Small Town Gay Bar

Malcolm Ingram's documentary Small Town Gay Bar looks at the gay community within the Bible Belt, focusing on a pair of gay bars in rural Mississippi towns: Rumors in Shannon (population 1,657) and Crossroads in Meridian (population 39,968). Neither location is particularly hospitable to the bars, so it's hardly surprising that many of the establishments' longtime denizens have quietly sought out more favorable out-of-state urban settings in Memphis or Mobile. For those who remain loyal, however, the watering holes provide a sense of community and camaraderie that is conspicuously lacking elsewhere (hostility in the workplace and violence in social settings are not uncommon here, and one of the chief figures of the homophobic movement—Fred Phelps, operator of the God Hates Fags activist group—is interviewed on camera). Unfortunately, what could have been an insightful 30-minute documentary feels padded and often lethargic at 76 minutes. And, to be honest, neither bar is particularly interesting—except for the location, both seem like many other gay bars, complete with same-sex drinking buddies and tiresome drag entertainers. Filmmaker Kevin Smith, the documentary's executive producer, appears in an introduction and a separate interview as part of the DVD extras, which also include commentary by Ingram, a deleted scene, and more. Optional. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)