“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” Review: An Impactful and Honest Look On What it Means to be Gay
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is the second feature film from director Desiree Akhavan and stars Chloe Grace Moretz in the titular role. In 1993, Cameron’s boyfriend catches her sharing an intimate moment called God’s Promise. While there, Cameron meets residents Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forrest Goodluck), who alter her perceptions on the camp and make her question the practices being used. Beautiful and tragic, The Miseducation of Cameron Post stands out as one of the most poignant looks at the struggles that often come with being gay, as well as the way in which religion and conservatism often encourage and perpetuate homophobia.
The Miseducation of Cameron Postis stunning in its simplicity. The film is entirely driven by the character of Cameron, a role in which Moretz fully displays her talents and cements herself as an actress to look out for. The story is entirely about her struggle — on one hand, she knows she’s gay, but on the other, she is only being surrounded by rejection for this fact.
There are many moments in The Miseducation of Cameron Post that feel true to life for many LGBT people, the most notable being Cameron — after Coley, the girl she was caught with, sends her a letter blaming her for taking advantage of her vulnerability — questions whether or not she was in the wrong for pursuing a relationship with another girl.
Cameron is convinced that the situation was her fault, and that Coley is right to blame her for everything that happened. In her mind, and in Coley’s mind, Cameron is the one who is really gay — the one who has sinned and whose sins must be forgiven and dealt with appropriately.
After receiving this letter, Cameron resolves herself to get better, putting more effort into the conversion program than she was previously. Though it is heartbreaking to watch, this storyline is reminiscent of many lived experiences of the gay community. Many gay people are led to believe that their actions are their own fault — by acting out on their feelings, they are doing something inherently wrong and sinful. This is a toxic belief that has allowed internalized homophobia to take residence in gay individuals, and one that has caused irreparable damage to many.
The belief that the children in The Miseducation of Cameron Post can all recover from their sin of homosexuality has dire effects, both within the film and within a real life context. There are scenes in the latter half of the film that are gut wrenching, with one in particular standing out as the most difficult part to stomach. The movie shows the impacts that society’s acceptance and perpetuation of homophobia can have, and how detrimental this is to young people growing up and discovering their sexuality.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post brilliantly avoids being preachy with these moments, and Akhavan deftly directs them so that everything feels timelessly relevant. Every scene feels important to watch, and the movie as a whole feels like a vital film to understanding the greater problem of homophobia and the violence it often leads to. The film is stunning in every way, down to the way it looks, the way it is written, and the performances it allows for. Akhavan stuns with her second feature, and I’m eager to see what she’ll come up with next.
