Christian gay documentary on Oscar short list

Amanda Dyslin

MANKATO — “Oscar buzz” is a phrase Phil and Randi Reitan never thought they’d have any kind of personal response to.

But after the past months of incredible public response to the documentary they appeared in with their son, Jake Reitan, the recent news wasn’t all that hard to believe. “For the Bible Tells Me So” — a film by Daniel G. Karslake of New York about Christian families who have children who are gay — has been short-listed for the documentary category of the 2008 Academy Awards, to be held Feb. 24.

That means of 70 or so documentaries, Karslake’s film is one of 15 chosen to be whittled down into a handful of selections that will be voted on by the Academy. The official nominees will be announced Jan. 22.

“That’s very exciting,” said Randi of Eden Prairie, formerly of Mankato. “That would be great. It’s so much more publicity.”

Randi’s already pleased with the amount of attention the film has received. It has been shown in cities nationwide, and due to popular demand, the film has carried over extra weeks in many theaters.

Recently it’s started to trickle down to smaller cities, including Mankato. It will be shown in Mankato Jan. 29-31 (see accompanying box), and Phil and Randi plan to attend and lead a question-and-answer session following the film. The film also will be shown at Maverick 4 Theatres, but dates haven’t been finalized.

The Reitans also will be the special guests of a Humanity Series program at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Mankato Jan. 10. Jake will attend, and the Reitans plan to speak as a family and share their story.

Jake, who grew up in Mankato, came out to his family in high school and his parents struggled to come to terms with giving up the dreams they’d always had for his future. Jake became their teacher, and as a family, they have become gay rights activists, traveling the world to practice civil disobedience to help spread the message of tolerance, which is how Karslake learned of them.

Randi has been overwhelmed by audiences’ reaction to the film, she said. She was at a party where a man in his 50s stayed after most people had left to tell Randi that the film inspired him to finally tell his mother he is gay.

“It touched people very deeply,” she said. “I think it’s opening hearts.”

The film will be released on DVD in February and is available for pre-order at forthebibletellsmeso.org.

If You Go

What: Humanity Series event, “Bringing Home our Coming-Out Story: A Families Journey of Justice,” featuring Randi, Phil and Jake Reitan

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Mankato, 937 Charles Ave.

“For the Bible Tells Me So” will be shown in Mankato 7 p.m. Jan. 29-31. The Jan. 29 and 31 showings will be at Maverick 4 Theatres. The Jan. 30 showing will be at Ostrander Auditorium.

For more information, call (507) 524-3245.