STRANGE BEDFELLOWS is one of those films that plays like a TV sitcom without the canned laughter - especially now that gay themed shows have made it big on television. This film's main charm is its Aussie flavor and that forgives a lot of the shortcomings of a fluffy idea of a script.
Essentially, two men (Paul Hogan and Michael Caton) decide to avoid back taxes and take advantage of a new law that allows same sex partners to gain the rights of married couples by passing as a gay married couple. How they go about convincing each other that they can pass as gay in order to convince the authorities and then how they can learn to act gay and live a gay life to back up their story is the action of the movie. Many stereotypes are included but somehow the Aussies know how to pull this off with minimal offense.
The overall theme, after the story is all said and done, is one of tolerance and compassion for people who are in different societal climes. Hogan and Caton pull this off well, showing how really everyone they meet in their charade is just a 'regular guy' - and for that reason the film becomes more tolerable than the usual farces that deal with 'passing'. Not a great movie, but one with a wink! Grady Harp
Essentially, two men (Paul Hogan and Michael Caton) decide to avoid back taxes and take advantage of a new law that allows same sex partners to gain the rights of married couples by passing as a gay married couple. How they go about convincing each other that they can pass as gay in order to convince the authorities and then how they can learn to act gay and live a gay life to back up their story is the action of the movie. Many stereotypes are included but somehow the Aussies know how to pull this off with minimal offense.
The overall theme, after the story is all said and done, is one of tolerance and compassion for people who are in different societal climes. Hogan and Caton pull this off well, showing how really everyone they meet in their charade is just a 'regular guy' - and for that reason the film becomes more tolerable than the usual farces that deal with 'passing'. Not a great movie, but one with a wink! Grady Harp