Bear Cub Reviews

Ignore the terrible title — Spanish director Miguel Albaladejo's heartwarming tale of a child who finds a loving parent in the last person anyone would peg for a father isn't animated, nor does it feature songs by Elton John and a chorus of animals. In fact, this beautifully acted feature is a sophisticated and sexually frank argument in favor of gay parenting; think of it as a gay Silas Marner. Madrid dentist Pedro (Jose Luis Garcia-Perez) agrees to put his somewhat promiscuous sex life on hold and be a responsible baby-sitter to his young nephew Bernardo (David Castillo), while Pedro's free-spirited and flaky sister, Violeta (Elvira Lindo), heads off to India for two weeks. Pedro packs away the pornos, Playgirls and poppers, insists visitors no longer smoke dope or use the apartment for sex, and is surprised to find his initial resentment over caring for a child soon melting away as he realizes his nephew is actually a pretty cool 9-year-old. Not only does little Bernardo have a progressive attitude toward gay relationships — it comes with having a hippie for a mother — but he also cooks. Good thing, too, because Bernardo's two-week stay is extended indefinitely when Pedro gets word from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Violeta was caught with drugs at a border checkpoint. She's now in an Indian prison and there's no telling when — or if — she'll ever get out. Pedro is more than happy to assume full responsibility for the boy he's grown to love, but once Bernardo's estranged grandmother, Teresa (Empar Ferrer), gets word of Violeta's predicament, she threatens to sue for custody. She even goes so far as to hire a photographer to follow Pedro on one of his evening prowls through Madrid's gay underworld, and unearths a secret that could destroy not only Pedro's chances at parenthood but also his career. Throughout the film, Albaladejo subtly implies that much of the loneliness and sexual promiscuity often associated with gay life might be in large part the result of thwarted familial affection. That's an interesting and emotionally resonant thought, but what makes this film a welcome departure from the usual gay melodrama is its depiction of gay men. Bearded, burly and even balding, these "bears" are a refreshing change from the depilated, youth-obsessed men of Queer as Folk.