| In the film "Kinsey," when someone suggests a | | | | reveal parents beating and shunning their own |
| movie of Dr. Alfred Kinsey's book, he | | | | children for sexual behavior.That said, |
| replies, tongue in-cheek in-joke, "I can't | | | | "Kinsey" doesn't seem to advocate total |
| think of anything more boring." He's almost | | | | permissiveness. Even Dr. "Don't be |
| right. Kinsey was an academic, a pedant, and | | | | judgmental" Kinsey and one of his assistants |
| perhaps that's why "Kinsey" is so monotone | | | | strive to maintain objectivity when |
| and almost sterile in its approach to such an | | | | interviewing Kenneth Braun, a subject they've |
| explosive subject.Explosive? In the Paris | | | | courted for a decade because of his |
| Hilton/Desperate Housewives/"red state/blue | | | | meticulous cataloguing of his sexual history. |
| state" era? Isn't our DAILY discourse | | | | Braun, was, apparently, a major source of |
| already oversatiated with sex?Yes and | | | | data for Kinsey.Although the scene is only |
| no.There are still "don't go there" | | | | eight minutes long, it's easily one of the |
| areas--the Michael Jackson case proves that. | | | | most powerful in the entire movie, thanks to |
| The debate over gay marriage. Our furor over | | | | the casting of gifted character actor William |
| Monica Lewinsky. On the other hand, we have | | | | Sadler as Braun. Sadler, who has a history |
| gotten more permissive: "Closer," an | | | | of playing villains ("Die Hard 2"), convicts |
| exploration of infidelity, edges out "Kinsey" | | | | ("The Shawshank Redemption"), and shady |
| in the Academy Awards, with the exception of | | | | characters ("Rush"), and even frank sex |
| a Best Supporting Actress nod for Laura | | | | talkers ("When did you last have an orgasm?" |
| Linney. The academic tone may have had | | | | he asks his daughter in the short-lived |
| something to do with it.When I finally | | | | series "Wonderfalls"), ably and unflinchingly |
| watched "Kinsey," it was preceded by a promo | | | | choreographs his way through Braun's litany |
| for "Inside Deep Throat," referring not to | | | | of perversions (sex with children, animals, |
| Pat Buchanan (who denied in a live appearance | | | | and seventeen members of his family) with |
| of the McLaughlin Group I attended in Palm | | | | bare, raw honesty. In an extremely bold move |
| Springs, California, that he is the "Deep | | | | even for today's audiences, the script has |
| Throat" of the Watergate scandal) but to the | | | | Braun prove he can get an erection within ten |
| adult movie starring Linda Lovelace, which | | | | seconds and achieve onanistic |
| Nixon campaigned against--only to have "Deep | | | | self-satisfaction. While Kinsey's assistant |
| Throat" (the source) become his | | | | decides Braun is a little too repugnant, |
| undoing.Alfred Kinsey would find this prelude | | | | Kinsey maintains his "professional distance" |
| to his biopic appropriate. Let's hope he'd | | | | until Braun challenges Kinsey's own orthodoxy |
| like Liam Neeson, who manages to rise with | | | | by insisting that Kinsey's doctrine is "if it |
| passion above the sterile, shrink (as in | | | | feels good, do it." Since Kinsey is never |
| psychotherapist)-wrapped Hollywood approach | | | | clear on his own doctrine, it's no wonder he |
| to a subject that still, frankly, makes us | | | | reacts badly to Braun. Braun derides him as |
| uncomfortable. Witness the furor over Janet | | | | "square."But for all this, Kinsey's story, |
| Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction." The amoral | | | | which begins with one of Kinsey's assistants |
| industry that spends billions trying to | | | | (Chris O'Donnell, shedding his clean-boy |
| titillate us can't quite get past the | | | | image) interviewing him and providing a |
| conventions it thinks it flouts. Which | | | | framing narrative for the movie, is one of |
| perhaps is just as well. As the superb Laura | | | | love--love for his subject, love for Mac, and |
| Linney, playing Clara "Mac" Macmillan | | | | just possibly, learning to love himself. |
| explains to her husband Al after he informs | | | | "When it comes to love, we're all in the |
| her of a homosexual affair with one of his | | | | dark," he explains. He's taught this lesson |
| researchers (Peter Sarsgaard), "Did you ever | | | | by the magnificent Lynn Redgrave, for whom |
| think that those strictures are there to keep | | | | his book has made a difference. "Thank you, |
| people from getting hurt?" (Mac gets her own | | | | Dr. Kinsey," she says. "You saved my |
| back when the same swinging assistant asks | | | | life."Perhaps "Kinsey" might seem a bit of |
| for a little fun with her.)Perhaps the point | | | | "same old same old" in our jaded culture. |
| of the movie is that sometimes we go too far | | | | But the movie reminds us of our common |
| both in the applying of those strictures and | | | | humanity, and if we have to talk about sex |
| in the loosening of them. Kinsey's father, | | | | and wasps to realize that, it's worth the |
| played as skillfully as usual by John | | | | price of admission.Movie reviewer |
| Lithgow, belittles his wife, daughter and | | | | screenwriter Kristin Johnson composes |
| son, but proves to have been a victim of | | | | personalized poems, speeches, toasts, vows, |
| parental torture himself with regard to sex. | | | | and family memories. Visit to order your |
| Interestingly, the father-son friction spans | | | | personalized memories. She is also co-author |
| four generations of the Kinsey family when | | | | of the Midwest Book Review "enthusiastically |
| Kinsey starts to pick on his own son. "Have | | | | recommended" pick Christmas Cookies Are For |
| you learned nothing? Nothing?" Mac | | | | Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making |
| exclaims.Then there is the homosexual man who | | | | Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A |
| Kinsey interviews. While childhood is pretty | | | | downloadablemedia kit is available at our Web |
| darn short these days the idea of the young | | | | site, or e-mail the publisher () to receive |
| man's father and brother branding him for | | | | a printed media kit and sample copy of the |
| prepubsecent same-sex exploration seems | | | | book. |
| excessive. Kinsey's cross-country interviews | | | | |