Arts & Entertainment
2014 YEAR IN REVIEW: Film
‘Stranger,’ ‘Imitation Game’ and indie fare among year’s best
Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig in ‘The Skeleton Twins.’ (Courtesy Roadside Attractions)
There were strong feature films (both mainstream and indie releases), fascinating documentaries and several supportive venues and festivals in Washington that are slowly growing a queer film culture here making 2014, overall, an excellent year in film.
One of the best releases was one of the first — “Stranger by the Lake.” This award-winning French film was billed as an erotic gay thriller and it lived up to that description. The action unfolds on the banks of a lake where men meet for sex, which is shown in graphic detail. The thriller starts when the seemingly innocent Franck watches Michel swim out into a lake with a man and swim back to shore alone. Director Alain Guiraudie skillfully captures the mundane yet thrilling rituals of cruising and the inscrutable passion that arises between Franck and Michel.
Pierre Deladonchamps in ‘Stranger by the Lake.’ (Photo courtesy Strand Releasing)
Other highlights included:
- • “Calvary” opens when Father James (Brendan Gleeson) is threatened with death by an unseen man in the confessional who was sexually molested by a priest when he was a boy. Among the suspects are a hypocritical closeted detective and a Hollywood-obsessed gay hustler who has also been the victim of clerical sexual abuse.
- • Based on a true story, “Pride” tells the tale of an unlikely alliance between gay and lesbian activists from London and striking Welsh coal miners. While the screenplay relies a little too heavily on well-worn plot devices, the movie is an infectious and uplifting tale of personal growth and political solidarity.
- • Written and directed by talented newcomer Julien Simien, “Dear White People” looks at the lives of four black students who get drawn into a racial incident at a predominantly white college. One of them is Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams), an undergraduate journalist who doesn’t fit in with either the gay or African-American student groups. Simien’s groundbreaking film marks the first time that a gay character has been featured in a predominantly African-American movie.
- • “The Skeleton Twins” stars “Saturday Night Live” alumni Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader as estranged twins who are reunited after his suicide attempt. He returns to their hometown to recover and to reignite an affair with his high school English teacher (Ty Burrell) while she tries to work out her marriage to Luke Wilson. Both Wiig and Hader turn in strong nuanced performances and Hader’s scenes in drag are wonderful.
- • “Hector and the Search for Happiness” stars Simon Pegg as a bored psychiatrist who travels the globe to find the secret of happiness. One of his tour guides is an old friend who has found happiness by coming out of the closet.
- • Though technically a made-for-TV movie, “The Normal Heart” debuted in May on HBO and was a widely lauded adaptation of Larry Kramer’s legendary AIDS-themed play of the same name.
- • “The Way He Looks” is a charming Brazilian coming-of-age tale about Leo, a blind teenager who’s trying to escape from his overprotective mother. Leo befriends Gabriel, the new kid in town, and feelings begin to flicker between the two boys, much to the dismay of Leo’s best friend, Giovanna.
Brendan Gleeson, left, and Chris O’Dowd in ‘Calvary.’ (Photo courtesy Fox Searchlight)
While it didn’t include any LGBT content, one of the most progressive and thought-provoking movies of 2014 was “Belle,” a beautifully filmed movie about a mixed-race heiress being raised by her aristocratic uncle in eighteenth-century England. Director Amma Asante and a knockout ensemble cast tackle complex themes of race, class and gender and tell a moving story that combines intimate details and epic historical sweep.
The year in LGBT feature films came to a dramatic conclusion with “The Imitation Game,” the story of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), the gay British mathematician who broke the German Enigma code during World War II but was later prosecuted for his homosexuality.
It was also a great year for LGBT-themed documentaries. One of the most notable was HBO’s “The Case Against 8,” which followed two California couples who brought their fight for marriage equality to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Other standout documentaries included “Shoot Me,” an incisive portrait of the legendary actress Elaine Stritch who passed away earlier this year; “Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda,” a searing examination of the spread of anti-gay sentiment and legislation in Russia; and, “Through a Lens Darkly,” a fascinating exploration of how photography has shaped the African-American community, including LGBT people of color.
There were, of course, a few disappointments. The highly anticipated “Love is Strange” starred John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as long-term partners whose lives fall apart when they lose their rent-controlled Manhattan apartment. Luminous performances from Lithgow and Molina could not overcome Ira Sachs’s implausible script and slack direction. Jennifer M. Kroot’s “To Be Takei” failed to create a cohesive portrait of the actor and activist, and in “Citizenfour” lesbian filmmaker Laura Portras and gay journalist Glen Greenwald failed to fully question the actions of NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden.
The emerging queer cinema scene in D.C. has been strongly supported by a number of marvelous venues and film festivals. The Landmark Theatres (on E Street in downtown D.C. and on Bethesda Row in downtown Bethesda) and the West Ed Cinema in Foggy Bottom frequently present LGBT movies, as does the newer Angelika Film Center Mosaic in Fairfax. AFI Silver in downtown Silver Spring often features LGBT works in its delightfully eclectic mix of contemporary independent releases and classics from Hollywood and international cinema.
