love it. Give it a chance. The message is quite strong.

Patty R

I'm a fan of Peter Paige and I really don't want to write a negative review but seriously I just didn't get it. Maybe I don't understand black comedy or whatever this might be called.

I can suspend disbelief up to a point. I mean, in what place can a woman claim a man is a pedophile and not be sued for defamation of character. Certainly, mob mentality exists but really, all these women (no men, just women until later in the movie) easily believe such an allegation?

While the intent was good, showing how gay does not equal pedophile, I don't think the illustration of it was very good. It frustrated me and made me mad. I didn't laugh. Nor felt happy at the end. If that was Peter Paige's intent then job well done.

I think the performances were decent. I just didn't dig the story and how it unfolded.