Was Trent bi? Was Sean gay?
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palindromicevilolive — 21 years ago(July 08, 2004 02:10 PM)
I agree that Trent was probably messing with Sean's head with the shirt/nipple incident. Probably in retaliation for the shoddy treatment he had received at the party. Also, partly because Trent carried some resentment towards the wealthy imo. Likewise, the biting kiss was a power play, it startled Sean and convinced him to call off Brett and his dog. As for Trent's sexuality, I don't think they give us enough to go on, though I did think there was perhaps some chemistry in both directions with Sean.
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sth1979 — 21 years ago(November 23, 2004 07:39 PM)
Nothing to go off of? What about the scene where Devon spies on him and the rich girl knocking boots? Then againhe seemed more interested in getting a toehold in the community (and banging a rich girl might help) than in actually having a relationship. It's also kind of odd that Trent never really showed any attraction to Devon (correct me if I'm wrong). From the start, Devon was portrayed in a quasi-sexual form. I find it hard to believe that the whole "naked on the roof" and "peeing on the windshield" were included solely to illustrate how strange she is. The cinematography was a tad too deliberate to pass it off as childish innocence.
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palindromicevilolive — 21 years ago(January 18, 2005 05:26 PM)
That scene tells us he's interested in women, but that in no way precludes him being bisexual, which was my point. There isn't much in the movie to suggest that he was bi, except for the scenes where he interacts with Sean-The first scene, where he put his finger through the hole in Sean's shirt, certainly seems intentionally flirtatious. However, I think this could be Trent playing mind games with Sean, possibly in retaliation for the shabby treatment he received at the party. The second scene, with the biting kiss, seemed more overtly hostile, I think Trent was just trying to find a way to get out of the situation without getting badly beaten and still say f-u to the boys.
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PunkRockAphrodite — 19 years ago(May 04, 2006 11:30 PM)
i think Trent saw that Sean was gay after the party, when Sean was kind of flirting w/ him and played with his hands. the fact that Sean went to Trent's school, if even for a day, kind of brought him down to Trent's level. that caused it to become sort of a power play for Trent, and thats why he stuck his finger in the hole in Sean's shirt.
later, when the boys (can't remember the other one's name) were bullying Trent, he used his sexuality to get out of the way. the kiss was meant to tease Sean, and biting him was just in defense.
but i always thought that Trent seemed like a sexual person, he kind of has this lazy sexuality throughout the movie and maybe he wasn't bi but was toying with the idea of Sean. he was kind of turned on, for lack of a better word, by the fact that Sean's homosexuality was the kind of taboo in that society, which wouldn't accept Trent because of his poverty. In a way, they are both outsiders, which is why Sean's homosexuality is so understated. does that make sense?
"So, Duffy, have any theories to go with that tie?" ~Paul Smecker, The Boondock Saints -
sighman3 — 19 years ago(May 14, 2006 11:07 PM)
Yeah! I agree with this.
I think the point of this scene was to show that Trent had a very natural, earthy kind of sexuality whilst someone like Sean is uptight about his own instincts.
He can only proposition Trent later, after the CD's have been broken because he now has something to hold over him.
He'd find the idea of coupling with Trent as an equal terrifying, while Trent could be up for it. -
Raksha_Keller — 19 years ago(September 03, 2006 02:46 PM)
but i always thought that Trent seemed like a sexual person, he kind of has this lazy sexuality throughout the movie and maybe he wasn't bi but was toying with the idea of Sean. he was kind of turned on, for lack of a better word, by the fact that Sean's homosexuality was the kind of taboo in that society, which wouldn't accept Trent because of his poverty. In a way, they are both outsiders, which is why Sean's homosexuality is so understated. does that make sense?
I feel this analysis is spot on. And I loved the fact that trent kiss/bit him, it was a good move to give Sean what he wanted and to establish his dominanace over him.
And on a shallower note, the tension between the two was hot. -
oneperfectmoment — 19 years ago(October 19, 2006 03:06 PM)
The writer of the script happens to be my aunt, and most of her plays and screenplays have a tendency to lean towards investigating what sexuality really is and whether or not someone can even be sure about their orientation. In this case, the conflict is supposed to be enhanced by the class differences and the fact that whether or not Sean was gay didn't matter- the idea of doing something forbidden allowed him to rebel aginst his own class background, especially because of Trent's job and the way he was viewed by the whole community. It was just another way of invesigating how, even in a 'perfect' place, such as Oldham County (where I grew up, and so did my aunt), there are things bubbling beneath the surface that the members of the community try and ignore. But they always come up and eventually, they have to be faced.