Wie die Karnickel (2002)

Horst Bömmelburg's (Michael Lott) relationship with his girlfriend Vera Malkowski (Anna Böttcher) is stressful and unsatisfactory in every way. When Vera finds a pornographic film in the trash, she leaves him and moves in with her mother. Horst makes friends with his new gay neighbour Siggi (Sven Walser), who introduces him to a new and much more relaxed perspective on his sex drive. At the same time he starts an affair with the famous soprano singer Kriemhild Nastrowa (Andreja Schneider), who is guesting with the orchestra that Horst is playing basoon in.

Vera does not know any of this and on her friend Gilla Bienentreu's (Elke Czischek) advice, attempts to seduce Horst over dinner with sexy lingerie. However, the attempt fails miserably. Gilla then introduces Vera to Gudrun Benningsdorf (Mina Tander) and Britta, editors of “Xanthippe”, a feminist magazine. They interpret Vera's story in their own way and publish an article in which Horst is presented as an inconsiderate “offender”.

Soon, Vera turns up at Horst and Siggi’s flat party. When Horst makes an attempt at lessening Vera’s feelings of humiliation from the disasterous dinner, she kicks him in the groin and walks out of the party. On the same evening, Kriemhild ends her affair with Horst, who is feeling rather relieved, as her insatiable sexual appetite was beginning to exhaust him. Kriemhild marries the geriatric conducter of the orchestra, Zacharias Brettschneider (Jochen Stern), who arranges a job for her at the Scala.

Siggi has just split up with his longterm partner Hubert (Heinrich Schmieder), and lives his life between one night stands and the desire to return to him. When his mother announces a visit, he plans to finally come out to her and present Hubert as his steady partner. However, he declines and a one night stand is asked instead. When Siggi's mother (Irmhild Wagner) visits, Hubert unexpectedly does appear, thereby blowing Siggi's cover, and on top of this is starting an affair with Benno (Alfonso Losa).

Horst admits his passion for porn star Kelly Trump (herself) to Siggi. Without Horst knowing, Siggi signs him up to be a guest on the trashy talkshow "Catch your Dreams", where Kelly Trump and another actress, as well as the editors of Xantippe magazine are also invited. Horst arrives with Siggi as a supposed audience member, and when he is asked on stage, he is publicly exposed as addicted to pornography. The talkshow host introduces the other guests and does his best to play everyone off against each other.

Siggi had only wanted to help Horst meet Kelly, and so tries to leave the live show with him. Vera suddenly turns up, having watched the show at home. She had become so enraged when the distorted relationship in Xanthippe was read out on TV, that she rushes into the studio to set things right. While angry discussions are raging on stage, Vera starts to make friends with Kelly Trump, and Horst returns to the show. He demands to know what all the fuss has been about and asks everyone in the audience who has seen a porn movie to stand up. After some hesitation the entire room ends up standing. After the show Vera and Horst make peace and agree that their relationship had no real basis. Vera goes to the pub with Kelly, and Horst and Siggi go home contemplating.

"Wie die Karnickel" is a charming, straight forward, light-hearted comedy full of clichés about the heterosexual and gay world. A version was released in the US with the title "Maybe, Maybe Not..." starring Til Schweiger. Unlike that movie, this one has not yet been released in the U.S.A. It's sort of based on the comic book, "Wie die Karnickel" created by Ralf König, although this time the script was written by König first, then published as a comic. Marius Ruhland composed the original music, and Sven Unterwaldt Jr. directed. In German.

Creatures from the Pink Lagoon (2006)

In a small town in 1967, young sissy Phillip (Nick Garrison) is about to celebrate his birthday at the beach house owned by his best friend Stan (Lowell Deo). All of Phillip's friends are gathered for the party, including Stan's hunky boyfriend Billy (Vincent Kovar), Billy's shy nerdy cousin Joseph (Evan Mosher), who is attracted to Phillip, and Randall (Philip D. Clarke), the chain-smoking queen of the bunch who insults the others, especially his boyfriend-du-jour, Gary (John Kaufmann), who is instantly smitten by Billy. Phillip's friends want to convince him to drop Billy, who is cheating on him.

