Trailer for "Odd Man In": Director Matt Nadel tells the story of the pioneering gay rights advocate who turned away from the movement

Exclusive: In 1951, a man named Donald Webster Cory published The Homosexual in America, "one of the first nonfiction accounts of gay life in the United States" and a bestseller. But who was the author really, and why did he turn away from a book of such deep importance to gay men after writing it […]

Exclusive: In 1951, a man named Donald Webster Currie published Gays in America, “one of the first non-fiction accounts of gay life in the United States” and an amazing bestseller. But who was the author really, and why, after writing a book of such profound importance to gays, did he turn his back on the equality movement he helped launch?

These fascinating questions are explored in a short documentary film directed by Matt Nadel and executive produced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Academy Award winner Caroline Waterloo. Ferguson calls Nadel's cinematic portrait of the author "complex and sympathetic." Related News News Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Justin Mikita Microdrama Musical Microdrama 'Theater Kids vs. Zombies For aTwist Acquisitions Independent Lens Series Acquires Four Documentaries: Jane Elliott Award Winners Against the World, Seeds and More

Odd Man In makes its world premiere Thursday at New York's Woodstock Film Festival. We have your exclusive first look at the film in the trailer above. Watch on Deadline

In a synopsis of the film, Corey (who has identified himself as gay) argues that "gay people are neither sick nor guilty, but an oppressed minority who must fight for equal rights." His book helped spark the early gay rights movement and inspired a generation with its radical message of self-acceptance. Admiring readers and activists called Cory the father of their movement.

But by the mid-1960s, Currie's views had become dramatic, in turn putting him at odds with the movement he had helped build. Denied by his former allies, he was relegated to a historical footnote.

The synopsis continues: “On the 75th anniversary of Cory's groundbreaking book, The Strange Man reconstructs the late author's life through the eyes of two men whose lives were shaped by Cory as they try to make sense of his fall from cruelty.

The two men are Elliott Friedland, a former student of Corey (who knew the author by another name) and Corey's son, Fred Sagarin. Odd Man In will air on the PBS series Independent Lens at a future date.

"We need bold documentaries like Odd Man In to shed light on our past so we can better move on," said Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family; EP Welcome to Chechnya), who voices the author in the film. Matt Nadel's complex and compassionate portrait of Donald Webster Corey, the brilliant, elusive, and war-torn father of the early gay rights movement, finds humanity in a flawed character yet a lost consequence of history. "I'm so proud to be a part of this film and that platforms like PBS and Independent Lens still exist to connect viewers with important stories like this."

Caroline Waterloo won an Academy Award for producing O.J.: Made in America. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award as executive producer of the documentary series STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.

"Change movements are made up of messy and complicated people," Waterloo said. "Donald Doubster Cory was one of those people: a flawed and contradictory character who nevertheless sparked a movement and changed the course of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. With so much of America's history erased, it is imperative that we revisit the roots of our social progress with curiosity and empathy. I was honored to join the talented team behind Odd Man In to share Cory's story with the world."

Nadel made the Oscar shortlist with his 2024 documentary Cashing Out. Among his other directorial films are My Job That Shouldn't Exist (2025), Our Stage (2023), CANS Can't Stand (2022) and 120 Years (2018).

"The odd man out is a portrait of the brilliant, vulnerable, contradictory, and, to many of his contemporaries, infuriating man that was Donald Webster Cory," Nadel wrote in a director's statement. "The film asks what we owe to this pioneer-turned-traitor who laid the foundation for the modern queer movement and then turned his back on it.

"When a historical figure's beliefs are incompatible with the movement they helped create, it can be tempting to erase them from history or simplify their legacy. With this film, I sought to work against that impulse, not because I wanted to reconstruct an image of Cory, but because I wanted to understand him in his context. Why wasn't Cory once able to imagine a future beyond that? He's hailed as the father of the queer movement. Even if he was later condemned as Ann's old grandfather, why wouldn't audiences today recognize him?"

After its Woodstock run, Odd Man In heads to the New Orleans Film Festival for an Oct. 24 screening.

The documentary was produced by Nadel, Luke Hodges and Peter Lansworth. In addition to Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Caroline Waterloo, executive producers include Cary Lozano, Louis Vossen, Roydchang, Nick Martini and Davy Spence. Peter Lansworth edited the film. Cinematography by Steve McCord. Tom Foskett-Barnes composed the original song.

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