Gone, But Not Forgotten

Gone, But Not Forgotten
by Michael D. Akers

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Movie Reviews of Gone, But Not Forgotten

Movie Review: A deep character study film framed in usual movie plotline
Summary: 5 Stars

The story is well plotted, with lots of dramatic tensions and
contrasts. There is, of course, the spectacular contrast between Mark's
life with Drew and Mark's life with Catherine. But there is also the
tension between Drew and Paul, who movingly struggle to maintain their
close brotherly relationship in spite of different sexualities,
different attitudes to life, and unresolved emotional conflicts arising
from a tragic past. There is also an interesting tension between Dr.
Williams's insistence that Mark remember his past, and Drew's fear of
such a remembrance. And, of course, there is Mark's own conflict
between his unwillingness and his obligation to remember.

The characters are interesting and engaging. Scenes of effective
though sometimes understated drama reveal a surprising depth and
complexitiy to their personalities. The Drew-Mark relationship, though
the principal, and most complex, is not the only one. The other
characters are not suborned to function merely as plot devices or Greek
choruses: Paul, Paul's wife, Nancy, and Dr. Williams all have
intriguing relationships with Drew, and Paul's and Drew's relationship provides an
engaging sub-plot. And, of course, there is that series of scenes
between Mark and his forgotten, furious, imperious, conflicted,
wounded, and by-no-means unjustifiably resentful wife, Catherine, which
remarkably succeed in being simultaneously electrifying and funny. The
very strong cast all give highly committed, developed, convincing, and three-dimensional performances.

The story has not one but two central puzzles. First, of course, is
the mystery of Mark's forgotten past. Second is Drew's behaviour toward
Mark. As I sat through the movie, I was at first uneasy about what seemed to me to be Drew's pressuring Mark into a relationship, as well
as Drew's constantly dismissing the necessity of Mark's remembering his
past (contrasted with the other characters constantly asserting, with
considerable insensitivity to Drew, the importance of Mark's
remembering
and returning to his past). When the whole incident on the mountain is
revealed toward the end, Drew's behaviour suddenly makes perfect sense:
he hasn't been pressuring Mark so much as encouraging Mark to be the
man he is; and Drew has known (or suspected), as the other characters have
not, the dangers inherent in Mark's remembering his past, and the
possibility of Mark's being driven to the brink again, should he return
to his past.

For me, the most interesting and certainly the most admirable
character was Drew. He has an irreverent, slightly subversive and
anarchic side which contrasts not only with the other Summit-Valley
characters (who, in spite of their affection for Drew, all in their own
ways express conventional, non-comprehending straight attitudes,
suggesting the loneliness of Drew's pre-Mark life), but also with Mark
himself. It is clear that Drew isn't perfect, a fact that gives
considerable interest and depth to his character: his struggles to live
as a gay man in a small-town environment have made him slightly

self-absorbed. But his behaviour, especially as contrasted with Mark's
closetiness, displays both courage and a healthy (and probably
hard-won)
self-acceptance. Mark has a lot to learn from him. Although Drew
sometimes seems weaker than Mark, because not so severely controlled,
he
is arguably the stronger, because more true to himself, more open, and
more accepting of his identity and emotions.

Summary of Gone, But Not Forgotten