The Hanging Garden (1997)

25 year-old Sweet William (Chris Leavins), a once fat and self-hating teen, ran away from home at age 15. Basically his only other alternative was suicide. Ten years later he returns to attend his sister Rosemary's (Kerry Fox) wedding. He's happy with his new life, a well-adjusted gay man with a partner, steady work, and a trim body. Haunted by his past miserable adolescence, being back at home revives all of his awful memories: overeating because it's the one thing nobody can stop him from doing; being hit by his drunken and abusive father Whiskey Mac (Peter MacNeill); and his mother arranging for him to have sex with a woman while she sat in the next room. As a gay, obese teenager (played by Troy Veinotte), William was caught having sex with his bisexual friend Fletcher (Joel S. Keller) in the garden by his grandmother when he was 15. Rosemary is marrying Fletcher. In the movie, both the adult and teen-age William, hanging as a fresh corpse in the garden, interact. In the version of reality where William dies, his family members cannot shed their memories of his death, whereas in the other version William is haunted by memories of his father's abuse and is unable to reconcile with him. Also, a new family member Violet (Christine Dunsworth) is revealed to have been fathered by William, because William's mother Iris (Seana McKenna) took him to a prostitute in an attempt to "cure" his homosexuality. In the garden where he may or may not have made a tragic decision as a teen, past and present mingle, the eyes of statues move, and everything drips with rain. The story is a surrealistic mix of fantasy (he commits suicide) and reality (he leaves and starts a new life). William must take care of his drunken father and then help organize a search for his missing mother. Interestingly, Fletcher, who's rejection almost led to William's suicide, is now very attracted to the handsome and sexy former childhood friend.

This darkly comic melodrama is about Sweet William and his family, in which everyone is named after a plant. The film is convoluted, contrived, and confusing, but enjoyable and entertaining, with subtle acting performances. With the background of Celtic music combined with beautiful camera work, the image of a garden as the family and a flower as an individual is nicely done. John Roby composed the music, and Thom Fitzgerald wrote the script and directed.

Partners (1982)

After a series of murders in the LA gay community, straight police sergeant Benson (Ryan O'Neal) is assigned to the case. He is ordered to go undercover as half of a gay couple. The other partner is officer Kerwin (John Hurt), a mousy police clerk everyone in the department knows is gay, although he thinks he's closeted. Benson is horrified at the thought, while Kerwin is shy, apprehensive, and would prefer to work in the office. In order to be noticed they have to be flamboyant enough to attract attention which Benson finds disturbing. The couple adopt their homosexual disguises, which include a lavender Volkswagen, a lavender jogging outfit for Kerwin, and lots of tight-fitting jeans and tank tops for Benson. They set up housekeeping in an apartment house filled with gays. At first, Benson's slovenly ways annoy Kerwin, whose sexual orientation and prissy manners are a source of annoyance for Benson. The film derives much of its humor from Benson's discomfort with homosexuality and his stereotypical ideas of "gay behaviour". Benson must tolerate the passes of aging queens and play the role of hustler in an effort to obtain information. Kerwin instructs Benson in the tricks of the trade, much of which is foreign even to him. Most of the time he putters around their apartment, cooking gourmet meals, emptying ashtrays, and looking grief-stricken when Benson brings home a woman to sleep with. We are shown the evolution of Benson's attitudes toward Kerwin and gay people in general. As the pair close in on the murderer, Kerwin reveals himself to be a far more capable cop than Benson assumes him to be.

This movie was made long before the openness of the the gay community and may seem somewhat simplistic in the way it deals with the subject, but that is part of what makes it so funny. It is respectful of both sides, and allows us to see what stereotyping is capable of leading to. Film critic Rex Reed wrote in the New York Post: "Hollywood's latest crime against humanity in general and homosexuals in particular is a dumb creepshow called "Partners"--stupid, tasteless and homophobic, this sleazy, superficial film implies that gay cops can't be trusted to work with straight cops because they might fall in love with them." Georges Delerue composed the music, Francis Veber wrote the screenplay, and James Burrows directed.

