Dr Alfred
Kinsey's studies of human sexuality were groundbreaking in bringing gay and lesbian
issues into the mainstream, along with discussions about human sexuality in general.
(Kinsey's studies are the origin of the 10% gay and lesbian number we still use
today.) This biography begins with his young life, marriage and early work
as a biologist studying wasps. Over time, he becomes the faculty member whom students
visit for sex advice, and he starts teaching a "marriage course" to
combat sexual misinformation. He finds that he can't answer many questions because
there has been no real academic work on the subject, and so it begins. Most of
the film focuses on his first study of men, including visiting gay bars and having
his first sexual experience with a man (his research assistant). He creates
a scale of homosexual on one side and heterosexual on the other side, plotting
individuals and their orientations on the scale, without judgment about "normalcy."
"Everybody's sin is nobody's sin." Kinsey would not cooperate with demands
to out homosexuals in the state department, and J Edgar Hoover compiled dossiers
on Kinsey and his staff. "The forces of chastity," as he calls them,
were rising to intimidate the scientists. The movie ends with his study
of women, which faced much more public indignation than the male study. He finds
that women most often reach orgasm through clitoral stimulation, and that "the
introduction of the penis does little to introduce additional stimulation."
The only exclusively lesbian content comes at the end with an interview of a subject
played by Lynn Redgrave. In a moving moment, she describes falling in love with
another woman and the difficulties of her life afterwards, even thinking of suicide.
The difference after reading Kinsey's book is that she realized there were other
women like her. It gave her the courage to begin a relationship with the woman
she loved. Just as Kinsey was feeling defeated by lack of funding and negative
public pressure, the woman tells him, "You saved my life, sir." Liam
Neeson (The Haunting) is wonderful as Kinsey, as is Laura Linney as his
very interesting and unconventional wife Clara. The film received several Oscar
nominations and won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film - Wide Release. | 
