It's in the Water

Plot synopsis:
Alex is a married Junior Leaguer with a penchant for interesting shoes. Her Junior League chapter's annual project is to volunteer at Hope House, an AIDS hospice that recently opened in her home town of Azalea Springs, Texas. Alex and her League friends, including her friend Sloan, tour Hope House. Alex runs into her best friend Spencer, whose lover Bruce is a resident, and Grace, a friend from high school who had recently moved back to Azalea Springs to work at Hope House as a nurse.
That night at the town's annual Azalea Ball, a drunken Spencer tells a society matron that his homosexuality was caused by drinking the local water. An equally drunken Sloan overhears and spreads the story. A panic ensues, with the local newspaper printing the story and commissioning testing of the water supply. Mark, the son of the publisher, objects to his father, but because Mark is himself struggling with his homosexuality and attending meetings of an ex-gay group at the local church, he's limited in what he can do to mitigate the story and the resultant damage. The leader of the ex-gay group, Brother Daniel, announces plans to protest for the closing of Hope House.
Alex and Grace renew their friendship and Grace comes out as a lesbian to her. Grace returned to Azalea Springs because her husband found out about an affair she was having with another woman and is now in prison for assaulting Grace.
At an ex-gay meeting, Mark meets Tomas, a painter. Mark hires Tomas to re-paint his dining room.
The Junior League decides not to continue volunteering at Hope House. Alex, who's resigned from the League, goes to work full-time at the hospice over her husband Robert's objections.
Alex develops some curiosity about her possible lesbianism and rents a number of classic lesbian-themed films: Desert Hearts; Lianna; Personal Best; Heavenly Creatures; Bar Girls; Claire of the Moon; The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love; an unnamed, presumably pornographic video; and, inexplicably, The Godfather Part III.
At Hope House, Alex gives in to her growing attraction to Grace and they kiss passionately in a supply room. Sloan catches them and spreads the story all over town. After Tomas paints Mark's dining room, they go out on a dinner date, where Mark learns that Tomas stumbled into the ex-gay meeting by mistake. After dinner they go to Tomas's studio and Tomas shows Mark his paintings. They make love. Reaction is immediate and hostile, with Alex suffering indignities great and small, everything from the breakup of her marriage to the closing of her credit account at the local fried pie shop.
Following this, Mark gains the courage to break up with the woman he's been dating as a "beard" and to come out to his father. He demands that his father drop the story on the water supply (testing proves that the water is completely ordinary) and stop the negative coverage of Hope House.
Mark and Tomas and Alex and Grace go out dancing at a big-city gay club, where they see Ray Ray, the son of Alex's family housekeeper, performing as a drag queen called Obsession. Ray Ray leads Mark and Tomas to a leather bar where they catch ex-gay leader Brother Daniel in full leather gear (Mark has a photo published in the paper to discredit Brother Daniel's anti-Hope House protests). Meanwhile, Alex and Grace go to a hotel room where they make love for the first time.
Back in Azalea Springs, Spencer's lover Bruce dies of AIDS-related complications. At his funeral, Alex's father comforts her and her mother, while still upset over Alex's lesbianism, shows that she still loves her daughter (by insulting her shoes, something she's done repeatedly through the film).

Tags: romantic, satire

Review:
I can tell you that Kelli Herd is a brilliant, bold story-teller with a great sense of timing.
Barbara Lassiter (mom) is too much, I remember when they were shooting the scene where she is lecturing her daughter Alex about her gay kiss,noting "Couldn't you have done something like this on the weekend?" The scene when shot, was very moving, dramatic, powerful.
One of the more outstanding moments in the making of the movie was when we were filming in the hospital.
If you grew up in the South, especially if you are gay, you will see people you know or knew in all of these characters - even the ones that seem a little extreme.
Seeing her reaction as she told us that in 6 years she'd never shown in at school made me begin to understand how exposed we are putting not only our 'projects' but our entire life in front of people for the sake of art."It's in the Water" is lots of fun.
The character of Spencer is HILARIOUS, but not drawn up as a caricature like most of the straight people in the film.
One of the truest pleasures of the film.Otherwise, the previous reviewer was right--the love making scenes are tasteful and...pretty for lack of a better word.