Open Cam (2006)

Manny Yates (Andreau Thomas) is a handsome young artist, still recovering from a relationship that didn't work out. Maurice (Ben Green) is his best friend and occasional sex partner. Manny decides to concentrate on his paintings and limit his social life to his circle of other gay friends, plus nightly visits to "Open Cam", a popular Washington, D.C. gay website. The problem is the guys he hooks up with online later turn up dead, which puts Manny at the center of the investigation conducted by gay detective Hamilton (Amir Darvish), assigned by the police to work on gay cases. A serial killer is finding his victims online and posting snuff films to the website. As the number of victims climb, the detective moves in as "live bait" into Manny's apartment with him, hoping to draw the attention of the killer as well as protect Manny. They play their role so well that they actually become lovers for a time, allowing Hamilton to gauge the reaction of Manny's ex-lovers and friends, one of whom may be the killer. Dark, brooding, no-nonsense, sarcastic Hamilton is divorcing his wife and coming to terms with his gayness. Conrad (J. Mathew Miller) is a computer geek who tracks the email connections on the open cam site and eventually leads to the final climactic scene.

This sexy gay thriller takes viewers on a wild ride studded with grisly murders and hunky men. It has low production values, interesting dialogue, and actors who are not the best. Most viewers have much criticism for this film. Music is by Houston Bernard, Warren Cuccurullo, George Draguns, and Jerry Walterick. Robert Gason wrote the script and directed.

The Ritz (1976)

Cleveland sanitation company owner Gaetano Proclo (Jack Weston) is "married to the mob" because of his wife Vivian (Kaye Ballard). Unfortunately, his brother-in-law Carmine Vespucci (Jerry Stiller) hates him, and on his deathbed Carmine's father tells him to "get Proclo". Certain that Carmine is going to kill him, Proclo takes a cab and tells the driver to take him to the last place any one would ever look for him. Proclo ends up hiding out from the mob in the middle of a gay bath house, the Ritz. The rates are low, the decor is art deco, and the clientele are hilarious! Chris (F. Murray Abraham) is a screaming queen. Googie Gomez (Rita Moreno) is a no-talent lounge singer who wants to become a bath-house star like Bette Midler. He believes Proclo is a Broadway producer. Claude (Paul B. Price) is a "chubby chaser" who takes one look at Proclo and falls in love, then chases him all over the bath house. Patrons hide under beds, are thrown into swimming pools, impersonate the Andrews Sisters, and are pursued by unwanted lovers. Proclos' guides through the Ritz are gatekeeper Abe Lefkowitz (Dave King), Chris, and Go-Go-boys Tiger (John Everson) and Duff (Christopher J. Brown). Falsetto-voiced detective Michael Brick (Treat Williams) and his employer Carmine locate Proclo at the Ritz, as does his wife Vivian.

This very funny farce deals in stereotypes, but is never mean spirited, and the cast portray the eccentric characters hilariously. Filmed long before the AIDS crisis, "The Ritz" offers a comic look at gay bath houses and a way of life that no longer exist. Ken Thorne wrote the music. Terrence McNally wrote the screenplay from his own hit Broadway play. Jack Weston, Jerry Stiller, F. Murray Abraham, and Rita Moreno were in the original stage production. Richard Lester directed.

Pourquoi Pas! (1977)

A rundown suburban villa is home to three friends who live happily together. The trio who make up the ménage-à-trois in "Pourquoi Pas!" are occasionally seen in bed together, but their arrangement apparently has little to do with sex. The sight of these characters asleep as a group--peaceful and comfortable--suggests that they have a stable household. Fernand (Sami Frey) and Alexa (Christine Murillo) are fugitives from failed marriages. His ex-wife won't let Fernand see his children because of his bisexuality. Louis (Mario Gonzáles) is a young bisexual musician who couldn’t get along with his parents. Midway through the story, the film introduces pretty, naïve, and straitlaced Sylvie (Nicole Jamet), whom Fernand wants in the ménage. They have mundane chores to attend to, and much of the film's interest lies in the tiny details of their communal lifestyle. Fernand is the tidy one, the one in charge of getting the vacuum cleaner fixed. Alexa brings home the bacon with a job reading to a bedridden woman who likes to hear the same book over and over again. Louis' contribution is less apparent, and he's more two dimensional than the others. His character with a family history of madness is poorly explained. The strange ménage attracts the attentions of a police inspector (Michel Aumont), but he is also drawn into this world of mutual tolerance and free love, becoming their friend when his own wife leaves him and he has a midlife crisis. The happy community looks as if it might be falling apart when Fernand falls in love with a young middleclass woman.

Although it's slightly dated now, this entertaining and witty tongue-in-cheek film shows that nonconformity isn't what it used to be, and offers a few amusing glimpses of the bohemian world, or what's left of it. There are shades of Luis Buñuel in the way bourgeois attitudes are portrayed and made fun of, but the film is basically a conventional French comedy drama, the kind they don't make in Hollywood. The timing is not good, and the storyline is a little awkward, with subplots that are confusing tangents. Jean-Pierre Mas composed the music, and Coline Serreau wrote the script and directed. In French with English subtitles, the English title is "Why Not!".

