USA: KEVIN KLINE AND TOM SELLECK GEAR UP FOR THEIR BIG ON-SCREEN KISS IN THE NEW COMEDY "IN AND OUT"

Record ID: 387188

  • Title: USA: KEVIN KLINE AND TOM SELLECK GEAR UP FOR THEIR BIG ON-SCREEN KISS IN THE NEW COMEDY "IN AND OUT"
  • Date: 17th September 1997
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 17, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) RED CARPET OUTSIDE PREMIERE TOM SELLECK ARRIVESS BOB NEWHART ARRIVES DIRECTOR FRANK OZ ARRIVES FRANK OZ (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) SAYING, "IT'S MEANT TO BE MAINSTREAM BECAUSE I THINK IF WE STARTED HAVING A VERY NARROW AUDIENCE ABOUT GAYS I MEAN, WHO CARES? WE WANT TO HAVE EVERYBODY ACCEPT WHO
  • Embargoed: 2nd October 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FILM lOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAE4TPLSSGPVPMRFI18VDXKCCYC
  • Story Text: Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck pucker up and share a show-stopping, full-on-the-mouth, lip-locking kiss in the new comedy "In and Out".

    Paramount's gay-themed comedy led the weekend box office in the United States with takings of an estimated 15.3 million US dollars.

    "In and Out" is set in a small middle American town. Kline plays high school English teacher, Howard Brackett, who is preparing to marry his long-time sweeheart, Emily Montgomery (Joan Cusack).

    But his life is changed on Oscar night, when a former student (played by Matt Dillon) who is now a success in Hollywood, announces to a world-wide television audience that his former teacher is gay.

    Chaos quickly descends on Brackett's small town. It's led by Peter Malloy, a slick and aggressive tabloid television reporter played by Tom Selleck, who is determined to get Howard to reveal the truth on camera.

    The townsfolk are baffled by this revelation and confused by the media circus that ensues in final days leading up to Howard and Emily's wedding.

    Especially puzzled are Howard's parents, played by Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley and his school principal, played by Bob Newhart.

    The film is directed by Frank Oz, who made a name for himself as one of the creative forces behind the Muppets, but has now gone on to direct such feature films as "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "What About Bob" and "The Indian in the Cupboard." Paul Rudnick is the film's writer.

    Openly-gay himself, Rudnick has written screenplays for "Addams Family Values" and "Jeffrey" and lended his talents to last year's big hit "The First Wives Club." The scene that has most of Hollywood talking is when Selleck's character (Peter), who is gay, plants a big wet kiss on Kline's character to make him come to terms with his sexuality.

    Both actors downplayed the scene as being just another day on the set.

    The film also pokes fun at Hollywood, complete with a fictional Oscar telecast hosted by Glenn Close.

    The idea for the story actually came from Tom Hanks' 1994 Oscar acceptance speech when he won Best Actor for his role as a gay lawyer in "Philadelphia." In that speech, Hanks thanked one of his former teachers, who is gay.

    "In and Out" is expected to open in Europe within the next few months.
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