I just saw this movie on the Independent Film channel, which may be showing because of the popularity of Brokeback Mountain in theaters now, which has another young Aussie's, Heath Ledger, award-winning portrayal of unrequited love for another man. In "The Sum of Us", Crowe (at age 30) portrays a straight-acting but fully "out" gay man, (Jeff Mitchell) a plumber and rugby player in his mid-twenties subtly acting his disappointed love for another gay man his own age.
Crowe's brilliantly nuanced performance underscore his acting genius and the viewer can favorably compare this work to his captivating work, three years later, as a tough cop (Bud White) in love with a high-class call girl in "LA Confidential." "The Sum of Us" however has a more universal theme, as Jeff and his widowed father also work out their relationship: Filial love is contrasted with romantic love. Also, black and white flash-backs to his beloved grandmother's long-term lesbian relationship highlight the universality of the movie's theme. This is no skin-flick; it is raw emotion in a compelling plot, artfully and sensitively written, acted, directed and filmed. Kudos to IFC channel for broadly showing this film, which deserves wider distribution on DVD in the US.
Crowe's brilliantly nuanced performance underscore his acting genius and the viewer can favorably compare this work to his captivating work, three years later, as a tough cop (Bud White) in love with a high-class call girl in "LA Confidential." "The Sum of Us" however has a more universal theme, as Jeff and his widowed father also work out their relationship: Filial love is contrasted with romantic love. Also, black and white flash-backs to his beloved grandmother's long-term lesbian relationship highlight the universality of the movie's theme. This is no skin-flick; it is raw emotion in a compelling plot, artfully and sensitively written, acted, directed and filmed. Kudos to IFC channel for broadly showing this film, which deserves wider distribution on DVD in the US.