Handsome couple Thomas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) and Oscar (Nico Tortorella) are living a good life in LA. They are in love, busy, and happy foster parents to a young kid Arthur (Matthew Jacob Ocampo). When it’s time for Arthur to return to his birth mother, however, his loss affects the couple deeply and in different ways, and they realise they have different ideas about what being a family entails.
Written by Danny Vallentine and directed by his husband Andy Vallentine, The Mattachine Family is based on their own experiences as a couple planning parenthood. Named after the first gay rights group The Mattachine Society, founded in LA in 1950, the film explores contemporary queer parenting.
Thomas and Oscar have various options following Arthur’s departure. They could foster again, adopt a child or have one through surrogacy. They could also have no child. Thomas is very keen to parent again asap but Oscar is not so keen, preferring to focus on his acting career. He had previously been a successful actor but his career had been cut short after he was outed for being gay. Now on a second wind, he wants to make the most of his rejuvenated career but that means he is working away in other parts of the country for extended periods and not available to parent properly. The choice between focusing on career or parenthood leads to many emotional discussions between the couple and affects their relationship. Some of their group of friends are also on their own journeys with parenthood. Thomas’s best friend Leah (Emily Hampshire) and her wife Sonia (Cloie Wyatt Taylor) are trying to conceive through IVF and lesbian Annie (Heather Matarazzo) lives with her gay friend Ted (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) and co-parent their child together, whilst having separate sex lives. They advise the couple and Thomas’ best friend Jamie (Jake Choi) also lends his support.
The Vallentines have made a heartfelt, current, often humorous film. As well as queer parenthood, themes include love, chosen families, friendships, relationships and living your truest life. Tom’s narration of his life story is a warm touch, and whilst the story isn’t the most ground-breaking – it’s an age-old heterosexual conundrum – it’s a sincere, realistic, queer narrative that needs to be told. There is great chemistry between the couple as well as amongst their diverse circle of friends and we want them to work it out. Modern families.
PS The Mattachine Family will screen next at FRAMELINE FILM FESTIVAL and also stream nationwide
Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
Labels: 2023, Andy Vallentine, Danny Vallentine, dramedy, gay parenting, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Nico Tortorella, The Mattachine Family