Unfortunately, the chemical plant near a cruising highway rest stop has mutated the local mosquitos, so that anyone bitten becomes a raving, undead flesh-eating zombie. A horde of horny gay men are turned into ravenous cannibalistic zombies by the toxic mosquitoes and are making their way towards Phillip's party, eating every man in their path. They have attitude, a dislike of cheap cologne, and an appreciation for showtunes and Judy Garland. With body parts washing up on shore and party guests disappearing, our heroes must find a way to stop the zombie attack.

This homage to the schlock horror classics of the 1950's and 60's never takes itself seriously. It's "Night of the Living Dead" meets "Boys in the Band", and is irreverent, outrageous, cheesy, very campy, and not politically correct. Shot in black & white and made on a shoestring budget by a group of Seattle stage performers, it features a simplistic plot, unspecial effects, and enthusiastic performers, who obviously had a lot of fun making this film. DVD extras include trailers, deleted scenes, a "making of" featurette, a previous short by the director (and one of the stars, in drag) for Seattle's 2004 gay pride, production stills, plus crew and actor commentaries. David Maddux composed the original music for this droll melodrama. The screenplay was written by Basil Harris and Chris Diani, who also directed. It is Diani's first feature film.

Leaving Metropolis (2002)

David (Troy Ruptash) is a successful painter who has lost his inspiration. To find stimulation he takes a job as a waiter. His friend and roommate Shannon (Thom Allison), a pre-op male-to-female transsexual, stumbles across the Main St. Diner, owned by hunky Matt (Vince Corazza) and Violet (Lynda Boyd), who are looking for a waiter. David gets hired and quickly becomes close with the couple, although they don't know of his career in the art community and are surprised to learn that he's gay. David's friend Kryla (Cherilee Taylor), a columnist for the Winnipeg Tribune is an aging, bitter, fag-hag journalist. She tracks David down at the diner against his wishes. David demands that she write up the diner in her column, which she does, and the diner's business picks up considerably.

Shannon, whose sex reassignment surgery has been repeatedly delayed because of her HIV-positive status, becomes ill. David has a painting installed and Kryla gets his photo in the paper. Matt and Violet see the photo and realize that he's famous. David and Matt start hanging out. Matt, who had tried his hand at drawing comic books, pesters David to show him his paintings but David resists. Matt confesses that he had once fallen in love with another man in college although he hadn't acted on it. David, finding himself drawn to Matt, paints him nude, although Matt doesn't pose. He tells Matt that there's a painting he needs to see. Matt comes to David's place and sees the painting. He becomes aroused and the two begin an affair. Sparks fly, but the portraits he paints of Matt may break the couple apart.

David paints two more portraits of Matt, who still doesn't actually pose. Kryla and Shannon hail them as his best work and ask him to exhibit them, but Matt is nervous about how Violet would react and makes him promise not to. They love each other, but keep the relationship secret because of the disapproval Kryla expresses to David at the idea of him sleeping with a married man.

Kryla discovers the affair when she walks in on David and Matt having sex. Matt tells David that he lied about loving him and escapes. In the aftermath of the affair, Shannon convinces David to break his promise and exhibit the paintings. He does so under the title "Straightman". When Matt learns of the show he confronts David, first threatening to destroy the paintings and then offering himself again sexually. David contemptuously dismisses him. Matt tells Violet about the paintings and about the affair and admits that he is in love with David. She demands a divorce.

Shannon has grown progressively more ill, and decides to take her life. As she dies, David runs into Kryla at a bar and they have a bitter fight. Violet attends the opening but merely tells David that the paintings are very good. As she leaves, Matt arrives and she refuses to give him another chance. After the opening Matt again approaches David who also rebuffs him. At the film's end, Matt has left town. David has also decided to leave, but he and Kryla reconcile.

Sex and emotions fill the screen in this film set against the backdrop of several events in the fictional life of "Superman" in the early 1990s, including his revealing his secret identity and marriage to Lois Lane and "The Death of Superman" storyline. The events in the comics parallel events in the lives of the characters. Filled with very much gay and straight sex, "Leaving Metropolis" pays as much attention to the character's minds as to their flesh. Some of the script's metaphors are a little clumsy, but the psychology is convincing. It is stereotypical in that the gay character has a roommate who is HIV-positive and a transexual, and the character he falls in love with is a straight man who is confused, but really wants to stay with the wife. However, it is a story of infatuation on both sides of the relationship and it is entertaining to watch the story unfold. Filmed in Winnipeg, Canada, the screenplay was adapted by Brad Fraser from his play "Poor Super Man". Dennis Burke composed the music, and Brad Fraser directed.

