When gay marriage was legalized in the U.S. in 2015—after years of hard work and advocacy—the flippant response was that, now, we better prepare ourselves for gay divorce.
Coincidentally, the recently single Porter is the star of this year’s Our Son, one of the first movies to bring a gay divorce to the big screen.
Porter plays Gabriel, a former actor who takes on most of the stay-at-home dad duties for 8-year-old son Owen (Christopher Woodley), while his husband Nicky (Luke Evans) devotes much of his time to his stressful job in the publishing industry.
Years into their marriage, Gabriel finally accepts that he’s been unhappy for quite some time, and decides to file for divorce. Though they agree to navigate the separation amicably, complications over co-parentage lead the two toward a custody battle that “forces both of them to confront the changing reality of their love for each other and for their son.”
In other words, Our Son sounds a bit like Kramer Vs. Kramer—but make it gay.
Image Credit: ‘Our Son,’ Vertical
The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this past summer and currently has an 85% approval rating on RottenTomatoes, looks to be a great showcase for both Porter and Evans. Porter’s done his fair share of dramatic acting before—and stage and on Pose—though this role is much more somber and interior than we’re used to from him.
Meanwhile, Evans is no stranger to blockbusters (including Beauty And The Beast, as well as The Hobbit and Fast & Furious franchises), but Our Son lets him play it grounded and human, not to mention it’s one of the first gay roles the out actor.
The out 44-year-old actor is opening up about taking his first queer movie role.
Of course, you can’t put two powerhouse vocalists together and not have them sing. While their characters don’t duet at any point in the movie, Porter and Evans did record an original number for the film called “Always Be My Man,” which we hope will see an official release soon.
Elsewhere in Our Son is Broadway babe Andrew Rannells, AHS: NYC hottie Isaac Cole Powell, Big Little Lies‘ Robin Weigert, and former Cosby Show matriarch Phylicia Rashad as Gabriel’s mother.
After playing a handful of film festivals this fall, Our Son heads to select theaters on December 8 and then will be available for digital rental or purchase beginning December 15.
