In & Out (1997)

High school teacher Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is going along fine. His students like him, and he is engaged to be married to Emily Montgomery (Joan Cusack). Then a former student of his, Cameron Drake (Matt Dillion), drops a bomb during his acceptance speech after winning an Oscar. He mentions that Howard is gay. Howard denies that Drake's comment is true, but then begins to question his sexuality. Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck), an openly gay TV reporter, arrives to cover the story, and soon, the whole town is caught up in a media circus.

This amusing comedy has a good cast, and the story is supposedly based on a comment Tom Hanks made about a former teacher of his during an acceptance speech. Joan Cusack is delightful as the fiancee who is caught up in the confusion surrounding her beau. Selleck, an actor known for macho roles such as on the series "Magnum, P.I." plays his gay character with ease and a bit of mischeviousness. Bob Newhart is the nervous school principal.

Kline was part of the ensemble cast of the classic film, The Big Chill (1983), and the wild comedy A Fish Called Wanda (1988). Joan Cusack and her brother John are from the Midwest, where they were trained in acting, along with Jeremy Piven, in Piven's parents' school. Tom Selleck was billed as "Stud" in a 1970 Mae West movie called Myra Breckenridge. Newhart started as a standup comic who moved into TV ("The Bob Newhart Show") and movies.

My Bodyguard (1980)

Clifford (Chris Makepeace) is the new kid in a Chicago public school. He learns quickly that the students are ruled by a bully named Melvin Moody (Matt Dillion) who demands total obedience. Clifford approaches the one kid in school that even the bully and his cohorts whisper about: a brooding, hulking boy named Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin). Clifford overcomes his fear of Ricky to ask him to protect him from Melvin. What Clifford doesn't know is that Ricky's imposing demeanor hides a tragic secret.

Very charming movie that captures what it is to be the new face in an hostile environment. The teenagers seem like those that would be found in any school, anywhere. Joan Cusack (In & Out), whose parents ran an acting school in nearby Evanston, IL, appears as one of Clifford's friends. Another Chicagoland native, Jennifer Beals ("The L Word") is another kid among Clifford's crew. Martin Mull ("Fernwood 2Nite") and Ruth Gordon (Harold and Maude) portray Clifford's father and grandmother. Tim Kazurinsky ("Saturday Night Live") has a small part as a workman.