History Film / InAndOut

* BitchInSheepsClothing: a mild case but Howard's coworkers Ed Kenrow and Ava Blazer talk supportively (albeit a bit gossipy) about Howard being gay after Cameron’s Oscar. During the graduation speech, after he's been fired, they're less open about any support they may feel for him, and Kenrow seems a little too happy about being awarded teacher of the year in Howard's place. Both are present and enjoying themselves at the wedding dance with Howard and his family at the end though which lightens this.

* WomenAreWiser: downplayed, especially before Howard comes out (and with Emily's reaction afterwards), but his mom and her friends come to terms with things fairly quickly after the wedding (the first people seen doing so) and while Meredith and Vicky join their male classmates in being a bit awkward around Howard after the Oscar’s and speculating on gay stereotypes, they do defend him after the wedding while Jack and Mike react more poorly to the revelation.

* AffectionateParody: Of conservative, small-town life and also of attitudes towards gay people at the time ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and, to a lesser extent, Hollywood]]). The film easily could have transformed Howard's friends, family, and students into bigoted {{Jerkass}}es after Cameron outed him, but they are portrayed as more confused about the issue than anything.

'''Aldo:''' [[Music/BarbraStreisand She]] was [[DawsonCasting too old]] for ''Film/{{Yentl}}''!\\

* EveryoneIsGay: The first guy Emily hits on after her wedding is Peter Malloy. Unfortunately for her, he's gay.
-->'''Emily:''' Is ''everybody'' gay?! Is this ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone|1959}}''?!

-->'''Carl:''' Why is everyone talking about Howard?\\

--> '''Emily:''' Is ''everybody'' gay?! Is this ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone|1959}}''?!

-->'''Peter:''' You know what you need?
-->'''Howard:''' I need a wedding! I need a--!

-->'''Cameron:''' Maybe I should thank someone else. Someone who's really been there, someone who taught me a lot, about poetry and Shakespeare, and just, y'know, stayin' awake, man. Someone who's just an overall great guy, a great teacher... to Howard Brackett from Greenleaf, Indiana!...and he's gay!

-->'''Emily:''' ...I do.
-->'''Howard:''' ...I'm gay.

* RealityEnsues: While it's a relief when Howard finally comes out, Emily is devastated to learn the man she was in love with had been deceiving her for three years (albeit unintentionally).

* TransEqualsGay: Parodied. After the not-wedding, once Howard's come out, his father asks if he's going to "have an operation" (i.e. a sex reassignment), to which Howard replies, "Excuse me?"

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/p19876_p_v8_ah.jpg]]

Howard Brackett (Creator/KevinKline), a high school English teacher in the "BIG small town" of Greenleaf, Indiana, is preparing for his marriage to his fiancée of three years, Emily Montgomery (Creator/JoanCusack), while the whole town is abuzz with the news that hometown boy turned Hollywood megastar Cameron Drake (Creator/MattDillon) is nominated to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance in a war film as a gay soldier. Accordingly, the whole town is watching as Drake wins the Oscar and dedicates his award to Howard -- outing him as gay in the process.

* LikesOlderWomen: [[spoiler:Cameron]]

* ClosetKey: Peter and, in a bizarre straight example, Cameron. Howard, not the type to ever consciously form a romantic relationship with someone he knew he wasn't attracted to, honestly didn't realize that he was gay until Cameron planted the seed in his mind. Peter forced him to acknowledge rather than deny what he was realizing. One has to wonder what tricks Howard's subconscious had to play to keep him from ever truly suspecting he wasn't straight. Being against premarital sex, fine, but not seeming to have any sexual desire at all for the person you're going to marry seems as though that might just tip off some sort of alarm. "I might be gay. I might be asexual. I might not really be in love with this person." Something.

* IncompatibleOrientation: Howard and Emily. He realizes they are this at the altar.

-->'''Emily:''' I do.
-->'''Howard:''' I'm gay.

-->'''Cameron:''' ...and he's gay!

* CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds: In the final scene, Cameron is implied to be [[spoiler: starting a relationship with Emily]]. And his girlfriend is last seen [[spoiler: dancing with Howard's brother]]. [[spoiler: And Howard and Peter are heavily implied to be in a relationship as well.]]

* HighHeelHurt: After the aborted wedding, one of Howard's relatives rests her feet on a chair and rubs them after taking off her high-heeled shoes.

* AllTheGoodMenAreGay: When Howard realizes that he really is gay and calls off the wedding, his fiancee is devastated and goes to a bar (in her wedding dress, no less) to drink away her sorrows. She hits on Tom Selleck's character, who truthfully tells her that he is gay. Cut to her running out into the parking lot, falling to her knees, and screaming, "''Is '''everybody''' gay?!c''"

* TransparentCloset

Howard Brackett (Creator/KevinKline), a high school English teacher in the "BIG small town" of Greenleaf, Indiana, is preparing for his marriage to his fiancée of three years, Emily Montgomery (Creator/JoanCusack), while the whole town is abuzz with the news that hometown boy turned Hollywood megastar Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon) is nominated to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance in a war film as a gay soldier. Accordingly, the whole town is watching as Drake wins the Oscar and dedicates his award to Howard -- outing him as gay in the process.

A 1997 film directed by Creator/FrankOz, which deals with homosexuality with some degree of fairness, despite occasionally leaning back on stereotypes focr its characters -- all done knowingly, and all with [[PlayedForLaughs tongue firmly planted in cheek]], as the movie is, at its heart, a satire where many elements are exaggerated for comedic effect.

Howard Brackett (Creator/KevinKline), a high hschool English teacher in the "BIG small town" of Greenleaf, Indiana, is preparing for his marriage to his fiancée of three years, Emily Montgomery (Creator/JoanCusack), while the whole town is abuzz with the news that hometown boy turned Hollywood megastar Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon) is nominated to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance in a war film as a gay soldier. Accordingly, the whole town is watching as Drake wins the Oscar and dedicates his award to Howard -- outing him as gay in the process.

* TransEqualsGay: After the not-wedding, once Howard's come out, his father asks if he's going to "have an operation" (i.e. a sex reassignment), to which Howard says he doesn't know. So both of them invoke this.

A 1997 film directed by Creator/FrankOz, which deals with homosexuality with some degree of fairness, despite occasionally leaning back on stereotypes for its characters -- all done knowingly, and all with [[PlayedForLaughs tongue firmly planted in cheek]], as the movie is, at its heart, a satire where many elements are exaggerated for comedic effect.

** The CureYourGay self-help tape is peppered with tips along this mentality.

Howard Brackett (Creator/KevinKline), a high school English teacher in the "BIG small town" of Greenleaf, Indiana, is preparing for his marriage to his fiancée of three years, Emily Montgomery (Creator/JoanCusack), while the whole town is abuzz with the news that hometown boy turned Hollywood megastar Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon) is nominated to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance in a war film as a gay soldier. Accordingly, the whole town is watching as Drake wins the Oscar and dedicates his award to Howard -- outing him as gay in the process.

* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: Howard [[spoiler:before he lets the realization sink in]].

* AllTheGoodMenAreGay: When Howard realizes that he really is gay and calls off the wedding, his fiancee is devastated and goes to a bar (in her wedding dress, no less) to drink away her sorrows. She hits on Tom Selleck's character, who truthfully tells her that he is gay. Cut to her running out into the parking lot, falling to her knees, and screaming, "''Is '''everybody''' gay?!''"

* CureYourGays: Howard attempts this with a self-help tape.