The Sum of us [DVD]

Harry (Jack Thompson) is a widower whose life centres around getting his gay son, Jeff (Russell Crowe), to settle down with a nice man. They live together in working-class Sydney, sharing a home, a few beers and a shared bemusement about the rites of masculinity (both straight and queer) in the post-sexual revolution 1990s. Based on David Steven’s award-winning play, “The Sum of Us” is a wonderful comedy about sons and fathers, a loving tribute to the tenderness and comraderie that can be found between men. Though some gay and lesbian critics disliked the film because of its obvious stage-bound script and the unashamed masculinity of Crowe’s gay son, by focussing on working class rather than bourgeois sexuality, “The Sum of Us” can also be seen as a film that radically redefines the boundaries of Australian masculinity and sexuality. Crowe makes a handsome and likeable central character and Jack Thompson is wonderful as the committed, generous father willing to do whatever it takes to make his son happy.