MILK in Anchorage: A Tale of Two Theaters

The movie MILK is showing at The Bear Tooth, Friday-Sunday at 7:50 p.m. and Tuesday-Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Only six showings - don't miss it!

MILK is based on the life of Harvey Milk, an openly gay man who was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. 

MILK shows Harvey (played by Sean Penn) uniting the gay community under his charismatic leadership, adding 'sexual orientation' to the city's non-discrimination policy, and defeating Prop 6, Anita Bryant's crusade against gay and lesbian teachers. 

He also faced the constant threat of assassination.

The issues are timely after the narrow passing of Prop 8, California's ban on gay marriage, and relevant in Anchorage where we still do not have 'sexual orientation' in the non-discrimination policy of our city or state.

MILK received 8 Academy Award Nominations including best picture, best director (Gus Van Sant), best actor (Sean Penn) and best supporting actor (Josh Brolin).

The biggest crowds are expected for the Friday and Saturday shows at The Bear Tooth.

An Unsuccessful Opening

MILK opened in Anchorage at the Century Theater on Dec 12. A few readers saw it and sent comments, posted here along with my review. But MILK was removed from the schedule after only two weeks. It was the lowest-grossing film in the theater that month, according to a Century 16 employee.

"I was stunned and disappointed to say the least," wrote Matt in an email to Bent Alaska. "I'm no political activist, but the news of the film's Anchorage demise didn't make me think too highly of the community."

Why did MILK flop at the Century in December?

• The national LGBT community is boycotting the Century/Cinemark Theaters because the company is Mormon-owned and the CEO donated almost $10,000 to pass Prop 8. The LDS Church urged members to donate to Prop 8, preached their support from the pulpit, and may have violated their tax-exempt status as a religious organization by engaging so directly in a ballot issue. Protests have occurred outside Mormon temples, and many LGBT people refuse to support business owners who gave money to take away our civil rights.
• Alaska's LGBT community already boycotts Mormon-owned businesses like the Century because the Utah-based Church was a main backer of Alaska's Measure 2, banning gay marriage here in 1998.
• MILK opened at the Century in the middle of the Anchorage International Film Festival, where other gay-themed films were shown the same week.
• We knew that MILK would have a second run at The Bear Tooth, a GLBT-supportive theater.

These factors combined to make the Century opening almost a non-event. It's no wonder that ticket sales were dismal. 

The real question is why the MILK producers chose to open the film at the Century, despite the boycott. If it had opened at a Regal Theater, like Brokeback Mountain did at the Dimond, the results would have been different.

A Strong Second Run

In contrast, The Bear Tooth is a favorite of the LGBT community, as much for the good food and progressive atmosphere as for the showing of LGBT films. 

Go see MILK this weekend at The Bear Tooth. Learn how Harvey lead successful campaigns for gay rights, and prove that a gay-themed movie can be successful in Anchorage.