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Jim Bishop, Bill Curtis, Rick Gladish, Fred Phelps, Charles Smith ... see more see more... , Justin Williams

Director Malcolm Ingram offers a poignant look at the struggle waged by rural gay Americans to find a place of their own in the heartland with a film that shows just how hard it can be to fit in when ... read more read more...homophobia and intolerance are the status quo. In the Deep South, gay bars often provide a place of refuge to people who would otherwise be shunned for their sexual preferences. As the owners of two Mississippi gay bars speak candidly about their constant struggle to maintain their presence in hostile territory, what emerges is a telling tale about the ongoing struggle for equal rights in the rural United States and the role that these much-derided establishments play in giving their patrons a sense of community in a land where they are frequently made to feel like outcasts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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66% liked it

1,446 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 21 min.

Directed by: Malcolm Ingram

Release Date: March 31, 2007

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DVD Release Date: July 24, 2007

Stats: 168 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (168)

  • RCCLBC
    December 4, 2009
    RCCLBC
    While very thoughtfully made, this has to be one of the most depressing films that I've seen in a long time.

    As if the blatant homophobia and prejudice were not depressing enough...the fact that the "bars" that these folks relish and take refuge in are often little more then r... read moreundown houses or shacks with a strobe light, beer cooler and a CD player was just heartbreaking.

    So desperate for a place to "fit in" and make some sort of honest connection with like minded people, these folks were just happy to be anywhere where they could be themselves. But I was more then a little amazed that in such a repressed part of the country that nearly every gay or lesbian shown in this film was "off the charts" on the gay meter.

    We are talking Flaming Boys/Men, Raging Drag Queens, and some pretty Butch Lesbians. Not that I'm advocating hiding who you are. I just feel that if I were living in an area where my life could be at stake for "being who I am" I think I would make more of an effort to "blend in" or move to somewhere more civilized. Let the bigots and the Jesus freaks have the backwoods!

    My main problem with the film is that I didn't feel that the point came across as clearly as it needed to, about how all of the negative aspects of "gay lifestyle" that the bigots and hypocrites always seem to focus on (promiscuity, infidelity, drugs, etc.) are for the most part just a prevalent in "hetero lifetyles" as well.

    I guess as documentaries go...it does it's job for the most part. It makes you think.
  • Stinger839
    October 24, 2008
    Stinger839
    This isn't as depressing as the title would suggest, but conversely, it isn't as raunchy as one might hope. We have to wait until 35min to get the segment this film was required to include: montage of partying shots set to "I Wanna Take You to a Gay Bar".

    Set throughout Northern... read more Mississippi, this documentary examines gay life in the Southern Bible Belt of USA. The biggest question I have (which this film should have asked all of its subjects) has still not been asked: why the hell are these queers stickin around these shit places? Nearly everyone interviewed gets to bitch about widespread discrimination, but not a single one explains why they've decided to remain living in this oppressive environment. Seriously, not one person goes on about "Well, I still love it down here, raised here, my family's here," etc. But we do get the other side: Phelps discussing how "fags ruined the community" was his original "inspiration" for his widespread hate campaign. I wasn't aware that Phelps was broadcasting license plates of people who were "spotted at a gay establishment", but I'm not surprised by any of his tactics or beliefs as I've seen the American Family Association site before (and the Phelps freaks themselves at Decadence).

