The film is understated. Everything that happens is believable, nothing crazily exaggerated for the movies. The protagonist is half of a gay male couple. He is a doctor. He is quite sensitive. The world around him treats him quite badly, no matter how hard he tries to play fair and compassionately. His neighbours pretend to be liberal and accepting, while teaching their kids homophobia behind his back.
In one brilliant scene, he has to give a little girl a vaccination. She asks him if he is a "homo". He answers yes. Then she asks what it means. He explains he loves males rather than females. She asks him who in particular he loves. She has no prejudice at all. Her father bursts in and violently accuses him of being a paedophile. Nobody in the movie seems to understand the difference between gay and paedophile. Our protagonist sees it as pointless to try to set them straight.
Our protagonist is compassionate. He is able help others by seeing the world from their perspective, and by ignoring the rude or thoughtless things they say.
The boy is a brat, but not an outrageous brat. He comes around just from continuous gentle kindness.
