Based on Brent Hartinger’s acclaimed best-selling Young Adult novel, “Geography Club” is a fast, fresh coming-of-age movie that tells a real and powerful story unfolding in every high school around the country—a story of kids hiding their true identities in plain sight, even as they feverishly pursue their hearts’ desires.
“Geography Club,” a Huffington Pictures production, in association with the Levy Leder Company, is brought to life by the twin-brother, writing-directing duo of Edmund and Gary Entin. It stars Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley, Andrew Caldwell, Allie Gonino, Meaghan Martin, Ally Maki and Nikki Blonsky, with Marin Hinkle and Ana Gasteyer and Scott Bakula.
The likeable hero, Russell Middlebrook, starts out convinced he has got to be the only gay kid in his small-town high school. He is a romantic faced with crushes, but how will he ever be able to let his real feelings out in this situation?
Soon Russell discovers he isn’t as alone as he thought. There are others like him, and a few dare to band together, forming a hush-hush clan that masquerades as the school’s Geography Club.
For its members, the club becomes the only place they can go to without getting caught between the worry of trying to be cool and the dread of being humiliated. Russell finds solace in the Geography Club as he navigates a complicated life outside it.
Authentic version
In one arena, he exists as the new football star, and in another he acts as Gunnar’s wingman on several double dates with two very popular and beautiful girls. In the Geography Club, Russell can take a breather and relate to his peers as the authentic version on himself.
They start out trying to protect their one big secret among themselves. Russell (Cameron Deane Stewart) is dating Trish (Meaghan Martin), a sweet but sexually motivated young lady—even as he is falling for the football jock Kevin (Justin Deeley), who won’t ever reveal the truth to his macho teammates Nolan (Grant Harvey) and Jared (Dexter Darden).
Min (Ally Maki) and Terese (Nikki Blonsky) tell everyone they’re really just best friends. And then there’s Ike (Alex Newell), who is trying on every identity in the book. They know they are different, but at least they’re not in daily danger like the bullied geek Brian Bund (Teo Olivares).
Yet, when Russell’s sexual orientation is suddenly exposed to the whole school by the ultra-popular Kimberly (Allie Gonino), the members of the Geography Club begin to panic. Will the club crumble? Or will its members find the courage to stand behind Russell and make the Geography Club a haven for the other students who feel different?
New world
The movie aims to bust old stereotypes; create fun, relatable characters where few have previously existed in pop culture; and explore a new world—one in which tolerance is slowly growing but peril still lurks for teens who don’t quite fit in the usual crowd.
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board has given “Geography Club” a PG rating (viewers below 13 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult), and highly commends the movie as a “sweet and sensitive coming-out, coming-of-age movie based on the first novel of the Young Adult series/play of the same name. Nuanced direction and performances make this a must-see and highly recommended.”
“Geography Club” opens Feb. 5 in cinemas nationwide. Follow and like the movie’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/geographyclubph to view the trailers.