Dead Boyz Don't Scream (2006)

During a photo shoot with photographer Roz (Monique Parent) in an isolated spot, the country's top male models are turning up naked and dead during a western-themed photo shoot complete with fake guns and cowboy hats--and little else in the way of costumes. The gay hunks are brutally murdered by an unseen mysterious killer who turns the photo shoot into a bloodbath. Who would want to murder these perfect, muscular pretty boys? They may be a little self-involved and clueless, but that's no reason to take an axe to them! Fearless lesbian talent agent Tess Oster (Victoria Redstall) and her forest ranger girlfriend, Belle Van Dyke (Gina Marie Gian), must stop the slaughter before there are no models left to shoot. As they are picked off one by one, Oster and Van Dyke investigate.

In this homoerotic slasher movie, a deliberately silly and campy script provides plenty of laughs to go along with the deliciously naked men. From the producers of "Leather Jacket Love Story" and "Sharpshooter" soft-core erotic films, "Dead Boyz Don't Scream" has some of the hottest flesh in gay films. It's a raucous thrill ride through the dark side of male modeling filled with gratuitous nudity, politically incorrect violence, and lesbians with guns. The movie stars men’s magazine models Christian Mousel (Christian), Zack Vazquez (Anthony), and Reid Hutchins (Joey), and scream queen Monique Parent ("Mirror Mirror III") as Roz in the story of a photo shoot that turns into a bloodbath when a mysterious killer comes calling. The lesbians are basically the heroes, but the focus is on the top male models from the pages of "Playgirl" and "Men's Workout".

The unrated DVD presents the movie, which has played numerous festivals across the U.S. and overseas, in widescreen with the following extras: Producer’s audio commentary, behind-the-scenes material, cast interviews, bonus footage from the “hot” scenes, and trailers. In what could have been titled "So Many Dicks, so Little Script", a gaggle of male models shamelessly parade their jewels in a manner that is soon tiresome and sexless. Like the majority of male strippers everywhere, most are straight and toned--not queer and tempting. Once the murders begin, lesbians come to the rescue. Bill Newlin composed the original music, there is no screenwriter credit, and Marc Saltarelli directed.

La Mala Educación (2004)

In the early 1960s, two school boys Ignacio Rodriguez (Francisco Boira) and Enrique Goded (Fele Martínez), discover love, cinema, and fear in a religious school. Padre Manolo (Daniel Giménez Cacho), the school principal and their literature teacher, is witness to and part of these discoveries. On discovering the two boys' affection for each other, the priest, who is himself engrossed with Ignacio, is jealous and threatens to expel Enrique as a "bad influence". In an attempt to prevent this Ignacio promises to do whatever the priest asks of him. After molesting Ignacio, the priest expels Enrique anyway.

The film jumps to the 1980s with the boys now young adults. In Madrid, Ignacio (Gael García Bernal) lands on the doorstep of Enrique (Nacho Pérez), who is now a famous filmmaker. Ignacio is an aspiring actor with the stage name Ángel Andrade. He has a semi-autobiographical manuscript which he hopes Enrique will turn into a screenplay and cast him in one of the major roles. The short story is about their time at the Catholic school together and the physical and sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Padre Manolo. It also includes a fictionalized account of their reunion after all those years.

Enrique wants to adapt Ignacio's story into a film, but "Ignacio's" condition is that he play the part of Zahara, the transsexual lead. Enrique remains skeptical, for he feels that the Ignacio whom he loved and the Ignacio of today are totally different people. He drives to Galicia to Ignacio's mother and learns that the real Ignacio has been dead for four years and that the man who came to his office is really Ignacio's younger brother, Juan.

Enrique's interest is piqued, and he decides to do the movie with Juan in the role of Ignacio to find out what drives Juan. Enrique and "Ignacio" start a relationship, and Enrique revises the script so that it ends with Padre Manolo, whom Ignacio was trying to blackmail to get money for sex reassignment surgery, having Ignacio murdered. When the scene is shot, "Ignacio" breaks out in tears unexpectedly.

