Movie Review – Trekkies (1997)

Overall Quality 4.0 / 5.0 (Definitely recommended for any Star Trek fan, even if casual)
Gay Content 2.0 / 5.0 (Brief but clear inclusion)
Gay Positivity 5.0 / 5.0 (Very positive portrayal)

A documentary looking into the impact of Star Trek on fans, and just how far some fans will go to show their love…

Kate Mulgrew criticized Trekkies as a “kind of an indictment of [fans’] love for the show” (1). However, I respectfully disagree with her assessment. In fact, the documentary comes across as remarkably positive and upbeat.

Yes, it portrays people who take their love for Star Trek to extremes. Many of them come across as quite intense. Self-described “Spinerfan” Anne Murphy can see the hill at whose base Brent Spiner lives from her home, and she will apparently contemplate the hill when she’s feeling upset because it makes her feel closer to Mr. Spiner. Or take Rich Kronfeld, who would consider having his ears surgically altered to resemble a Vulcan’s, if he could afford it. Or dentist Denis Bourguignon whose practice is fully Star Trek-themed, and who dresses in Starfleet uniforms on a regular basis.

Yet even these examples depict people who have only found something they love enough to celebrate in their own lives, and the documentary takes pains to share stories of how Star Trek has positively impacted people – inspiring them to pursue their dreams, to overcome adversity, and to live better lives.

According to many fans, Star Trek has special relevance for disaffected and rejected people. One participant in the documentary says, “Nobody is ostracized because they’re different, and I think that attracts a lot of people because elsewhere in their lives, they don’t have that kind of freedom.” Star Trek presents a hopeful and optimistic vision of the future in which peoples of different origins, creeds, races, beliefs, etc. are all accepted equally. “Especially gay men and lesbian women,” adds another interviewee: “They live in a world … that’s not accepting. There’s a dream that one day down the road there will be acceptance.”

That’s reading into Star Trek a bit. In fact, Star Trek has been famously non-inclusive when it comes to gay people. At best, it skirts the issue and tries to address it through metaphor. For the most part, the only actual gay people in the Star Trek universe appear in fan-based (and therefore non-canon, or unofficial) works.

But that’s kind of what this documentary is all about: Star Trek is no longer just a story being told on TV or at the movies. Star Trek has reached critical mass. As Majel Barrett Roddenberry notes, “This is our 20th century mythology.” It’s a philosophy, perspective, and lifestyle adopted by a surprising number of people. “People don’t realize just how important a show can be,” notes Joyce Mason, host of the radio show “Talk Trek and Beyond.”

If anything, Trekkies reveals that the community of Star Trek fans is as enriching and rewarding as Star Trek itself. Star Trek fans establish clubs and groups with other fans, and their experience tends to echo those of gay people. Consider this quote: “My family thinks I’m the odd one of the family. [But] I found this club, and I found out I’m not the only one, so I guess I’m not so weird after all.”

Interestingly, the documentary also touches upon the subject of slash, which is a genre of fan-fiction that depicts two people of the same sex in romantic interludes.” The “literature” of Kirk/Spock slash is quite well established, in fact.

I applaud documentarian Roger Nygard, and host and co-executive producer Denise Crosby, for their inclusiveness in this film. By mentioning phenomena such as slash, and interviewing gay fans, they have demonstrated an openness sometimes lacking in “official” Star Trek works.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t call Trekkies eye-opening. I don’t think anyone would be surprised that some Star Trek fans can be kooky or eccentric. Instead, it was a fascinating foray into the culture of Star Trek, and a worthwhile and amusing exploration of its positive virtues. Recommended for any fan of Star Trek, casual or hardcore.

Click to visit the Trekkies website.

———————————

(1) Andy Scahill, “A Brand New Voyage,” Out in America, 8 August 2002, http://www.webpan.com/dsinclair/Out%20in%20America-mulgrew%20interview.htm (retrieved on 12 May 2008).

Tags: Gay Star Trek, Star Trek, Trekkies