Back Soon (2007)

Aspiring actor Logan Foster (Windham Beacham) reads the note that his wife Adrianne (Maggie McCollester) left for him when she went out to run an errand. Unfortunately, she was involved in a fatal auto accident and never returned. It looks to the couple's friends that Logan will never recover from the shock, and they aren't surprised when he decides to sell the couple's dream house, since it holds too many memories. The first and only person to look at the house is reformed drug dealer Gil (Matthew Montgomery). He thinks Logan is the real estate agent and asks him for a tour of the house. After the tour Gil is compelled to buy the house. It is only after the deal closes that he realizes Logan was the former owner. The two men are drawn to each other and form a friendship that evolves into much more.

The close friendship takes a step beyond one night, when a sleepwalking Logan enters Gil's bed and the two straight young men have sex. This seems to be aided by Logan's dead wife making ghostly visits to both men, and she seems to know this was destined to happen and is encouraging it. Both are confused by this since neither one of them is gay. However, they work through their confusion and admit their love for each other. They are wise enough to realize that love is a rare and special gift and when it is offered you take it without worrying about how the package is wrapped. But as their relationship deepens, Gil's mysterious past erupts and a startling revelation about the true nature of their connection threatens to destroy it and change their lives forever. The ending is not predictable and leaves the viewer to ponder the possiblities.

Reuniting the actors from his hit film "Long Term Relationship", director Rob Williams' "Back Soon" is a tender, sexy drama that explores the depths of love, loss, identity and hope. This isn't your typical gay romance, and only some minor characters are gay. While done on a small budget, from a screenplay with more than its share of trite, cheesy lines, and featuring acting (with the exception of the two lead actors) that would be laughed off a high school stage, the story is at least original in its approach to explore the dynamics of attraction and love, with a twist that is both thought-provoking as well as slightly cringe-inducing. Reviews and comments are mixed, since it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Gay fans of the supernatural may like it more. DVD extras include actor and director commentaries, cast interviews, and a stills gallery. Austin Wintory composed the original music, and Rob Williams wrote the screenplay and directed.

A Very Serious Person (2006)

Jan (Charles Busch), an effete ex-dancer male nurse from Denmark, takes a new job with Mrs. Aronson (Polly Bergen), a terminally ill Manhattan woman raising her parentless precocious 13 year-old grandson Gil (P. J. Verhoest). He is a slightly effeminate boy with a love for old Hollywood movies, writing stories about great heroines, dressing like Marie Antoinette, and refusing to learn swimming or any outdoor activities in favor of watching "Gone with the Wind". Although Gil and housekeeper Betty (Dana Ivey) are certain that Grandma will dislike Jan as much as they do, Jan suits Mrs. A perfectly, cooking her healthy foods and soothing her in a way no previous nurse has been able to do. Jan also becomes a role model for Gil, and tries to tame some of his acting-out and conflicts with his grandmother.

Though Jan has no interest in kids, he eventually finds himself drawn to Gil, and is concerned about what will happen to the boy when his grandmother passes away. He is surprised by this, as he is both a bachelor and a gay man. In fact, he is really concerned about Gil's somewhat flamboyant developing personality, certain that this will cause problems as he gets older. Feeling protective, Jan tries to put a damper on the boy's enthusiasms, aware that a very different life awaits him in Florida at summer's end, and that he had best start acting less like a queen and more like a "serious person". Spending the summer by the Jersey shore, the emotionally reserved Jan finds himself oddly cast as a mentor to Gil in having to prepare the sensitive boy for life with his cousins in Florida. A deep friendship grows between these two solitary people. By the end of the summer, Gil has developed a new maturity and independence, while the enigmatic Jan has revealed his own vulnerability.

Other characters include the outrageous gay hairdresser Lee (Carl Andress), his associate Crystal (Alexa Eisenstein), and Jan's love interest Gilles (Simon Fortin). This is a tight comedy with an edge and it is a solidly entertaining movie. It has a fine story, good cast, and enough thoughts about connecting isolated individuals to make the movie touching. Spanning the ages from young teenager to middle age to elderly, they are all needy souls trying to find solid ground. Each one is lonely and wants acceptance and love. The story is how the three learn from each other, give and take, and find the niche that proves the summer was not wasted. It's a coming-of-age film, a heart-warming gay tale of evolving sexual identity and self-discovery that feels both familiar and completely original. Andrew Sherman composed the incidental music. The screenplay was written by Carl Andress and Charles Busch, who also directed.