The acclaimed D.C. Shorts Film Festival, headed by openly gay filmmaker Jon Gann, always includes strong LGBT programming, as does AFI Docs, which will now be headed by Michael Lumpkin, who served for more than 25 years as both executive director of Frameline and Festival Director for the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. LGBT films have also been featured at the new Middleburg (Virginia) Film Festival.
With sponsorship from the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community, Human Rights Campaign and the Washington Blade, Reel Affirmations has returned to offer monthly move nights and other film events.
The early winter months of 2015 give LGBT cinephiles in D.C .the chance to watch some of 2014’s best releases on DVD and to anticipate the exciting releases of 2015.
Tyler James Williams, center, in a scene from ‘Dear White People.’ (Photo by Ashley Nyugn; courtesy Roadside Attractions)
Crimsyn and Tatianna hosted the new weekly drag show Clash at Trade (1410 14th Street, N.W.) on Feb. 14, 2026. Performers included Aave, Crimsyn, Desiree Dik, and Tatianna.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Theater
Magic is happening for Round House’s out stage manager
Carrie Edick talks long hours, intricacies of ‘Nothing Up My Sleeve’
‘Nothing Up My Sleeve’
Through March 15
Round House Theatre
4545 East-West Highway
Bethesda, Md. 20814
Tickets start at $50
Roundhousetheatre.org
Magic is happening for out stage manager Carrie Edick.
Working on Round House Theatre’s production of “Nothing Up My Sleeve,” Edick quickly learned the ways of magicians, their tricks, and all about the code of honor among those who are privy to their secrets.
The trick-filled, one-man show starring master illusionist Dendy and staged by celebrated director Aaron Posner, is part exciting magic act and part deeply personal journey. The new work promises “captivating storytelling, audience interaction, jaw-dropping tricks, and mind-bending surprises.”
Early in rehearsals, there was talk of signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for production assistants. It didn’t happen, and it wasn’t necessary, explains Edick, 26. “By not having an NDA, Dendy shows a lot of trust in us, and that makes me want to keep the secrets even more.
“Magic is Dendy’s livelihood. He’s sharing a lot and trusting a lot; in return we do the best we can to support him and a large part of that includes keeping his secrets.”
As a production assistant (think assistant stage manager), Edick strives to make things move as smoothly as possible. While she acknowledges perfection is impossible and theater is about storytelling, her pursuit of exactness involves countless checklists and triple checks, again and again. Six day weeks and long hours are common. Stage managers are the first to arrive and last to leave.
This season has been a lot about learning, adds Edick. With “The Inheritance” at Round House (a 22-week long contract), she learned how to do a show in rep which meant changing from Part One to Part Two very quickly; “In Clay” at Signature Theatre introduced her to pottery; and now with “Nothing Up My Sleeve,” she’s undergoing a crash course in magic.
She compares her career to a never-ending education: “Stage managers possess a broad skillset and that makes us that much more malleable and ready to attack the next project. With some productions it hurts my heart a little bit to let it go, but usually I’m ready for something new.”
For Edick, theater is community. (Growing up in Maryland, she was a shy kid whose parents signed her up for theater classes.) Now that community is the DMV theater scene and she considers Round House her artistic home. It’s where she works in different capacities, and it’s the venue in which she and actor/playwright Olivia Luzquinos chose to be married in 2024.
Edick came out in middle school around the time of her bat mitzvah. It’s also around the same time she began stage managing. Throughout high school she was the resident stage manager for student productions, and also successfully participated in county and statewide stage management competitions which led to a scholarship at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) where she focused on technical theater studies.
Edick has always been clear about what she wants. At an early age she mapped out a theater trajectory. Her first professional gig was “Tuesdays with Morrie” at Theatre J in 2021. She’s worked consistently ever since.
Stage managing pays the bills but her resume also includes directing and intimacy choreography (a creative and technical process for creating physical and emotional intimacy on stage). She names Pulitzer Prize winning lesbian playwright Paula Vogel among her favorite artists, and places intimacy choreographing Vogel’s “How I learned to Drive” high on the artistic bucket list.
“To me that play is heightened art that has to do with a lot of triggering content that can be made very beautiful while being built to make you feel uncomfortable; it’s what I love about theater.”
For now, “Nothing Up My Sleeve” keeps Edick more than busy: “For one magic trick, we have to set up 100 needles.”
Ultimately, she says “For stage managers, the show should stay the same each night. What changes are audiences and the energy they bring.”
Friday, February 13
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at noon at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour Meetup” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the D.C. area. For more details, visit the group on Facebook.
Saturday, February 14
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host a screening of “Love and Pride” at 1:30 p.m. This event is a joy-filled global streaming celebration honoring queer courage, Pride, and the power of love. It’s a bold celebration of courage and community — a fearless reminder of what we’ve overcome, how love is what makes us unstoppable, and how we have always turned fear into fierce. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Sunday, February 15
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, February 16
Queer Book Club will be at 7:00p.m. on Zoom. This month’s read is “Faebound” by Saara El-Arifi. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, February 17
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, February 18
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, February 19
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
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