I’m sure I’ve talked about this many times before, but I grew up in a very conservative Christian home. Among other things, that meant that there was a long, seemingly arbitrary, list of things that were sinful or evil or whatever. It’s not like it was written down somewhere, but the ideas would get shot down anytime someone brought them up in any context. Halloween, pre-marital sex, Care Bears, tattoos, swear words, the list goes on. There was a lot of fear and guilt that went into it–fear that you were doing something wrong, and extreme guilt when you gave into sin and temptation. If we’re perfectly honest, it’s one of the secondary sources of my anxiety disorder that I battle with every day. However, what I can’t fathom is when that list includes a vital part of who you are. As it is, it breaks my heart the way that homosexuality is still viewed as a sin. The Miseducation of Cameron Post gave a glimpse into what that struggle is truly like.
Chloe Grace Moretz, in her strongest, most substantial, and most important role to date is Cameron. When her conservative family finds out that she has “same sex attraction” (as the film calls it), she’s sent to a conversion camp (the term is never used, but let’s call a spade a spade). There she’s forced to see her sexuality and natural inclinations as something sinful that she has to constantly fight against. We see the emotional and psychological toll that it takes on her and the other youth in the camp, most of whom are there against their will because their families think that’s what’s best for them. It’s utterly heartbreaking, and that’s that I feel like the film may have even held back a bit. These facilities are abusive at their core, no matter how well intentioned they may claim to be.
I don’t know that this is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen, but it is a movie that needs to be seen. Granted, I’m sure it’ll just be screaming into the void, only being seen by those who agree with the underlying message. But if it can show one victim that they’re not alone, or change one mind to work against these facilities, it will be worth it. This is a movie that got me thinking about things to a point where it was uncomfortable. That’s a good thing.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post – \m/ \m/ \m/ \n