Young Adult Dystopian Film May Feature Gay Dads

“Why don’t we see LGBT parents portrayed in children’s films?” asks Guardian writer Joanna Benecke. Good question — an extension of the question I’ve been asking about children’s television for some time now. Benecke offers us a glimpse of hope, though, and the news that an upcoming feature film for young adults will likely feature a boy with gay dads.

The film is based on Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy, starting with The Knife of Never Letting Go, whose protagonist, Todd, has gay dads. In the book, a group of Christian settlers on a new planet are infected with a germ that makes thought audible. Todd must travel to warn new settlers of the danger.

I haven’t read it myself, but after reading a few reviews, understand that some readers have questioned whether Ben and Cillian, the dads, are in fact a couple or are just mutually raising Todd because of a dearth of women in the colony. In an interview with Polari magazine last year, however, Ness (who is gay himself) explained:

Kids ask me all the time, “Are they gay?” and I ask, “What do you think?” and they say, “Yeah!” Then I say, “They probably are”. They’re excited to find that out. It’s like a secret they’ve discovered.

It’s that old saying, “One of the ways to change the world is to act as if the world has already changed.” That’s always been my goal when I write. Todd would never think twice about Ben and Cillian being together because he’s always know that’s how the world is. He’d never remark on it. Treating it as if it’s a fact, that’s one way to go about writing it. And I’ve not had a single negative reaction about it.

No word yet on when the film will be released, although Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Being John Malkovich) will be doing the screenplay and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump; Flight) is in negotiations to direct, according to The Wrap.

Benecke cautions that the film will contain gay dads only if Kaufman “leaves the relationship intact.” There’s no reason to believe he won’t — but films have been “straightwashed” before, so it’s a reasonable general concern.

Still, an LGBT-parent-inclusive young adult film is different from one for younger children. Both are still sorely lacking. For the latter, Benecke mentions the short Family Restaurant; I’ll add Dottie’s Magic Pockets and BuddyG: My Two Moms and Me — all earnest indie efforts, albeit a little rough around the edges.

Let’s hope the success of TV shows like The Fosters and Modern Family, and the willingness of children’s entertainment powerhouse Disney to include same-sex parents in their shows, help convince other producers and filmmakers that families with same-sex parents make for delightful (and profitable) subjects for all ages.

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