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Out
November 2005
Three of Hearts: A postmodern family
Gary M. Kramer
Tri-nogomous. Threesome. Ménage à trois. These are three of the ways various people describe the unorthodox partnership of Sam, Steven, and Samantha-two gay men and one straight woman who live, love, and work together. In Three of Hearts, Susan Kaplan painstakingly explores eight years of this unusual relationship to understand how, why -- or if -- it works. As this outstanding documentary opens, the trio are expecting their first child together. (The issue of who’s the daddy is unimportant to them.) Kaplan deftly chronicles their relationship and intriguing backstories. But are these men and this woman meant to be together? Does their subversion of conventional domestic expectations help or hinder their lives (and their child’s)? Three of Hearts incisively answers these questions by capturing this triangle’s intimate moments, illumination how each member thinks about love, sex, family, and parenthood. The result is a highly satisfying film about three attractive, articulate subjects.