It helps, of course, that the two leading couples (Alex and Grace, and Mark and Tomas) are absolutely gorgeous, but the characters individually just light up from the inside out.Witty, excellent visual design and touching, this is certainly a film that I would recommend.
This isn't the best gay and lesbian comedy around, but it certainly isn't the stinker that some of the other IMDb user comments claim it to be.It's camp and extravagantly acted -- okay, maybe a bit overacted -- in the way, say, "But I'm A Cheerleader" is.
Most LGBT movies stick to one group; "It's In The Water" shows a lesbian discovering what she is from out of a loveless marriage and a "cured" gay guy finding love with an unashamed gay decorator.
Lots of good lines here especially for the Spenser character.
I thought the film was very funny and has a lot of great scenes.
Rent the film its good.
This film has some very good characters,especially the scene with the mother finding out about her daughter being a lesbian,very Cruella DeVille,I laugh until it hurts when I saw this scene.
The film was shot in Texas "George Bush Country" I can only imagine that some people here in Texas would think the water could cause people to become gay.You should really check out this film it has some great laughs..
This movie pokes fun at society and how narrow minded people can really be, you  can actually see some of these things happening, maybe not all in the same town, but happening still.
This is a very strange amalgamation of brutally embarrassing stereotypes mixed with insights and issues that I can't remember having seen addressed by a gay-related film before.The main lesbian relationship is handled in a satisfying and balanced manner and the secondary gay relationship has some nice elements as well.
Worth seeing.But these are surrounded with such jaw-dropping stereotypes -- both gay and straight -- that I was left wondering how these could be co-existing in the same film, written and directed by the same person.
The difference is so extreme you could get whip-lash.Performance quality is all over the map, characters are given prime placement in the story but nothing comes of them.
The best thing the film has going for it is the central lesbian and gay characters; the worst thing is that they are given cartoon characters to interact with..
After living nine years in Texas, I don't find, as some others, that the people in the film are caricatures.
There are really people that shallow in society - especially at the top.All of the AIDS myths are exposed, and rumors are floating around town that it's the water that makes you gay.
It spread like wildfire.In the meantime, Spencer's friend, Alex (Keri Jo Chapman) is reconnecting with her best friend from high school, Grace (Teresa Garrett), and finds that her marriage broke up because of a lesbian affair.The local reverend (John Addington), who runs an ex-gay ministry, is leading protest against an AIDS hospice.
When Alex isn't helping Spencer fight them, she rents a stack of lesbian films to watch.
Soon, she is in the supply closet at the hospice with Grace.Mark Anderson (Derrick Sanders), who works at his father's paper, meets a new friend at the ex-gay ministry, who came to the meeting by mistake.
There may have been too many stories to fit into the time, but it all worked, and it was an enjoyable film..
The movie actually is pretty mild but contains probably the best male erotica scene of kissing that you will ever see.
Of course this movie was made before Aimee and Jaguar.The whole movie plays on all those wonderful stereotypes of gays.
I loved the guy whose father sent him to therapy and the silly gay church meetings.
And I even had an acquaintance who told me that my brother should be dead since he has AIDS.But this movie is quite light, not deep and easily watchable by anyone.
Otherwise, sit back and wonder if the lead character's husband wasn't just a little bit gay himself.
i thought it was a well-made film that had some interesting characters and a storyline that had something to say about tolerance, love and acceptance.
while i agree that the whole 'something in the water makes you gay' storyline didn't play out too well, the rest of the plot was great.
a film that stays true to it's heart by not taking it's subject matter too seriously and being funny..
This is one of the worst Gay or Lesbian movies I have ever seen!One cliche after another right down to horribly offensive stereotypes of both gay male and African Americans.
The gay male characters are Badly acted, simpering wimpering, the black maid is right out of an Amos and Andy TV show.
The end of course features a simply awful black church choir (How's that for a stereotype in a movie)singing one of dem good ol gopel songs.
There was no reality to the characters, nor was there and tone of clever.The film only came to life for about three minutes, when a gifted Gospel singer sang words not written by the writer/director.There could have been a good comedy with the premise, but it never surfaced..
As a member of the gay community I can justifiably comment that this movie was SUPERFICIAL at best: It only TOUCHED on the idiosyncrasies of the gay lifestyle and DID NOT delve into any real issues concerning the gay culture.
