The first trailer for The Miseducation of Cameron Post has finally dropped, and it’s giving us all the feels. The film, based on its eponymous YA novel by Emily M. Danforth, follows Cameron Post (Chloe Grace Moretz) as she gets sent to a gay conversion therapy center after getting caught hooking up with her high school’s prom queen.
There, she bonds with other queer teens like stoner amputee Jane (Sasha Lane) and Lakota Two-Spirit, Adam (Forrest Goodluck), as they endure the therapy program run by Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle a.k.a. Elizabeth Bennett Prime) and her brother, Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr.).
The film is written by Desiree Akhavan, from a script she wrote with Celilia Frugiuele. Both women are queer, and it’s beyond exciting to see queer writers and directors telling stories about queer girls (something that shouldn’t be rare, but tragically is). The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won the U.S. dramatic grand jury prize.
While winning such a prestigious award would usually guarantee a distribution deal, Cameron Post struggled to find distribution until FilmRise stepped in. “With ‘The Miseducation of Cameron Post,’ Desiree has created a timely yet timeless, hilarious yet heart-wrenching story,” said FilmRise CEO Danny Fisher. “We are proud to bring this powerful film from a rising director to wider audiences, in a time when the story is as profound and pertinent as ever.”
The film will hopefully inspire a deeper discussion of the abusive practice of gay conversion therapy, which was recently outlawed in the U.K. 13 states have banned the practice, which is supported by Vice President Mike Pence.
While LGBTQ representation continues to grow, it usually skews more towards cis white male queerness. Here’s hoping that Cameron Post can do for queer girl coming-of-age stories what Love, Simon did for boys.
(via Deadline, image: FilmRise)
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