The movie set is visited by Manuel Berenguer (Lluís Homar), who is none other than the real Padre Manolo, who has resigned from Church duty. Manuel confesses to Enrique that the new ending of the film is not far from the truth: the real Ignacio blackmailed Manuel, who somehow managed to scratch together the money but also took an interest in Ignacio's younger brother Juan. Juan and Manuel started a relationship and after a while realized they both wanted to see Ignacio dead. Juan scored some very pure heroin, so that his brother would die by overdose after shooting up.

Enrique is shocked and not at all interested in Juan's weak vindications for what he did to his brother. Finally, before he leaves, Juan gives Enrique a piece of paper: a letter to Enrique that Ignacio was in the middle of typing when he died.

"La Mala Educación" is a potent, complex, twisty, sexually provocative thriller very similar to a Hitchcock film. It features a gender-bending performance from Gael Garcia-Bernal, and an ingenious convoluted plot. It's a remarkably creative comment on sexual abuse among Roman Catholic clergy, but is far from being straightforward or confined to one theme. The film weaves a complex tale of exploitation, deceit, ambition, seduction, and blackmail that places a story within a story and shifts back and forth in time. Alberto Iglesias composed the music, and Pedro Almodóvar wrote the screenplay and directed. In Spanish with English subtitles. The English title is "Bad Education".

Bangkok Love Story (2007)

In the world of Thai organized crime there is a star assassin named Mhek (Rattanaballang Tohssawat) , a lone gunman who kills "bad people" to satisfy his bosses, but cannot kill "good people". He is assigned to kidnap a police informant named Iht (Chaiwat Thongsaeng), but Mhek has a change of heart when he is ordered to kill Iht. In a gunbattle with his employers, Mhek is wounded, but Iht grabs Mhek's gun and returns fire. The two men then escape on Mhek's motorcycle. At Mhek's rooftop hide-out, Iht tends to Mhek's wound and finds himself attracted to Mhek. While giving Mhek a bath one day, Iht initiates sexual intercourse with the hitman. Conflicted, Mhek demands that Iht leave him alone. Iht returns home to his fiancee, Saai (Chutcha Rujinanon), but is no longer interested in continuing a relationship with her. He spends his days pining over Mhek, and tracks down Mhek's brother, Mhok (Wiradit Srimalai), and their mother. Mhek is the sole support of his mother and younger brother, both of them HIV-positive. The source of their infection is the abusive live-in stepfather.

Mhek's dream is to take his mother and brother away from Bangkok to the mountains of Mae Hong Son Province. But after Mhek's mother has realised Mhok sold himself to survive, she commits suicide by hanging herself. At the same time Iht's fiancee, Saai, also witnesses Mhek and Iht kissing, and terminates their marriage plans. Meanwhile, Mhek's former employers are gunning for him. Mhek decides to hunt them, and he manages to kill them. He also goes to Mhek's former bosses' hide-out to try and stop Mhek, but he is too late and misses Mhek by a second. Iht gets injured when the wife of Mhek's former boss shoots a clock that shatters in Iht's face. Mhek, meanwhile, is planning to meet his brother at the railway station to leave Bangkok for good. But before he can board the train, he is apprehended by the police and sent to prison.

Years pass by. Iht visits Mhek in prison and reveals that he was left blind in the final gunbattle with Mhek's bosses. Mhok commits suicide while at a Hospice in Northern Thailand because he no longer has the energy to fight his disease. Eventually, Mhek is released from prison, and Iht meets him. But before the two men can leave to start their life together, Mhek is gunned down by an assassin.

Iht eventually gets his sight back, and the first thing he does is to look at his mobile phone, which has a picture of Mhek on it that he took many years before and a video taken by Mhek himself saying that all along, he loved Iht and that he would love him to his last breath. The ending could have been triumphant, but instead is tragic, which makes the film even more powerful.

This gay romantic crime action drama is the story of a man who falls in love with a gunman who is assigned to kill him. The cast of actors is excellent and the chemistry between the two leads is undiluted by the forces that are meant to separate them. Ultimately it is a love story between two classes of people whose discovery of forbidden love emphasizes some universal truths. It is a well-made, beautifully photographed film, but unfortunately there are censored versions with artificial fuzzy and darkened areas. Plus the DVD cover art is misleading. Poj Arnon wrote the script and directed. The Thai title is "Puen". In Thai with English subtitles.

