By Gregg Shapiro

Contributing writer

In theaters:

“Freshman Orientation” (here! Films/Regent)—Can pretending to be gay make Clay (Sean Huntington) into a “decent straight guy”? That is more or less the premise of college comedy “Freshman Orientation,” which was originally titled “Home of Phobia” when it made the festival circuit a few years ago.

The odds are mounting against Clay. First, there’s former high school date turned hardcore lesbian Marjorie (Marla Sokoloff), who can’t resist giving him a hard time. Sexually repressed dorm-mate Matt (Mike Erwin), who harbors a crush on Clay, doesn’t make things any easier. But Clay is determined to win the heart of sorority pledge Amanda (Kaitlin Doubleday), who just so happens to need a gay guy to complete her sorority challenge. In between alternately fighting off the advances of BMOC Tazwell (Bryce Johnson) and sorority siren Serena (Jud Taylor), Amanda actually finds herself falling for Clay. Clay, meanwhile, makes friends with gay bartender Rodney (John Goodman) who assists in his transformation thinking he’s a college kid in the midst of the coming out process. Bursting at its sequined seams with tired gay clichés and humorless jokes, “Freshman Orientation” even features Rachel Dratch’s “very drunk chick” character, just to give you an idea of how tired the whole affair actually is.

 

Limited runs:

The 2007 French film “My Best Friend” is screened Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th. Call (773) 445-3838.

 

As part of Estrojam, Cinejam showcases women filmmakers from around the world with a dynamic program of short narratives, animations, and music videos, featuring more than a dozen films such as Melanie McGraw’s “Pit Stop,” Latin Grammy winner Natalia LaFourcade’s “Cuarto Encima” and Hsiao Wen Chiu’s “Miss Little Chair,” among others, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m. at the Debonair Social Club, 1575 N. Milwaukee. Call (773) 227-7990.

The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council and the Columbia College Television Department present the Chicago premiere of the new marijuana documentary “Waiting to Inhale” Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m., with a panel discussion featuring the filmmaker following the screening, at Columbia College Chicago’s Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash.

Cinema Lesbiana, the women's film screening group, meets at Gerber/Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Call (773) 381-8030.