今日吃瓜

I could hear the rain pelting on the tin roof on the cinema last night, timed to perfection as the lunch scene opened in a very wet聽 southern French seaside town.

This little film had a big heart. In between smouldering through many bottles of red wine and eating baguette chunks, a tight-knit group of friends came undone on a summer sojourn to the sea.

Many scenes touched me, but one stood out so perfect and elegant, it was enough that we should treasure and reflect on long after the screen fades.

Vincent has feelings for his long-time friend Max. He carefully confides his affections and propels himself into a state of vulnerability that I found almost cringeworthy, enhanced by some silly women around me in the cinema giggling at his openness.

Vincent doesn鈥檛 want to explore his feelings, but he acknowledges they are there. Max finds his emotions of emasculation revolting.聽 They put a lid on their feelings, though a pot left on the stove will always boil over.

Sure enough, on their communal vacation while watching home movies, a stray word pops up, like the lid on a bouillabaisse. One of Vincent鈥檚 young children asks the group what 鈥榝aggot鈥� means. Max carelessly says, 鈥淎sk your father, he knows what it is鈥�.

Vincent picks up his son and other children and ushers them into a bedroom while he confronts Max. When he returns to them he tells his son, 鈥淔aggot is a bad word for homosexual. A homosexual is a man who loves another man鈥�.

The screen fills with the boy and his father鈥檚 face, up close. 鈥淵ou just have to respect that, because it is still love.鈥�

His wife Isabella enters the room, looks at her son, then immediately holds and hugs Vincent genuinely and warmly, their son watching their every move.

It was beautiful, so gentle and perfect in explanation, and so true. Words we should all take in, for all humanity 鈥� gay, straight, black, white, young, old male, or female.

You just have to respect it, because it is still love.

INFO: Follow John on Twitter @daddydearest_