(2005) ילדים טובים

In Tel Aviv, 17 year-old Meni (Daniel Efrat) wears only the most fashionable clothes, is interested in music, loves the cinema, and works as a rent boy. He is the father of the baby of former girlfriend Mika (Nili Tzerruya), a young drug addict prostitute. Mika has serious mental problems with drug abuse and is also homeless. She shows up at Meni's apartment and they have lengthy conversations about themselves and their daughter. Meni has an adoptive mother Grace (Gila Goldstein) who is a trans-gender prostitute, and clients that contact him on his cell-phone. One night he meets Tal (Yuval Raz), also a hustler and they decide to spend the night together. During that night their lives take on a new meaning, and in the morning they decide to meet later at a club. Until the meeting, both of them have to deal with their weary routine of clients, marginalized people, and unexpected events.

One evening a voyeuristic john enlists the pair to have sex together. But the experience proves to be more than just a simple trick: it stirs up feelings between Meni and Tal, and they decide to meet again the next day. But they never see each other. Meni becomes upset. Tal gets picked by a brutal, vicious, corrupt cop (Dvir Benedek), who becomes his pimp. He is beaten up and badly abused, and Tal retaliates by killing him. Mika drops off her little girl with one of Meni's friends and goes back to prostitution. Meni tries to talk her into coming back with him, but she refuses. Then Meni tries to give his little girl to her parents but they refuse. In the meantime, Tal tries to find Meni but fails and goes back to his apartment and bed, falling asleep crying. Meni and a friend with his daughter watch a sunrise, and the movie ends.

Stirring and sexy, with emotional depth, "Yeladim Tovim" was written and directed by Yair Hochner, a high school film teacher and film critic for Israel’s “Seret” cinema website. His love of moves permeates every frame, with inspiration from Godard, Gus Van Sant, John Cooper, and John Waters. It has the look of a documentary in its simplicity and candor, and the dedicated performances, strong scripting and good direction adds up to a very good film. Eli Surani composed the music score. In Hebrew with English subtitles. The English title is "Good Boys".

Ang Lihim ni Antonio (2008)

In Manila, 15 year-old Antonio (or Tong) (Kenji Garcia) is a curious and confident young man who is newly aware of his homosexuality. Tong’s exploration of his identity unfolds as his family begins to break up. His mother Tere (Shamaine Buencamino) is in denial that his father has abandoned them. During a sleepover at his friend Nathan’s (Nino Fernandez), after a night of drinking and aroused by normal adolescent sex talk, Tong makes a pass at his sleeping friend. Much to his surprise, Nathan does not offer any resistance, and the two boys share their first sexual experience. Unfortunately, a satisfying and memorable night turns into disappointment when Nathan starts avoiding Tong the next day. Sensing something isn’t right, his best friend Mike (Jiro Manio) becomes curious. Tong is forced to tell the truth and comes out to him. Mike is totally supportive, and generally offers a comedic side to this otherwise serious film.

Soon Tong’s hedonistic and very hot 25 year-old uncle Jonbert (Josh Ivan Morales) arrives from the province to stay with him and his mom for a few weeks. Things begin to unravel as Jonbert becomes Tong’s sexual obsession, and the uncle reciprocates. A shocking tragedy begins to spiral up and as a result Tong's mother saves her son by stabbing and killing Jonbert. The intense ending leaves the audience with a feeling of disturbed emotions as Tong and his mother are escorted by the authorities.

"Ang Lihim ni Antonio" confronts the taboo topic of incest head on while giving an authentic portrait of middle-class life in Manila. It's a raw and honest look at the not-so-secret, and sometimes downright depraved sex life of sexually frustrated teenage boys. This rich story is of a confused young man, growing up with few positive role models, who makes crucial choices and is forced to face their tragic consequences. The scene-stealer of the movie is Shamaine Buencamino who plays Antonio's mother. Her acting, particularly in the last part of the movie, is brilliant. The film uses a sometimes wobbly handheld camera without much of a musical soundtrack, except for the occasional tunes from the acoustic guitar of a neighborhood musician, making it a voyeuristic and intimate affair. There are explicit sex scenes, adult content, and one graphic scene of violence. Currently, this film is one of the highest grossing Filipino digital films in history. Lex Bonife wrote the screenplay, and Joselito Altarejos directed. In Tagalog with English Subtitles. The English title is "Antonio’s Secret".

