Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8484 in VHS
• Released on: 2002-01-29
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.com
In Common Ground director Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts) uses three stories to explore attitudes toward homosexuality in the fictional small town of Homer, Connecticut, over a period of almost half a century. "A Friend of Dorothy's" tells the story of a girl who returns to Homer in 1954 after leaving the Navy. When it emerges that she was discharged after being arrested in a gay bar, she is ostracized by everyone except the owner of a local diner, a woman who has her own reasons for wanting to help Dorothy to escape. "M. Roberts" is set in 1974, when a gay teacher (Steven Weber) has to decide whether to jeopardize his career in order to help a troubled pupil who has been targeted by homophobic bullies. Finally, in present-day Homer, "Andy & Amos" follows the preparations for a gay wedding. While protesters gather on the town commons, Amos's father (Ed Asner) has to choose between long-held prejudices and his love for his son. Thanks to a Harvey Fierstein script that combines sexual politics with humor and believable characters, this is the most successful part of Common Ground. Ed Asner's gradual realization that his son's monogamous, long-term gay relationship is more conventional than most heterosexual marriages is deftly handled, achieving a balance between message and drama that the other stories lack.

Despite the credentials of their authors (playwrights Paula Vogel and Terrence McNally) the first two segments feel more like lectures than stories. Their impact is weakened by clumsy dialogue (Dorothy's mother actually says, "I have no daughter") and stereotypical characters. The film's message is an important one: the road to equality is built upon the struggles and sacrifices of past generations. Unfortunately Common Ground is too uneven to deliver that message with the force it deserves. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews

Excellent and Timely
Unforunately, this video is still very relavent today. Contrary to Mr. Diamond's comments - LGBTQ youth are still beaten and murdered today and are four times more likely than their straight peers to commit suicide (Mass. Youth Behavior 2000). I was harassed severely in high school and had to transfer due to physical threats. To say that youth today do not know what it was like is just plain wrong. As an active member of several queer youth organizations trust me, we know and we are grateful. But we have our own issues that maybe you are ignoring Mr. Diamond.

This movie is moving, and hey, JTT IS HOT!

Mark Snyder
20 yrs old.

Why not on DVD!!!
Come on folks VHS is DEAD.

DVD please

Truthful; eye-opening; great acting
Common Ground is a compilation of 3 vignettes in a small town in Connecticut that represents small town U.S.A. The Showtime movie accurately depicts this and more. We see how homosexuality is viewed in 1954, 1970 and 2000. We see people who are forced to leave their home because they are being shunned and refused a job because of their gayness. My favorite story was the second one which starred Steven Weber and Jonathan Taylor-Thomas. I could identify with both characters because I too swam in high school and now I am a teacher. The fear that is displayed by Weber as a closeted teacher is very realistic and the treatment of the young gayTaylor-Thomas character was also true to the time period if not true today.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who is confused about their sexuality, have friends who are confused or family members who do not accept your sexuality. We are all truly living on common ground.