I went to see Gus Van Sant's "Milk" over the weekend at the Arclight in Hollywood, and sat next to a straight couple. During every kissing scene, the man squirmed nervously. He certainly seemed to like the movie overall, but as I left the theater, I couldn't help but wonder if the Fidget Factor is stopping "Milk" from breaking out at the box office and capturing mainstream's heart.

I'm not accusing anyone of being homophobic. Even I slightly squirmed when first seeing the film at the premiere in San Francisco. It's a natural response. I remember feeling the same way about "Brokeback Mountain" (both films are from Focus Features). The difference is, "Brokeback" become a box office phenemenon. It was also a love story, whereas "Milk" is not. 

One also has to wonder whether the Fidget Factor will hurt "Milk's" Oscar chances. The good news for Focus is that "Milk" has already grossed north of $23 million domestically, a perfectly respectable sum. In other words, there's no use crying over split milk.