Οξυγόνο (2003)

In a suburb of Athens, Magda (Nena Mendi) and her husband Manolis (Alexandros Antonopoulos) are the parents of two adults: handsome 20 year-old son Christos (Yannis Tsimitselis), who is studying at the local college, and less attractive daughter Giota (Jeannie Papadopoulou). The mother runs a bakery while caring for her invalid husband injured in a car crash that killed a daughter. Giota, who still lives in the family home, is married to Stelios (Alexis Georgoulis), while hunky Christos has a significantly more interesting love life. He has a girlfriend and is also enjoying discreet affairs with both his chemistry professor from school, Vicky (Maria Kavoyianni), and her spouse, Yorgos (Akylas Karazisis), a powerful local real estate developer.

Giota and Stelios are keen on Magda selling some property she owns, which Yorgos wants to use for a fast-food franchise. This sale could mean a major windfall for the family, but Magda doesn't want to part with her land, which has been owned by her people for years and has great meaning for her. Stelios has learned about Christos' relationship with Yorgos, and he attempts to use this knowledge to extort Christos into helping change Magda's mind. But Stelios doesn't know that Christos has some ideas of his own about what makes for the best use of the land. The plot is convoluted but basically boils down to the development of a blackmail plan that will gain money for the land the family owns. The lives of all the characters are altered once greed consumes them and there are discoveries, a death, betrayals, twists and feuds that end in a surprising manner.

This violent Greek drama about a mother attempting to keep her crumbling dysfunctional family together in the wake of tragic accident is a dark soap opera with a strong cast and a fast moving story. It is both admired and hated for its laissez-faire attitude towards sex, its fruity language, and its black comedy. You'll love it or hate it. Nikos Kypourgos comosed the original music. Both Thanasis Papathanasiou and Michalis Reppas wrote the screenplay and directed. In Greek with English subtitles. The English title is "Blackmail Boy", released in 2005.

A Home at the End of the World (2004)

In suburban Cleveland in the 1960s, people have a habit of dying around rebellious 14 year-old Bobby Morrow (Andrew Chalmers). First his hippie brother, then his mother, and then his father. Bobby moves in with the family of his best friend from school, conservative and gawky Jonathan Glover (Harris Allan). When the two boys sleep together, even before Bobby moves in permanently, Jonathan puts the moves on him, and Bobby gets involved. The two are inseparable until Jonathan's mother Alice (Sissy Spacek) discovers them in a VW together and Jonathan pulls away from Bobby. Bobby helps Alice accept her son's homosexuality, and she teaches Bobby how to bake, setting him on a career path.

Eight years later, father Ned (Matt Frewer) decides that it's time Bobby move out on his own. Bobby (Erik Smith) follows Jonathan (Dallas Roberts) to NYC, only to be rejected by his childhood friend, at which point he turns to Jonathan's roommate, the free-spirited Clare (Robin Wright Penn), for solace. Jonathan shares a colorful East Village apartment with the bohemian and somewhat older Clare. Bobby (Colin Farrell) moves in, and the three create a nuclear family in the 1980s.

Clare: (on Bobby, when meeting him for the first time) Where did you find him?
Jonathan: He found me.
Clare: Jonathan, blue is your friend. See, blue is the color of sky and water.
Jonathan: White goes with everything
Clare: Yes, well, honey, it's a house, not an outfit.
Jonathan: Hey. I'm sorry about... well, all this. I knew I'd see you both again. I just imagined... well, different circumstances.
Clare: It's OK.
Bobby: It's OK.

Although Jonathan is gay and highly promiscuous, he is deeply in love with Clare, who seduces and falls into a relationship with the bisexual Bobby. Their romance occasionally is disrupted by sparks of jealousy between the two men until Jonathan, tired of being the third wheel, disappears without warning. He re-enters their lives when Ned dies and Bobby and Clare travel to Phoenix, Arizona for the services. The three take Ned's car back east with them, and impulsively decide to buy a house near Woodstock, New York, where Bobby and Jonathan open and operate a cafe while Clare raises the baby daughter she and Bobby have had.

