There's no place like home.
Big Eden is an 2000 romantic comedy-drama film starring Arye Gross as Henry Hart, a successful gay artist from New York City who returns to his rural hometown in Montana to care for his ailing grandfather. During the months he stays in the town, Henry is forced to confront his unresolved feelings for his high school friend Dean Stewart (Tim DeKay), while simultaneously oblivious to the feelings of Pike Dexter (Eric Schweig), the shy Native American owner of the town's general store.
Despite being set in a small Montana town, the film's plot and dialogue is notably devoid of homophobic content. Henry is welcomed back by the townsfolk, all of whom are aware of his sexuality and are highly accepting and supportive towards him.
This film provides examples of:
- All the Good Men Are Gay: Widow Thayer's prospective matches for Henry laugh over this when they all realize that he's gay.
- Armor-Piercing Response:Pike: I know it sounds foolish, but I just—want things to be nice for him.Jim: Thing is, Pike, we want things to be nice for you, too, buddy.
- Cannot Spit It Out:
- One of the reasons for Henry's desperation at Sam's condition is that he wants to be able to come out to him before he dies. He fails.
- The closest Pike comes to saying anything about how he feels for Henry is stammering to Jim and Thayer that he wants things to be nice for Henry.
- Cordon Bleugh Chef: Widow Thayer is a perfectly competent cook, but some of her choices are rather...unique. Among the dinners she sends the Harts early on is some kind of concoction involving spaghetti and deviled eggs that Pike identifies as a casserole. Maybe.
- Deceased Parents Are the Best: Henry's parents are dead, and his grandparents raised him for a good portion of his life. Sam passes by the end of the movie, too.
- Everyone Can See It: Practically the whole town knows that Pike is in love with Henry. Sam seems to cotton on pretty quick and tells Pike he's sorry when they witness an intimate hug between Henry and Dean; Jim and the "seven dwarves" realize soon, too, and insert themselves into Pike's kitchen as assistant cooks...as does Widow Thayer when she discovers his deception with the meals.
- Friend to All Children: Dean's sons take a quick shine to Henry, who also helps at the school while he's in town.
- It's All About Me: Henry. When he finds out about Sam's stroke, he abandons his art show opening, saying "I don't want to be an orphan"; he lets his unresolved high-school crush on Dean dominate his present-day feelings towards him, driving Dean away when he can't live up to the fantasy; and when Sam dies, Henry decides after months of becoming an integral part of the town to return to New York, leading several people to feel strung along by him.
- Love Triangle: Henry's return to Big Eden creates a love triangle—he's hung up on his high-school crush, Dean, who he believes is straight, while Pike pines after Henry. When Dean begins to reciprocate, it evolves into a Type 4, where we spend most of the movie.
- Non-Heteronormative Society: Nobody in the town of Big Eden is anything less than supportive of the queer characters in town. Unlikely for rural Montana in the 1990s-2000s, sure, but also a breath of fresh air.
- Old Flame Fizzle: Henry is still holding onto his high-school feelings for Dean and letting them shape his perception of him, which contributes to their relationship falling apart before it can really properly start.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Henry's parents—and thus, Sam's child—are both dead. Knowing he's an ailing old man, Sam mentions that he'll see them and his wife again when he dies.
- Pair the Spares: After splitting with Henry and then finding him with Pike, Dean gets together with Anna.
- Race for Your Love: Pike effectively ghosts Henry after Henry tells him that he's moving back to New York. But after he sees the Harts' truck drive past towards the airport, and with some prodding from Jim, he jumps in his own truck and drives after it. He runs into the airport, shouting to hold the plane, but is too late—it's already taking off. Despondent, he returns to the general store...where the Harts' truck is parked, and practically the whole town is waiting. With Henry.
- Replaced with Replica: Realizing that Widow Thayer's meals for the Harts are...inadequate, Pike begins cooking his own and delivering those to the Harts. Unfortunately for him, that leaves him stuck with Widow Thayer's food, but he's willing to endure it because he "want[s] things to be nice" for Henry.
- Rule of Three: Widow Thayer throws two socials for Henry to meet the eligible bachelorettes in town, then when she realizes that he's gay, the third social she throws is full of eligible bachelors.
- Scenery Porn: The movie (except for the opening in New York) was filmed entirely in and around Glacier National Park
, and the mountain vistas are gorgeous. - Shirtless Scene:
- After building a ramp for Sam's home, Dean whips his shirt off (Henry trying and failing not to look), and he, his kids, and Henry all strip to their underwear and jump into the lake.
- Pike gets one, too, where he agonizes over what to wear when Henry finally convinces him to have dinner with him.
- Spotting the Thread: Widow Thayer realizes something is afoot when Henry thanks her for one of her meals and particularly compliments her peach sorbet, which she did not make.
- Thanksgiving Episode: The movie's second act features a Thanksgiving celebration at the Hart home, with the Stewart family, Widow Thayer, Grace, Anna, and Pike in attendance. It ends with Dean leaving early after arguing and breaking up with Henry, Pike seeing the two of them leaving a room together and also leaving early, and Henry breaking down in Sam's arms once everyone has gone.
- Tragic Keepsake: Sam's carvings of the buildings around town become these when he dies.
- Transparent Closet: Despite Henry agonizing over coming out to him, Sam seems to have already figured out that he's gay, offering him multiple opportunities to say it.
