Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom Movie Plays to Modest Success
by Latoya Peterson
Well, look at what slipped under the radar.
In the midst of the election run up, the results, and the waves of discussion about proposition 8, Logo launched a movie based on their popular (yet mysteriously canceled) series Noah’s Arc.
The New York Press’ Armond White has a thought provoking review on the significance of the movie, titled “MEET THE BLACK CARRIE BRADSHAW – LOGO’s Noah’s Arc makes the jump to the big screen—showing a completely different African-American experience”:
Noah’s Arc’s quartet of young black men counteracts the prevailing image of gayness as a young, rich, white male phenomenon. The title refers to Noah (Darryl Stephens), an L.A.-based aspiring screenwriter whose love and social life resist Hollywood storybook cliché. Noah may dress in couture like Carrie Bradshaw (he enters Jumping wearing a Russian toque, cape and calf-high boots) but his style is provocative; he flouts ideas about masculinity, blackness and class. If you accept Noah (his gentle, gazelle-like demeanor stresses effeminacy), his friends still test your tolerance: Chance (Doug Spearman) is a snooty, over-enunciating university professor; Alex (Rodney Chester) is a plus-sized drama queen who likes to cook when not dispensing counsel at a gay men’s health center; and Rickey (Christian Vincent) is incorrigibly promiscuous.
All these characters are dark-skinned except for Ricky, whose light (possibly Latino) complexion gives him social advantages—such as racially determined sex appeal, which he squanders in self-destructive ways. Yet Polk’s affection for these characters equals his determination to validate them. (The performances have gained substance; even a “voguing” sequence is in character.) Like ABC-TV’s 1977 production of Roots, Noah’s Arc acquaints viewers with aspects of African-American character and experience that are usually hidden or ignored. Noah and friends inhabit a parallel universe to the whites-only stereotypes of West Hollywood and Chelsea. When they discuss the image tyranny of pop figures Terrell Owens and Fitty Cent, they articulate stress all men feel. Ethicized pioneers always perform this breakthrough in the arts. Disrespect and discredit is the price they pay—whether it’s Noah’s Arc being screened like a B-movie, or Wong Kar Wai’s profound gay Asian love story in Happy Together being denied the acclaim given Brokeback Mountain. [...]
Basic questions of human happiness have a different ring in this context than they did in Boys in the Band (1970) and Love! Valor! Compassion! (1999) because Polk and Brocka don’t take social privilege for granted. Their humor poses a radical re-take on mainstream virtues: Wade complains to his shocked bourgie mother, “It’d be easier telling you I was an axe murderer,” which connects to the campy defiance of Alex calling his African foster child “O.J., short for Ojomodupe.” Polk uses different (radical) examples of love, valor and compassion. That these marginalized men don’t acquiesce to the mainstream’s oppressive morality is confirmed in the measured vows Noah and Wade exchange. They seek an answer to male companionship that redefines love and sex. Describing “a fear and yearning beyond lust,” Noah breaks past the superficial blandishments typically used to attract, sell and distract gay audiences from their truest well-being.
Polk has more in mind than the LOGO idea of placating a potential market. Jumping the Broom exalts an underserved audience yet Polk’s discussion of the socio-economic connection of slavery and contemporary gay politics doesn’t patronize them.
The IMDB message boards report:
by thebigham69 (Sun Oct 26 2008 18:35:08)
Noah’s Arc had the second highest per screen theater average ($32,200) at the box office over the weekend.It came in second to Angelina Jolie’s Changeling.
I think this bodes well for the movie. Hopefully, it will convince Logo to put the movie in more cities
The movie opened on five screens.
Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom is currently playing in nine cities.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Pheagan wrote:
Take that, Dan Savage. This movie looks great. Where’s it screening?
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 6:43 am ¶
Mimi wrote:
I hope it comes to more cities as well. I know it will never be here, but maybe just maybe it will play somewhere in FL while I’m visiting… YAY logo.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 7:11 am ¶
ms world wrote:
I love Noah’s Arc and saw the film recently. It is doing good business for a film that only a select group know about.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 9:21 am ¶
Eric Daniels wrote:
I saw a few episodes of Noah’s Arc and enjoyed it very much, it has a great take on issues on Black Mascilinty and sexuality where many shows on Black Males is either inspid or overly masculine and it is mad funny and it is a great take on Armspeard Maupin’s series during the 70’s and early 80’s (which Sex In City and Noah’s Arc both take their cues from) so if it comes out on video or dvd I will most definately watch it.
See you people think I am a closed -minded, black macho, neo-sexist homophobic ,racist prick . I like good entertainment and I am open-minded I just don’t take shorts on any issue.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 9:28 am ¶
Ananda wrote:
I loved that show so much. Got the DVDs and everything. Such an important show for not just for Black people to see but for gay people to see as well. In my view, what was truly important about the show was that it did not rely on a white proxy in order to be about gay people/gayness. All of the major characters are men of colour, and with the exception of Wade who quickly removed his closetedness, all of the characters were open, out and challenging notions of black masculinity, family, love, and hurt from the beginning.
