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By Liz Tracey
GLAAD Publications Manager
The piece is a cinematic letter to Helms, and begins with Kirkman remarking on the fact that Helms has, for the majority of his adult life, been obsessed with homosexual men. Kirkman points out that it's something the two have in common. And while Dear Jesse is full of examples of such wry wit, it also addresses many pertinent concerns about Helms' conservatism and prejudices through the course of his interviews and commentary.
In a moment of particular poignancy, Kirkman speaks to Patsy Clarke and Eloise Vaughn, twomothers who lost their sons to AIDS. The two met and intended to start a support group, but in the course of considering their goals, they realized that Helms' attacks on the lesbian and gay community and especially upon people with AIDS necessitated response. So they founded a group called MAJIC - Mothers Against Jesse In Congress - to block his re-election. Kirkman's own comments speak to the challenges faced by many lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender people, but use his personal experiences to effectively draw viewers in. In the fall of 1998, Kirkman realized that he had interviewed Matthew Shepard at the college mentioned above. In light of Shepard's brutal and high-profile murder, Kirkman decided to add the footage as a special post-script to Dear Jesse.
On its website, Cinemax notes that the film will be re-aired on January 25 at 8:30 a.m. EST/5:30 a.m. PDT and again on January 29 at 5:00 p.m. EST/2:00 p.m. PDT. Please check local listings and tune-in for the broadcasts, and thank Cinemax for bringing such an outstanding and unusual piece to its wide audience. Contact to thank Cinemax: Jeff Bewkes, President, HBO 1100 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036-6712 |
Tim Kirkman 
Author Allan Gurganus calls Sen. Helm's supporters 'pod people' in Dear Jesse 
© 1997-99 BEI