James Franco Likes To Make His Audience 'Uncomfortable'
News
oi-IANS
By Ians English
Actor
James
Franco,
who
features
in
I
Am
Michael,
about
a
gay
activist
who
denounces
homosexuality
to
become
a
Christian
pastor,
feels
films
that
raise
relevant
questions
in
the
society,
are
important.
In
I
Am
Michael,
Franco
stars
alongside
Emma
Roberts
and
Zachary
Quinto.
"There's
the
coming
out
narrative,
the
fighting
for
rights
narrative,
the
closeted
secret
affair
narrative,
like
we
saw
in
Brokeback
Mountain.
All
of
these
films
are
very
important,
but
not
every
movie
needs
to
be
like
that.
Once
those
stories
are
told,
we
can
tell
unexpected
ones
that
might
challenge
us
or
make
us
uncomfortable
in
some
ways," Franco
told
BlackBook
magazine.
"What
I
think
is
so
innovative
about
I
Am
Michael
is
that
we're
watching
a
man
go
in
an
unexpected
direction,
and
that
direction
brings
up
a
lot
of
questions
about
identity,
and
what
identity
consists
of,
and
how
it's
defined,
and
who
gets
to
decide.
And
this
film
tackles
faith
versus
sexuality,
and
the
tensions
there,
in
an
important
way,"
he
added.
Directed
by
Justin
Kelly,
I
Am
Michael
is
based
on
a
New
York
Times
Magazine
article
"My
Ex-Gay
Friend" by
Benoit
Denizet-Lewis.