Movie Review ~ The Mattachine Family

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I understand the importance of positive representation in the media.  For decades, members from all minority groups have been marginalized in film and television, cast in supporting roles that furthered the conversation of the ‘normal’ while often showing their lives as wrong or ‘other.’  It shouldn’t be the case, but the rare ventures into  representations of life, love, and family were put on a pedestal as if their very existence were to be rewarded with no consideration of their quality.  There are examples across all groups that face bigotry, but I’ll focus solely on those dealing with gay culture.

Dramatic films like Brokeback Mountain and the recent (unjustly ignored!) All of Us Strangers were emotionally complex examinations of sacrifice, while comedies Love, Simon and Happiest Season took a humorous angle in making their case for live and let love.  On the flip side, overly earnest Bros decided it had to be accepted because it went so hard against the grain. It turned out to be its downfall (plus, it wasn’t good, sorry). While Red, White, & Royal Blue may have been a minor hit for Amazon, it was so poorly made and unconvincingly acted that its success was almost a backhanded compliment.

That’s why I approached The Mattachine Family with a degree of caution.  Taking its namesake from the Mattachine Society, a gay rights organization founded by Harry Hay that lobbied for rolling back laws that made homosexuality a crime, by invoking this historical reference, this dramedy also seeks to foster greater acceptance and understanding of how we define family.  Written by Danny Vallentine, directed by his husband, Andy, and based in part on their relationship, it’s a touching and often triumphant film that reminds us to celebrate love, which can show up when we least expect it.

Los Angeles photographer Thomas (Nico Tortorella) never knew he wanted to be a father until he and his husband Oscar (Juan Pablo Di Pace), a former child star trying to reclaim his adult career, became foster parents to Arthur.  For a year, the couple created the kind of family none of them had ever experienced themselves.  Thomas was raised in a troubled home, while Oscar was a product of the foster care system, so he could easily put himself into Arthur’s shoes.  The real world came crashing in when Arthur’s mother reclaimed him, and the couple was left reeling and unsure how to put their lives back together without that critical piece.

Though Oscar has been able to move forward, mostly because he knows how much he would have wanted to be wanted by his parents, Thomas is still struggling.  He embarks on a journey of self-discovery, surrounded and supported by members of his chosen family who are also experiencing similar challenges navigating their intricate familial dramas.  Best friend Leah (Emily Hampshire, Self Reliance) and her wife Sonia (Cloie Wyatt Taylor) continue to try IVF, though numerous failed efforts leave them emotionally raw.  New friend Annie (a riotous Heather Matarazzo, Scream) and her gay best friend Todd (Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Candyman) are raising a child conceived together, a reminder of the beautiful nuances modern families can provide.

The heart of the story is centered on Thomas, though. Tortorella handles the emotional upset the character experiences with extreme tenderness and a vulnerability that doesn’t resort to morose wallowing.  His charm as an actor is infectious, and for once in these films, you can understand why a leading character would have so many platonic friends of both sexes who want to have him in their lives.  Hampshire, forever associated with her understated performance in television’s Schitt’s Creek, is marvelous taking on a similarly low-key but impactful role.  Vallentine’s script allows space for her supporting role to have a believably challenging arc, and Hampshire goes all the way with it. 

In general, the entire film is well cast, with Di Pace the only one that stands out as not always fitting in.  Then again, his character is often out of town filming a show in Michigan.  (Who films a TV show in Michigan?), so I think that’s also partly the point.  Matarazzo has been on the scene since her breakout role in 1995’s Welcome to the Dollhouse, but she’s an absolute scream here as a mommy blogger who has learned to tune everyone else out who isn’t on her frequency.  Jake Choi takes what could have been a rote party boy role and makes him a friend first and foremost.  A special shout out to Annie Funke (The Intern) as a social worker who you think will only be used for an overly broad comedy bit at the beginning but gets a nice reprieve near the conclusion.

Produced by Zach Braff (French Girl), The Mattachine Family began in 2021 with screenwriter Danny Vallentine using details from his relationship with husband Andy to write the screenplay, which Andy would go on to direct.  Andy, known for his work in video and commercials, makes his feature film debut and showcases his ability to tell a deeply personal story with a universal appeal.  Sure, there are some production issues you can quibble with, like how all the photographs Thomas takes over the years look like they were done in one long day at the same studio and aren’t the candid shots he claims they are, but for the most part, the film looks terrific as filmed by Julia Swain (Scrambled).

It’s not all smooth sailing, though the waters are rarely rough.  The film’s structure may give the impression that it’s ending earlier than it actually does. Around thirty minutes in, it seems like Thomas is summarizing the entire movie over a montage, and this happens more than once. As it approaches the conclusion, multiple moments feel like natural places to end the film, only to have the Vallentines add more scenes that, while not entirely unnecessary, show us what their tight script has already made clear.

As Pride Month begins, it’s fitting that The Mattachine Family is one of the first new LGBTQ+ films released. A heartwarming tale of love and acceptance, it has stayed with me since I first saw it.  It’s not the first film to explore what a modern family looks like and how love can exist in unconventional households, but it’s one of the more compellingly written and well-acted offerings on the market.