Relax... It's Just Sex (1998)

A mixed group of lesbian, gay, and heterosexual friends who frequent a local bar try to accept each others lifestyles. However when the two gays, Vincey (Mitchell Anderson) and Javi Rogero (Eddie Garcia) are attacked, fight back, and ultimately rape one of their attackers, the group becomes strongly divided on their actions. Straight Tara Ricotto (Jennifer Tilly) is the den mother of the group, and tries to hold everyone together. She hosts a dinner party, and when she discusses the HIV-positive results of her lover's brother, others join in with their opinions on AIDS. Black artist Buzz (T. C. Carson), brought to the party as the date of Vincey, quickly becomes a twosome with Javi. Megan (Serena Scott Thomas) breaks up with her black lover Sarina Classer (Cynda Williams) after Megan reveals her affair with Sarina's cousin Jered Bartoziak (Billy Wirth). With lesbian, gay, and straight interactions throughout, the film's framework is reminiscent of Arthur Schnitzler's play "La Ronde" (1900), as characters speak directly to the camera and introduce other characters.

This poly-sexual, multi-racial romantic comedy revolves around the tangled relationships and love affairs of a group of close-knit friends. It's an interesting, intriguing, thought provoking, and disturbing emotional roller coaster ride that provides laughs and tears. It's not really about sex, but about the friendships that happen once in a lifetime. The movie takes story lines that are soap-opera clichés and transforms them with clever realistic dialogue and strong performances. Characters grow increasingly genuine, giving some of the twists in their lives an unexpected emotional impact. Lori L. Eschler composed the music, and the film was written and directed by P. J. Castellaneta.

Poison (1990)

Inspired by Jean Genet, this enigmatic movie is a trilogy, interweaving three apparently unconnected stories. The first story is "Homo", clearly derived from Genet, about imprisoned thief John Broom (Scott Renderer) who finds himself attracted to another prisoner whom he had known and seen humiliated as a youth at Baton juvenile reform school. He forces the man into an emotional relationship and later rapes him. The present sequences are shot in murky half-light, and the prison seems like a labyrinth of potential destruction. Broom's life in prison is shown, as well as the sex and love between men there, with flashbacks to his life as a boy in the reformatory. We get a glimpse of adolescent boys and their discovery of sexuality and the hierarchies of the "counterfeit world of men among men". It seems like one is coming in and out of a dream in Fontenal Prison.

Next is "Horror", in black and white, and told in the style of 1950s drive-in sci-fi movies. It references the cinematic styles of directors William Castle and Roger Corman, and it frequently borrows ideas from Rod Serling's TV series "The Twilight Zone". It's about scientist Dr. Graves (Larry Maxwell) who isolates the "elixir of human sexuality" and after drinking it is transformed into a hideous, lethally infectious, murdering mutant monster. Because his physical contacts with others spread the condition in this gay movie, it is clearly about the AIDS epidemic.

The last is "Hero", filmed in the style of a TV documentary on suburban life, and is told through a series of interviews. It's about 7 year-old Richie Beacon. His mother Felicia (Edith Meeks), schoolmates, and neighbours relate how he killed his father, then miraculously disappeared. His mother claims Richie leapt from the window sill and just "flew away... out the window". Neighbors say the boy exposed himself, school teachers say the boy was unnatural, the boy was normal, the boy was creative, the boy was a liar. A doctor thinks it is possible Richie had a disease of the genitals. As the story progresses, the layers add up, but it leaves us without answers. Perhaps the story is about how creepy suburban America really is.

"Poison" was an obscure arthouse film until Senator Jessie Helms, a homophobe, objected to the fact that it had been financed in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Helm's tirade had the effect of arousing public curiosity, and since there's no such thing as bad publicity, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival and received a quick release to the home video market. The movie specifically references three of Jean Genet's most famous works: "Our Lady of the Flowers", "The Miracle of the Rose", and "The Thief's Journal", all of which were to some extent autobiographical. "Poison" is for the philosophically inclined, is sometimes disturbing, and touches on the maddening effects of suburbia, modern life, civilization, and the human condition. James Bennett composed the incidental music. Todd Haynes wrote the screenplay (derived from Jean Genet) and directed.