Kerri Jo Chapman was the only thing worth viewing in the movie as the remainder of the "actors" and extras looked like something dug out of a southern swamp.
if a film was to be measured in pants, this film would be the pants found at the bottom of your laundry basket you thought you threw out at least 3 boyfriends ago." Do not waste your time unless you're especially bored and need a good laugh at terrible acting..
One of my first expirences with lesbians in film and I love it.
I am gay and the stereo types and the strange reactions of the the town's people and families etc.
But this show was funny to me, because I have lived in places where being gay was dangerous at best and this little movie put into my minds eye and I hope in others as well, just how much people do not look outside of the box, or just how back water a majority of people still would like to tar and fête anyone that is different and that includes loving someone of the same sex, or even of a different race.
I hope Kelli Herd writes an It's in the Water two, I would like to see a show, that evolves and involves gay and Hetro couples living in the same town, even as small as this little made up town in Texas, and believe me, I lived in Texas in the 70's and this was very light judgementalism compared to the real dangers that were present at the time, with out a lot of bull or xxx rated stuff.
Great Little film that could.
Movie about a small Texas town where the country club set rules and a rumor that the water will make you gay sends them all into a tailspin.Not the best production values in the world, but the wires aren't obvious, and, all-in-all an enjoyable movie, one of the few that I could pretty much watch anytime.There's a message in it, but it's not at all preachy.
The comedy/drama in the film is mostly unfunny and undramatic, but some scenes do contain real impact.
And one scene is very funny - when the main character goes to the video store for lesbian movies.
Otherwise, a good attempt at creating a gay and lesbian movie.
Sorry, but I found this film very predictable and badly acted by the two female leads Keri-Jo Chapman [Alex] and Teresa Garrett [Grace].
For this is where I think it could have been a good movie.
The over acting of Alex's Mom [didn't understand credits] and the character of Sloan was downright embarrasing.
The story certainly had potential but the overall quality is worse than a B movie.
I'm totally amazed at the people that gave it a score better than a one, the one would be for a story with potential, nothing else in this movie deserved a point.
I waited for a love story to develop in this movie as a point of redemption but all I got at the end could be called a childish same sex experiment.
I can't think of many that are from the gay perspective that try to be funny.
Which is probably a bad thing.This movie tries to be funny.
I am from the South and perhaps that makes it a lot harder for me to like this movie.
Gay life in the South can produce some outlandish characters that were hinted at in the movie but were colorless and forced.
The real life characters I grew up with were/are much funnier and smarter.But hey, I give Kelli Herd and her group 3 stars for trying.
She just needs to recruit less of her actors from dinner theater next time.I think we need more movies that from a gay perspective that are funny.
Hopefully funnier than this one, but still as "nice".I think my favorite character was the knitter in the mens "hetero is good" group..
The title and the promotional copy pushed the movie as a farce, but the film shied away from really exploring the grotesquery and silliness of the situation.
So I settle myself down for a great gay movie from the distribution company that brought me "Defying Gravity" and the wonderful "Big Edin" and I had to struggle to make it through, hoping for a redeeming moment.
A Good-Effort, Campy B-Movie.
Although a big hit at gay and lesbian film festivals nation-wide, It's In the Water lacks in artistic merit and quality acting.
If you just want a fun little movie then this is the flick for you.
This had to be one of the all-time worst movies I have ever seen.
And the stereotypes of everyone, straight, gay or whatever, were all exacerbated further along by this movie.
This film might be entertaining for those starved for gay and lesbian film.
The characters don't even make good campy caricatures.
With all the excellent gay and lesbian cinema out there, there is no need to waste 100 minutes of your life on this valiant but failed Texas small-town effort.
The four other gay and lesbian friends who saw this film with me would agree..
This is easily one of the most horribly-acted, derived, uninteresting, stereotypical movies I've ever seen.
And of course, the leader of the "ex-gay" group HAD to get caught coming out of a leather bar, in full leather regalia, have his picture snapped and spread on the front page of the local paper...didn't see that one coming six miles away.)Please, don't rent this film; it's mere existence is pointless, except to provoke commentary like this and to diminish my faith in the movie-viewing public..
Quite frankly it was the most depressing movie I've seen in a long time.
