Join The Club: Geography Club Movie Review

You may know them as your neighbour, they could be your brother, or sister, or even your best friend. One never knows when they will strike, but they are everywhere: schools, shopping malls, hospitals, grocery stores, and more. They bear others no harm, but simply want one thing that seems so far from reach; unconditional love.

Who are “they?” Well let’s find out.

Based on Brent Hartinger’s novel, and directed by Gary Entin, Geography Club is a film that takes a deeper look at some LGBT youth who decide to form a secret club in order get away from their bullied and closeted existences.

Russel Middlebrook (Cameron Stewart) is in a conundrum, as girls swoon over him, yet his heart beats a little bit faster, and his palms get sweaty, every time he’s around Kevin (Justin Deeley). Min (Ally Maki) and Terese (Nikki Blonsky) tell others they are just best friends when, in fact, they are in a relationship. Then there’s Ike (Alex Newell) who is not sure what he is or where he even belongs.

The characters might as well be out of a teen soap opera, with the stereotypical jock, the pretty boy, the good girl, the rebel, and the nerd.

By its name, Geography Club, no one would ever guess it is a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) support group, at least that is the initial hope. It is a safe haven. Although they feel brave on the inside, they are fearful of the repercussions to be fully open in school about their sexual identities.

Geared towards teenagers, the movie makes you feel like you are reliving those awkward feelings of confusion, frustration, and peer pressure that seem to be the hallmark of many of high school experiences. I’ve watched many coming-of-age films that surround the topic of sexuality, and I will say that although there were some touching scenes, it seemed to skim the surface on good dialogue and character development. Ike was the only character who I thought really made me feel connected to his pain.

Even though the director didn't push the boundaries far enough, and just played it safe, the heart of the film was still in the right place.