VIFF 2011 - Wish Me Away

This doc about country music star Chely Wright surprised me. I'm tempted to put 'star' in quotes because it seems like country stars aren't exactly well-known in the rest of the music world. Or maybe I'm just out of the loop, because until I watched the trailer for this film, I had never heard of her.

Wright was a successful country singer in Nashville, and until the age of 39 had successful kept her lesbian identity a secret. Clearly tortured by having to lie and evade questions about her true self, for years Wright begged God to not let her be gay.

Coming out is always a brave thing to do. I forget how brave it is, because the older I get and the more time has passed since I came out, the less I remember the trauma of the whole process. I was lucky in that I got to come out in Vancouver, a gay-friendly city in a generally gay-friendly country, surrounded by supportive friends and a family who loved me no matter what. But Wright, who comes from a deeply homophobic right-wing, religious background and whose fan base is largely made up of the same, had everything to lose.

I felt a great deal of compassion for Wright, a clearly talented and articulate artist who wanted to do good in the world. Her struggle to feel like a good person when she had been told her entire life that homosexuality was a sin was absolutely compelling.

I've heard this film criticized based upon the fact that Wright still considers herself a Christian. In the words of her spiritual adviser, "there's nobody quite as mean as people being mean for Jesus." But I don't believe that her religion is by its very nature homophobic. I see it as a perversion of Christianity to express hatred for any group. I'm no theological expert, but I definitely missed the part of the Bible where Jesus walks around with a sign saying God Hates Fags. And I have a great deal of respect for the way Wright keeps the compassionate, loving parts of her faith while advocating against the bigotry.

All in all, I found this to be an important and engaging film. I was quite absorbed by Wright's story, and very moved by the reactions of her family members, particularly her father. Sometimes acceptance can be found in unexpected places.

And I certainly admire the courage involved in risking your career, family, and future in order to be honest about your true self.

One more thing: the theatre was not nearly full enough! Go see this film. You can read more and see showtimes at the VIFF site.