If you want a good movie of that subject try "Better Than Chocolate".
With such a working title as it was, the screen writers, producers, directors etc could have had a field day and come up with a brilliant movie.
Stereotypical homophobic characters are simply not funny in movies or really life.
What I was expecting was a lovely town with gays in it, suddenly thrust into comic scenarios and panic over the state of their water supply.
Script is banal; the only reasons worth seeing this film are to hear the gospel choir at the end (the scene is annoying but the singing itself is good) and the relationship between Mark and Tomas.
A Must-Have for Every Gay/Lesbian Video Library!.
If you're ready for a great lesbian and gay romance that's also hysterically funny ...
or a brilliant film that projects positive lesbi-gay images with eye-pleasing protagonists ...
or something you'd love to watch with Mom or Dad, then RUN, DON'T WALK, to your local video store (Blockbuster carries it) and rent IT'S IN THE WATER!
Come to think of it, buy your own copy, as you'll want to watch it over and over again!Rarely have I seen any production (film, television, stage) that accurately portrays the South, much less what life is like for a lesbian from a socially prominent family in a small southern town.
Though some of Kelli Herd's characters may seem bigger-than-life (Hell, it is Texas, after all), let me tell you characters like these truly exist in my home town -- maybe even in yours.Though set in the South, this has been an audience favorite at festivals the world over.
It is truly one of the best films I've seen in years.
Excellent gay/lesbian film.
This film offers a very funny look at small-town Texas with a healthy helping of gay and lesbian sensibility and a silly dose of heterosexist paranoia.
The movie was clearly focused on Alex and her character and story were the most well-told.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone needing a good laugh that can appreciate gay-themed stories or that need to have some of their heterosexism deflated..
The best gay/lesbian film I have seen.
Much recommended, both.Though unpolished at spots, this is overall a very good indie film.
But, they are great.The clueless socialite -- who of all things recently played a nurse (available free at her IMDb page; a very good performance) in an AIDS hospital -- was also wonderful.
The gay couple gets less play, but they are nice too.
I also am not sure if the "water" thing totally worked.
It ultimately was a bit silly and the true focus of the movie are the two couples.The commentary is also recommended -- the w/d and the two female leads take part.
Such is life, surely in a conservative little town in Texas, and it should be pointed out that even the mother did hire the gay decorator.
And, deep down, we see many in the town are good people.Finally, I love the expressions on the characters' faces ...
The friend who rented this thought the story line was that something actually WAS in the water which turned everyone in town gay for a short period of time.
Unfortunately, this benighted offering gets its title from a joke told by one of the characters about a third of the way through the film.
Sadly, the film is as lame as the joke.The story follows the residents of Azalea Springs, a small, Southern town, as they deal with an AIDS hospice opening in their midst.
However, Alex Stratton (Keri Jo Chapman) thinks it's a good idea, and despite the objection of her overbearing mother (Barbara Lasater), and wimpy, uncaring husband (Matthew Tompkins), she goes to work there.
Meanwhile, Mark Anderson (Derrick Sanders), son of the owner of the local paper, wants to cover the story in a light sympathetic to the hospice, but his father (Tommy Townsend) is only interested in sensationalistic news.
The acting and dialogue are uneven, brilliant at times and embarrassing at others.The two leads, Keli Jo Chapman as Alex and Teresa Garrettt as Grace were exceptions, they were always right on and believable, their dialogue also rarely hit a false note.
Another total stand out and always worth watching when on screen was Sloan the ex cheerleader clueless society social climber whose facial expressions were priceless.Spencer, was also one of those you know someone just like that characters.(as were all of the gay men for that matter, with the exception of "Brother Dan" who was a little too over the top.
It would have been better if he wasn't so despicable.What didn't work and got in the way of a perfectly wonderful movie, was the obvious good health of the dying Bruce.(Although his old queen was again a stereotype that must exist in every American town.) The anguish and eventual coming out of the newspaper owners son was flawed as was Alex's coming out by the fact that we wanted to see personal reaction and got political statement.
He is desperately trying to be what his father and the community want but, finding himself drawn in another direction by the very handsome Tomas who ends up painting Mark's dining room and his life a better colour.
All in all this is one film very worth watching and is very finely acted.