Very disappointed :(

Strong and Moving!

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Big Eden is such an excellent film on so many levels. The Montana scenery is breathtaking, the storyline is compelling, all of the characters are likable and the directing, as well as the acting, is superb.It is refreshing to watch a gay-themed movie devoid not only of labels and homophobia, but also without young, hard-bodied, model-pretty twink boys. Big Eden boasts normal looking men in a love triangle, all pushing forty. And we have a film with a happy ending for a gay couple- -no disillusionment, disease or death.One of the most interesting observations about Big Eden is how much is NOT openly discussed. Of course, much is made of the fact that Henry (Arye Gross) never tells his grandfather (George Coe) about his sexuality, even though "Sampa" practically begs him to do so. But besides that, the viewer is (intentionally) left to fill in many of the blanks. We don't get to find out the background of Pike Dexter's (Eric Schweig) 20-year, silent, unrequited love for Henry, nor do we hear anyone else discuss it, even though it's clear from the start that Grace (Louise Fletcher) knows all about it and is a behind-the-scenes cheerleader for the two of them; we see and hear no discussion between the Widow Thayer (hilariously played by Nan Martin) and Pike, once she realizes Pike has been substituting her donated meals with his own; when Jim (O'Neal Compton) confronts Pike about his feelings for Henry, nothing is overtly revealed, but absolutely understood; we do not witness the conversation the Widow Thayer has with Henry, where she finally tells him that Pike is the gourmet chef; nor do we see the details of what bring Henry and Pike together at the end. And somehow, it all works brilliantly.Roger Ebert was very critical of the final scene of the movie, the waltz where Henry and Pike share a prolonged, passionate kiss. Ebert felt it was overdone and that a simple "care to dance?" would have provided a better ending. I could not disagree more. The whole film dealt, purposely, with unrequited love and a lack of letting the audience in on storyline details. The kiss provided the perfect ending: the scene before the waltz takes place just before Christmas and we fast forward to an outside dance (presumably the Fourth of July). We see with our own eyes that Henry and Pike have indeed become the couple we've been rooting for throughout the entire film and, to our delight, their love is genuine.All of the aforementioned actors portray their roles wonderfully, as do Tim Mc Kay as Dean (Henry's longtime crush) and Veanne Cox as Henry's agent. Eric Schweig is the real standout in the cast, bringing expressive pathos to the character of Pike, with a minimum of dialogue. Schweig's Best Actor award for this performance, from LA Outfest, was richly deserved.

Actually it isn't...it's just another notch in the seemingly neverending series of bad gay film made in this country. Will anyone ever get it right? Even the openly gay directors and writers can't do it. First...and foremost...is one of the most offensive soundtracks ever compiled. I literally had to shut the sound off during the 'montages'. I am referring, of course, to the source music, not to the actual score. It made me sick to my stomach, and it's not just that it's country music, it's the worst of country music (if indeed there can be such a thing as pleasant country music, which I doubt). Second it the leading man. He's supposed be attractive and/or charming when he is neither. I put this down to bad acting as even ugly actors can be charming. Witness the performance of Eric Schweig. Not the most attractive of men, but extremely charming. Arye Gross is nothing but whiny, ugly and generally offensive, and I can find no reason why either of the 2 guys would find him at all appealing. Lastly, this is just another whiny, self-indulgent piece of crap, that isn't resolved until the final 2 minutes, so you have to put up with almost 2 most of pure garbage before the 2 characters finally get together. UGH!!! The writer/director should be ashamed of himself. This is like another one of those awful gay films made by straight men.

I couldn't believe where this movie was going to go. But it surprised me.I was really hoping the big Indian would win out, for a few scenes it seemed he was do damn shy, it was almost sickening.I just wish he would of opened his heart a little more, it would of happened a little sooner. But he was afraid to get hurt.The town's people tried their best to help him, which was a breath of fresh air. Usually in these situations, the townsfolk would be trying to kick the Gays out of town.This was a very positive movie and I would love to see it again and again.Going on my list of best movies to keep.

All right, so I'm a romantic fool; but it doesn't deprive me of a critical faculty. Bypassing the unlikely scenario (an easy tolerance and compassionate understanding of same-sex relationships in a remote Montana community? Yes, you heard.)…if those who judged harshly were to apply the same rigorous standards to any number of anodyne, big-screen productions featuring opposite-sex couplings that defy the bounds of logic or reality, we'd see far fewer films. But until unlikely scenarios are censored altogether, I'm happy enough to suspend my disbelief, sit back and enjoy a very special kind of candy for the soul.The story features a love triangle involving three men; played with great integrity and feeling by Arye Gross, Tim DeKay and Eric Schweig. A lonely New York artist finds the answers to his questions – not all of them welcome or expected – when accident sends him back to the place of his boyhood. Fledgling love – and healing – is helped on its way by interfering but kindly locals, with fleshed out characters and lives that are not altogether cartoon-like.That one of the three leads happens to be American Indian is entirely incidental to the plot, but meaningful given their noticeable absence from the wider American cinema. Haven't we had enough of seeing Indians in American films only when they're running around in breechclouts? I'm sick to death of films which continue to pretend that our (modern) world consists only of straight white people, peppered with a sprinkling of token gay men who talk only in grotesquely exaggerated sibilant asides. How different are the undemonstrative gay and straight men at the heart of "Big Eden", even granted its 'magical-realist' premise. Some clumsy storytelling and weak dialogue are offset by considerable charm, beautiful scenery and a fantastic soundtrack filled with great, off-beat country tunes. Despite its flaws, "Big Eden" didn't win numerous festival awards for being irredeemable tosh. All three lead actors do good work; but I'd single out Eric Schweig for particular praise. His cripplingly shy Pike Dexter overcomes his own shyness, and learns to show his love through cooking. He ably demonstrates his character's emotional journey, despite minimal dialogue – as indeed he did so effectively in another, much younger incarnation as Uncas in "Last of the Mohicans".If such a world as this should ever exist, I'd really want to live in it. Consider this a fine beginning; a sea change. Until the revolution comes, I'll settle for watching it, charmingly imagined in loving detail by Thomas Bezuka. Bravo.