[Pride 2020] Scream King: Unpacking Queerness in It Chapter Two and Stephen King

I could not finish It.

No, it's not because of the length…I read the "Complete and Uncut" version of The Stand cover to cover a few times. Maybe I could not get into the adult parts, or perhaps I just did not like the layout of the book. I know it is a petty reason, but no matter how hard I tried reading it, it never panned out. But I was still excited when I saw the trailer for the reboot of the film in 2017. I enjoyed the movie when I saw it in theaters. I had to drive about thirty minutes since that was the closest theater to my college and I immediately knew I was ready for the sequel when part one finished.

Before seeing It Chapter Two, I knew what happened to Adrian Mellon and Don Hagarty. After all, I made it about halfway through the book before stopping. Even now, the attack on them still rings accurately. Although there are not murderous elder gods who take the form of a clown, the darkness of small towns is scarily accurate. I should state that I grew up in a city, but it very had the mindset of a small town.

It Chapter Two escalates the homophobia quickly, starting with minor harassment to a homophobic slur to an argument to the actual attack. The casual use of “faggot” is familiar and the attackers take comfort in provoking the couple before beating them up. It should be noted that Pennywise's influence on the citizens of Derry affects their appearance. Those who are entirely influenced by him do not take care of themselves and engage in grotesque behaviors.

While the use of the slur and the attack are based in real life, the physical characterization of the homophobes is stereotypical of small towns. Adrian and Don are presented as beautiful Hollywood stars while the homophobes have acne and greasy hair. It exhibits the idea of "At least I am not as homophobic as that guy" or even “I don’t look homophobic.” It Chapter Two doesn’t dig into the minutia of homophobia, but it tries to display that bigotry still exists.

Then there is Richie.

Out of all of King's protagonists, he is a favorite of mine. In the film, Bill Hader portrays him perfectly, just like I’d imagine he’d be. He tries too hard to be liked and accepted by being someone who he is not and uses jokes as a form of deflection. If it sounds too close to home, then you understand. I am glad the movie updates the character as a comedian and removes the questionable jokes, but the fact that he does not have a grand coming-out scene is refreshing. It's more of a quiet acceptance the viewer must decipher. I am conflicted about whether it needed to be explicitly stated, but Pennywise knowing his "dirty little secret" may be enough.

As with all adaptations, it’s fair ask if the movie needs to be completely faithful to the literal plot or the spirit of the book. I understand why Eddie had to die in the novel, but could Eddie have survived in the new adaptations? I would argue yes; sometimes it’s okay to not follow the book to the letter. The more implicit revelation of Richie's feelings toward him complicate my feelings on the film's ending. It’s common in media for LGBTQ+ characters to have sad endings. Despite classifying Richie's ending as bittersweet, I still wish there is a world where he and Eddie would have been with each other after defeating Pennywise a second time. You can only cry when Richie expresses his grief after Eddie's death.

It's challenging discussing LGBTQ+ aspects in Stephen King's work. For every Richie you get The Kid. I no longer have the fiery passion for his books and would rather wait for the adaptation. I enjoy seeing what the creative teams choose to adapt from his novels. After all, Doctor Sleep was way better as a movie than the book and I loved what Flanagan brought to it.  Who knows what will happen in the future?

Maybe in J.J. Abram's Overlook, the party guest and the man in the dog suit will finally get a proper love story.

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