As a gay cinephile, I probably should've already heard of the Academy Award-winning short film Trevor before this week. It's a sweet and touching movie about a boy on the cusp of puberty realizing he might be gay and dealing with the aftermath of everyone judging him for it. Apart from its pedigree, it was also the film the literally started The Trevor Project. Its filmmakers wanted to highlight an organization that would help LGBTQ youth going through the same problems as their main character and when they saw there wasn't such a group, they started one.
Now as I watched the film, there were certainly a lot of elements that spoke to my own experiences coming out--liking things that other boys usually don't, getting a crush on a handsome guy, planning one's own funeral, etc. That latter point shifts the film to a darker film. I mean, the film starts off with Trevor in various states of fake death, framed humorously, of course, but signals to the almost-tragedy towards the end. As expected, the whole suicide sequence was tough to watch and my pick for best shot happens at the beginning of that.
Here Trevor closes the blinds, his final preparation before taking all those pills. It's a damn sobering image and works in so many ways. He's blocking out the outside world in the same way he feels it has outcast him. His light and joie de vivre has been darkened. Even the strings can be seen as ropes as if to hang himself with. And not to get too personal, but this specific image eerily recalls a previous dark experience of my own. So it was an easy and emotional pick for me this time around.
As a final aside, The Trevor Project is one of the best resource for LGBTQ youths who need help. If you find you need a helping hand, a kind ear, or just someone who can understand what you're going through, visit their website or call their lifeline.
I'm so happy that everyone who participated had never seen (or even heard of this film) and now i feel like i've done a good thing :)
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