Love that show!!! We Black lezies need one.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 10:36 am ¶
drispe wrote:
Damn, I was keeping my eyes peeled for this one, but never knew when it opened. Where were the TV ads, on Logo after midnight?
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 11:35 am ¶
Cara wrote:
Wow, I’d heard about Noah’s Arc but I didn’t know there was a movie!!! Where is it screening?
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 12:37 pm ¶
Monie wrote:
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and as far as I know this film didn’t even play here. Imagine that.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 1:02 pm ¶
Marge Twain wrote:
What if this movie got 1/10th of the press as that awful Kevin Smith movie? I don’t know whether to be proud or mad that it did so well because things like this tend don’t often change conventional thinking in Hollywood. It sounds like the makings of a cult classic, though.
@Monie: It is in SF, at the Sundance Kabuki
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 2:15 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
I caught season 1 of this show. I was very disappointed when it was cancelled *paging Savage*
I just wish Armond would quit referring to SATC.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 2:20 pm ¶
Monie wrote:
Marge Twain,
Thanks
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 2:43 pm ¶
RainaWeather wrote:
I was so pissed when I found out that this movie would not be playing in my city. We have a HUGE gay population, but a very little black one:(
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 3:28 pm ¶
RainaWeather wrote:
I thought it would be showing in a place like new Orleans at least. Maybe people don’t know how big the gay population is there.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 3:36 pm ¶
RLS wrote:
It’s a terrific movie, but it is being virtually ignored by the larger mainstream (white) gay culture. Here in New York, that gay rag Next had the NERVE to slam it for having a mostly black and Latino cast. It’s doing (for a film of its size and limited release) gangbusters business, and is easily more buzzed-about than any gay movie in recent memory. I’m happy, because its success is already opening the doors for more black gay movies.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 6:21 pm ¶
Asada wrote:
whew…this title scared me.
I thought about this movie when prop 8 caused such an upset. I hope they promote the dukes out of this movie and ppl support it!
I thought I missed its viewing!
I really do want to see it, even though I dont know how or when I will be able to!!!
I hope all the angry racist voters see this movie and realize we have more in common than we think. This goes for ALL sides of the debate on prop 8. THERE IS HOPE!!!
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 7:33 pm ¶
Antonio wrote:
I didn’t care too much for the show, but was happy to see some gay black men on TV for once. And it definitely needs to move into other markets and challenge some perceptions out there. The movie comes out on DVD in December, so if it’s going to move into other markets it should do so soon.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 8:04 pm ¶
jvansteppes wrote:
Why all the reference to Carrie Bradshaw? How can there be a black Carrie Bradshaw when her entire personality is structured by obnoxious whiteness? Are these guys vapid or something? It doesn’t look like it. I can’t wait to see it.
Posted 10 Nov 2008 at 8:25 pm ¶
LaurynX wrote:
Here in New York, that gay rag Next had the NERVE to slam it for having a mostly black and Latino cast.
I’m sorry WHAT?! Wow…people really are that dense. People (white gays) want to slam black folk for “black homophobia”, but when a movie about black gay men comes out to possibly show and EDUCATE people of a different experience (meaning non-white gay/non-straight black) they put it down?
HUH?…
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 1:42 am ¶
JohnDemetry wrote:
To me, there is a sad irony that in spite of the enthusiasm for Barack Obama amongst even white gay men, that people still have trouble imaginatively engaging in the dreams, struggles, and desires of black gay men, even when made so moving and fun and undeniable (they’re universal experiences really) by Polk, Brocka, and the Noah’s Arc cast. The screening I went to in nyc had a good crowd but all gay men of color (myself the exception). With its “Jumping The Broom” subtitle, this movie is the perfect movie in the coincidental zeitgeist moment of Prop 8. Yet, it’s not being promoted or discussed in that way in the gay (white) media. Even some “reviewers” and “journalists” spun Brokeback Mountain as a call for gay marriage(!?!?!). Well, Noah’s Arc does it explicitly, but maybe its “Jumping The Broom” foundation is an uncomfortable reminder of what marriage amidst oppression really means. Many(?) white gay men want to have their wedding cake (control of identity politics) and eat it (privilege) too. Anyway, excuse the rant. I think it’s a totally pleasurable movie and am disappointed it is not getting the reception it deserves.
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 8:45 am ¶
monica wrote:
Why do people think b/c Obama has been elected that all of a sudden white people are going to see blacks differently. I am sorry to say this but Barack is just another in the line “special” negros in this country.
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 10:45 pm ¶