The 1992 Made-for-TV Movie "Doing Time on Maple Drive" and Its Impact on Me

Of course, Lisa makes it about her because the invitations had already gone out and people knew about the wedding. Matt hedges that he was going to tell them, confirms that they are not going to be getting married and suggests that they keep it at that. But when Lisa presses and demands an explanation, Matt throws it in her face that she already knows – which she denies. He then tells everyone that he tried to kill himself thinking it would be better than to be...Lisa attempts to run out of the room, but Matt grabs her and despite her protests, tells her and everyone else that he’s gay. As she walks out of the room in tears, she tells Matt to call Allison, tell her he was wrong and that he made a mistake. Matt tells her to go to hell and runs upstairs.

Phil goes up to Matt’s room to talk to him about the accident and lets him know that, gay or not, he’d rather have him alive – and wouldn't survive otherwise.

Matt then goes to talk to a despondent Lisa, who tells him that she doesn't understand it, that’s it not to be understood, that she doesn't know anything about it and that she doesn't want to know anything about it. Matt responds by saying that she therefore doesn't want to know about him and walks out.

Matt skips out on dinner and goes to a payphone to call Kyle. He apologizes and asks if they could meet for a cup of coffee to talk. Matt comes back home to find Phil in the living room waiting up for him. Phil asks him about being gay – what to say to people when they say God hates them, that it’s unnatural and that they’re going to hell. Matt doesn't have an answer except to say that he doesn't believe any of that. Phil lets Matt know that he’s not thrilled about his being gay but suggests they look into it so that he’ll know how to respond.

Several other dynamics and threads branch out from the main story line in James Duff’s deservedly Emmy-nominated script: Phil’s tense relationship with the disappointing Tim, Tim’s resentment at being eclipsed by golden boy Matt, Phil’s feeling “locked in” to Lisa – a sentiment she overheard, Lisa’s disregard for Karen not being the wife and mother she is, Karen’s feelings of inadequacy to always failing to please her mother and Karen’s shame for marrying a man her parents will never full accept.

However, it’s Matt’s story that has always struck a cord with me. Even though it was 11 years before I actually saw the movie*, I knew it existed and that it was something I knew I wanted to see.

I bought the movie on DVD in 2004 or 2005 and have watched it repeatedly ever since. For a movie written, produced and aired in 1992, it was quite progressive in its take on homosexuality.

This was the same season where Roseanne’s boss (Martin Mull) was seen going out with another man on the even-more-progressive Roseanne. This was the season before Roseanne’s friend Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) officially came out of the closet. And this was FIVE years before Ellen DeGeneres came out in public at the same time Ellen Morgan came out on Ellen.

Matt was shown as conflicted, but not duplicitous. He lied to a lot of people and we fully understood why. He wasn't a victim and he didn't shy away from ultimately facing his family when push came to shove.

His best friend Andy reacted as one would hope everyone would (and should) – with love, compassion and a couple of quips to break the tension.

In a reversal, it is father Phil who embraced his now-gay son while mother Lisa was the one to shun him. Phil even went as far in his support to want to find out how he AND Matt could combat the difficulties he will inevitably face.

When I watch the movie now, I think about Matt Carter’s life coming out as a gay man in the early 1990s – especially while still in college. How was he received when he got back to campus? What career did he go into after college? Assuming he and Kyle reconciled, what was their life like together? How has the family evolved? Did Lisa eventually come around? Has Andy adapted as suggested in his pivotal scene with Matt?

At this point, under certain assumptions, Matt and Kyle are hovering somewhere around 40. They will have been together a total of 23 years. I’d love to see a sequel.

Despite the progressive nature of this excellent, but underrated TV film (which owes some of itself to 1985’s groundbreaking An Early Frost), we've not seen all that many films like this in the intervening years.

I guess that’s what I’m here for.

* That 2003 viewing was a rerun on Lifetime and the timing couldn't have been any worse. I was living in Los Angeles, but visiting my parents at their home in Illinois. My maternal grandmother was there, so it had to have either been Christmas or my younger brother’s college graduation.

I wasn't out to anyone in my family – although they all knew and was just waiting anxiously for a confirmation that they really hoped would never actually come.

The movie came on. I knew right away what it was about and what was going to happen later in the movie. For two hours -- through every scene, every moment and every commercial, not one person said one word. A huge pink elephant had stomped into the room and the only person who could acknowledge it was me. But I wasn't ready. It would have been the perfect time, but the words would not come to me and my mouth would not open.

After the movie ended, the five of us – my mother, my father, my brother, my maternal grandmother and I went about our merry way. It was as if we all hadn't just sat in the most uncomfortable silence for two hours with the most taboo of topics right in front of our faces waiting for someone to say something about it but hoping against hope that no one would.

Eventually, I did come out to everyone – to my mother in 2005, my father in 2006 and my brother officially in 2007 – though they all knew much earlier. I made mention of it to Granny last year just to make sure she knew -- which of course she did.

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