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After Franky learns of the abuse endured by Natasha that has made her want to avoid sex for the time being, he responds with understanding and benevolence. This leads to a wonderful scene between him and Natasha’s father (Peter Outerbridge), who questions the boy about the amount of time he’s spending with his daughter. We’re awaiting him to unleash the standard “Stay away from my girl!” diatribe, yet instead, he informs Franky with quiet urgency that Natasha has been through a lot and must be treated with the utmost care. This comes as a surprise to Ray, who is perched on the other side of the table, ready to fiercely defend his son against all hateful attacks. It’s here we are reminded of the immense power MacLachlan derives from stillness, which he utilized brilliantly—and fearsomely—in “Twin Peaks: The Return.” Yet in “Giant Little Ones,” the actor delivers one of his most touching and tender performances to date, as a man whose sexuality remains a mystery to his ex-wife (Maria Bello), who still thinks her husband just decided to be gay one day, and leave her for another man. 

When Franky finally decides to pay Ray a visit at his house, after so much self-imposed estrangement, the conversation that occurs there between father and son is, in many ways, the heart of the film. The hard-won wisdom that Ray shares is as illuminating and healing as the monologue delivered by Michael Stuhlbarg’s more bittersweet father figure in “Call Me By Your Name,” encouraging his son to pay attention to what he’s drawn to, while keeping in mind that “it doesn’t matter what you call it.” Franky’s proudly queer friend, Mouse (Niamh Wilson), is drawn to wearing a strap-on beneath her jeans, and in the film’s funniest sequence, her sexual curiosity inspires her to interrogate her longtime chum about his genitals, resulting in the sort of frank yet endearing exploration that puts sophomoric sex comedies to shame. 

I’ll confess that I became so enamored with Behrman’s film that when it came to a perfectly pitched conclusion, cutting to black at the precise right moment, I felt like applauding. This is not a film that ends with contrived reunions and shared, meaningful nods. It acknowledges that some frayed bonds may never be mended, while arriving at a deeper level of satisfaction, enabling its hero to not only find forgiveness within his grasp, but also self-acceptance. I imagine many young people will feel an enormous weight lifted off of them after watching this movie, as the stigma limiting their own personal expression starts to dissolve. What a gift.

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