Our House

When a production opens with a man teaching his daughter how to put on pantyhose, you've got to suspect you're in for a somewhat fluid definition of "family." In Our House, we meet five families from various geographic, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, all of whom are headed by gay partners. While struggling with the usual ups and downs of family life and the challenges of growing up, their children also deal with reactions from their peers, teachers, religious leaders, townsfolk, and the legal system itself. The children also ask questions about their own sexuality, say that they get tired of explaining their family dynamic to outsiders, become confused by their parents' inability to marry (aren't laws meant to prevent bad things from happening?), feel acceptance at Gay Pride-type events, and, most interestingly, often try to place one of their parents in the "mom" role and the other parent in the "dad" role. While the kids and parents interviewed here are well-spoken and engaging, this narration-less program provides no background or perspective on this issue, and I was bothered by a couple of the moms' declarations that since they had always been lesbian, their kids just understood, and "didn't need any explanations." Despite these missteps, this tape could find a home in flush gay-issues collections, especially in light of its nice little viewer's guide. Recommended, overall. Aud: J, H, C, P. (K. Glaser)