Geography Club now in theaters and also released early on iTunes

November 17, 2013 · found by Staff

Geography Club, the film adaptation of the 2003 novel by Brent Hartinger about a group of high school students who form an after school club for gay and lesbian teens, hit cinemas this weekend, but if you can’t find a big screen near you, it’s available on the small screen already.

The novel was the first in the Russel Middlebrook series which follows Russel (also the story’s narrator), a gay student who thinks he’s the only one in his high school, only to find his love interest is also gay while he discovers one of his best friends is a lesbian. What unfolds is a heart-warming tale following the struggle for gays and lesbians to be accepted in high school. Russel and his friends form an after school club, the Geography Club, named to hide its’ true intention as a gay/straight alliance.

Russel is sweet on the jock Kevin but after a blind date, Kevin pretends not to know Russel when they return to school. This sets the story for the film as Russel struggles to feel comfortable in the group or among his new jock friends. Russel also has Trish to contend with, a girl who’s interested in Russel, and he’s running out of excuses to keep her at bay. Like all secrets, both the club and everyone’s orientations can’t be hidden forever, and thanks to typical high school rumors, the truth may eventually come out, but not before a lot of feelings are hurt.

While some critics lamented the cliche scenes and some of the film’s premise, including a passionate kiss in the rain, these scenes feature two gay teenage boys which is far less overdone. Sure it may come off as sappy and a little lightweight, but the story is cute and heartwarming, enough to bring a few tears of joy to one’s eyes.

Starring Cameron Deane Stewart (Pitch Perfect), Justin Deeley, Andrew Caldwell (Hannah Montana) and Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray), the main cast is joined by several strong actors including Glee’s Alex Newell (Wade/Unique), Teo Olivares, Ana Gasteyer and Scott Bakula (Star Trek: Enterprise).

Before the novel was adopted for the screen, the author penned a stage version of the story which toured briefly beginning in Seattle.