Camp (2003)

Basically this film is a gay "Fame". A group of young misfits live it up at Camp Ovation, a musical theater camp in upstate New York. It may not be designed to make kids gay, but it might as well be. All the guys are gay, and the only main female character, Ellen Lucas (Joanna Chilcoat), acts as a communal fag hag to them. While the sports counselor is completely ignored, the students spend all their time in rehearsal for a grueling schedule that involves a new show every two weeks. They train every day in acting, singing, and dancing. Several personal stories come to the fore. Is talented Vlad Baumann (Daniel Letterle) honest in his feelings about Ellen? The movie centers around Vlad, the least interesting character in the film. To stick a probable heterosexual in the middle of an otherwise gay film is an obvious mistake. Will cross-dressing Michael Flores (Robin de Jesus) ever have a relationship with his parents? Washed-up musical playwright and camp counselor Bert Hanley (Don Dixon) is alcoholic and bitter. Fireworks are in store when Fritzi Wagner (Anna Kendrick), who slavishly serves glamour girl Jill Simmons (Alana Allen), is finally told to get a life. And the parents of Jenna Malloran (Tiffany Taylor), whose jaw has been wired shut in a compromise to avoid being sent to "fat camp", learn a valuable lesson at the summer's big end-of-season benefit. The action is punctuated by energetic and very entertaining musical numbers from "Dreamgirls", "Follies", and other shows. These kids have a lot of talent and the musical numbers are the highlights of the film.

This picture is appropriately campy, charming, funny, entertaining, and a tribute to classic musicals. It shows what it means to be a misfit and finally learn to love yourself for who you are. Stephen Trask composed the incidental music. Written and directed by Todd Graff.

Trevor (1994)

This short dark comedy film has a runtime of only 23 minutes. In 1981 Trevor (Brett Barsky) is a young teen living in suburbia. He listens to records, loves Diana Ross and the theater, hangs out with his friends, and goes to the movies. When he hits puberty, everything seems different. He doesn't want to make out with the girls at a party, and he starts to pay more attention to the other boys in his class. Trevor keeps a diary, recording his increasing unhappiness. He sees himself as normal, and is attracted to Pinky Farraday (Jonah Rooney), a popular athlete. Why do we learn Pinky's last name and not Trevor's? Pinky's friendship delights him. The word spreads that he's different, walks like girl, that he's gay. Pinky cuts him off, telling him that he's a weak person. A confused Trevor tries self-imposed shock treatment, then his parents read his diary and call a priest who accuses him of being a pervert. Eventually, Trevor comes to the realization that he's gay. With no one offering any support, Trevor decides to kill himself. With "Endless Love" on his stereo and wondering if people will cry at his funeral, he reaches for a bottle of pills. But help comes in an unexpected form.

"Trevor" tied for an Academy Award in 1995 for Best Short Subject, so it's obviously a good film. Written by James Lecesne and directed by Peggy Rajski

Saved! (2004)

Mary (Jena Malone) is a good Christian girl who goes to American Eagle Christian High School near Baltimore where she has good friends, mainly Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) and Veronica (Elizabeth Thai), and a perfect Christian boyfriend, Dean (Chad Faust). Her life seems perfect, until the day that she finds out that Dean may be gay. After seeing a vision of Jesus in a pool, she does everything in her power to help him turn straight, including losing her virginity to him. Dean's parents tell her they found gay pornography under his bed and that he is on his way to Mercy House, a Christian "degayification" treatment center. Mary becomes pregnant. It's during her time of need that she becomes real friends with the school's set of misfits, including Cassandra (Eva Amurri), the school's only Jewish girl; Roland (Macaulay Culkin), Hilary Faye's wheelchair-bound brother; and Patrick (Patrick Fugit), the skateboarder son of the school's principal, Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan). Her wealthy former best friend Hilary turns her into a social outcast. The story goes on and on and on and on and ends with Mary and Dean's baby girl being born. Lillian, Patrick, Dean, Roland, Cassandra and Dean's boyfriend Mitch (Kett Turton) enter the hospital room to offer her their support, while Skip waits outside. Mary's voiceover tells us how she went back to believing in a God that loves and helps the ones who love and help others in need. The assembled friends in the room have a photograph of themselves taken.

This teen comedy explores the issues of religion, ostracism, the Christian and homosexual conflict, teen pregnancy, divorce, and disabilities. Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half out of four stars, calling it "a pointed satire in the form of a teen comedy". He and his partner Richard Roeper awarded the film "Two Thumbs Up". Others criticized the film for anti-Christian views. One thing that was agreed upon is the film's third act weakened after its decent first two acts. The narrative starts falling apart visually. Movies are told with the camera, not by a script, and the timing in many of the final scenes is off a bit. Written by Michael Urban and Brian Dannelly, who also directed.