    I think this film crew was not aggressive or planned enough with their interviews, and the result is an uninspired mashing of interviews. Perhaps important for the tiny gay community in Mississippi (all 100 of 'em) but I really can't see the relevance to gay culture in larger cities such as New Orleans where I live. Gay bashing ain't goin' nowhere, and there will always be a need for a community to aid people with "coming out", but the irking questions I had, like "how do queer people specifically deal and cope in pressure based small communities?" and "why the fuck don't they just leave?" were barely answered (the second question not at all).
  • gator681
    February 1, 2008
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Small Town Gay Bar" is an illuminating documentary that could have used better camera work about what it means to be gay or lesbian in a hostile environment, specifically rural Mississippi where the American Family Association is located in Tupelo. This reg... read moreion is also where everybody's least favorite bigot, Fred Phelps, originates from.(Both Phelps and Tom Wildmon are interviewed and do a spectacular job of indicting themselves. Interviews with various brave members of the local gay and lesbian community offer personal commentary to refute their bigotry.) Of particular interest is the murder of Scotty Weaver who was tortured and killed in Bay Minette in 2004 because he was gay.[/font]

    [font=Century Gothic]The documentary is concerned with gay bars in the region, namely Rumors which is located in Shannon, while also providing a history of such establishments going back to 1978 which have a history of being harassed by police. They offer to the gay and lesbian community a sanctuary where they can relax, socialize and be themselves or a member of the opposite sex for that matter. In contrast, a nearby bar has a Confederate flag draped from the ceiling.[/font]
  • kcddck
    January 7, 2011
    kcddck
    The lunatic Fred Phelps has way too much exposure. the one person was right, the one in the limo and only God will be judging them for what they did and not Fred Phelps. But I digress, I would've liked to have had more to go on and seen more things about the culture in the Bible ... read moreBelt and I really felt bad for the kid that was murdered for being gay, but I really didn't get the sense of the people struggling as they said they were. Still a decent watch though.
  • jam233
    October 11, 2009
    jam233
    Very moving documentary, great interviews and very thoroughly done. Sad, funny and it can?t help but make you think and wonder. It?s hard to believe it is the 21st century sometimes.
  • theSwitchbladeSister
    August 23, 2009
    theSwitchbladeSister
    Excellent documentary from Malcolm Ingram -- a personality I'm rather fond of -- that explores the hardships of being gay in a small town in rural America.
  • xmkatx
    January 1, 2009
    xmkatx
    Decent documentary on the existance of gay bars located in conservative, closed minded small towns. I loved the use of lots of songs by The Hidden Cameras (the lead singer, Joel, is openly gay).
  • logged81
    November 2, 2008
    logged81
    If you're gay in a small town, then you have felt what this movie shows. Been there. Nicely made. Doesn't matter that this featured gay bars from the south. Was the same in the midwest as well. Yeah, it was something to look forward too. Thank God, I don't have to be there anymor... read moree though. What memories this movie brought back.
  • dredzag
    October 21, 2008
    dredzag
    We in the USA like to think were a 'live and let live' society. This proves were not. The hysteria, ignorance and hate that festers in a small town(due in no small part to 'men of god' aka small minded religious bigots)leaves the LGBT community always on the defensive. Ten years ... read moreafter Matthew Shephards death still no closer to a much needed Federal Hate Crimes Bill. What is the government waiting for?
  • deleteditems
    September 22, 2008
    deleteditems
    Very good documentary. It shows a lot of what gays and lesbians have to face in rural America, and what idiots like Fred Phelps do to make life hard and even dangerous for them. This is a must see!!

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Critic Reviews

David Rooney
January 31, 2006
David Rooney, Variety

Ingram illustrates how gay bars function as oases of acceptance and alternative families for his good-humored, enduring subjects. Full Review

Alonso Duralde
February 12, 2010
Alonso Duralde, AfterElton.com

While we're used to seeing movies about young men and women leaving their hometowns behind to live their lives openly in a big city, Gay Bar shows us the people who have decided to stay in their homet... Full Review

Philip Martin
August 10, 2007
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

...not only makes it clear that people can be brave and resourceful in the face of intolerance, they can also throw a great party. Full Review

Sally Foster
January 30, 2006
Sally Foster, Film Threat

Inherently moving and excruciatingly truthful, Malcolm Ingram's small town gay bar is the story of real people in a real place, documenting their fight to create a family of love and acceptance in a w... Full Review

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