Bobby: Clare, come on.
Clare: I'm pregnant, you f**kers!
Jonathan: Bobby, if you want my family so badly, I hereby bequeath them to you. No, better yet, I hereby bequeath you my whole, entire life. I hereby dub you Jonathan Glover. Tomorrow, when they cremate my father's body, you can be the son and I'll be the best friend. You can come back from the service, and you can console my mother!
Clare: Jonathan, stop it.
Jonathan: You're better at it than I am! You're better qualified, so go! Go at it. Be their son, with my blessing!
Clare: Listen to me, you little s**t! All he's ever done is worship you. And all you've ever done is walk out on him. Don't you dare speak to him like that, you hear me?
Jonathan: You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know the first thing about worship.
Clare: Do you know--do you have any idea how much--how much I wanted you? How much I loved you, you asshole. And then - what an idiot I am. How pathetic is that? Me in love with you. And then Bobby comes along, and I fell in love with this one, and I think that we... that the three of us, maybe we could... F**k it. Just leave me alone and go back in the house and have a drink.

Jonathan discovers what appears to be a Kaposi's sarcoma lesion on his thigh and, although Bobby tries to convince him it's simply a bruise, others soon appear. Clare takes the baby for what ostensibly is a brief visit to her mother in Philadelphia, but Bobby and Jonathan accurately suspect she has no intention of returning and Bobby decides to care for Jonathan during his last days. On a cold winter day, they scatter Ned's ashes in the field behind their home, and Jonathan makes Bobby promise he will scatter his in the same place following his now inevitable early death from complications due to AIDS.

(last lines)
Bobby: I've been thinking. We should repaint Rebecca's room. Like, pink. She'd like that, don't you think?
Jonathan: Mm-hmm.
Bobby: She'll come back someday. To this house, I mean. It'll be hers.
Jonathan: I guess it will be.
Bobby: She probably won't want it, right? She probably won't have any idea what to do with it. But still, it'll be hers, y'know?
Jonathan: It'll be hers. Listen. This'll be an all right place to put my ashes, too, OK?
Bobby: Sure. I mean, whatever you want.
Jonathan: You've built us a very good home.
Bobby: That's not what... That's what you did. That's what you did for me, y'know?
Jonathan: It's funny, isn't it?
Bobby: What?
Jonathan: The big, beautiful, noisy world. Everything that can happen.
Bobby: Yeah. It's funny.
Jonathan: Growing up in the country doesn't doom anybody to good behavior. Most of the realy interesting murderers come from derelict farms.

This movie does a great job of evoking the late 1960s in America, and looks at what we mean by love, commitment and loyalty. More importantly, it re-examines the idea of family, and shows us how it can be redefined. Probably the writer did not intend to punish his characters for their deviancy, but it does seem to be the case. The thinness of the material is a handicap, with numerous emotional scenes left dangling in a narrative vacuum. Some obvious scenes, like the birth of Claire's baby, are inexplicably left out. The changing of the years with a selection of golden oldies becomes tiresome, and the sweet and funny adolescent earlier passages are exhausted by the time we reach the somewhat abrupt conclusion. Farrell's controversial frontal nude scene, allegedly cut for being distracting, was not restored for the DVD release. But the DVD includes a short making-of documentary.

Film critic Roger Ebert wrote: "The movie exists outside our expectations for such stories. Nothing about it is conventional. The three-member household is puzzling not only to us, but to its members. We expect conflict, resolution, an ending happy or sad, but what we get is mostly life, muddling through... Colin Farrell is astonishing in the movie, not least because the character is such a departure from everything he has done before." A.O. Scott of the New York Times wrote: "The actors do what they can to import some of the texture of life into a project that is overly preoccupied with the idea of life, but the mannered self-consciousness of the script and the direction keeps flattening them into types."

The cast also includes: Ryan Donowho (Carlton Morrow), Asia Vieira (Emily), Quancetia Hamilton (Dancing Party Guest), Jeff J. J. Authors (Frank), Lisa Merchant (Frank's Date), Ron Lea (Burt Morrow), Michael Mayer (Jonathan's Co-Worker), Barna Moricz (Wes), Virginia Reh (Woman at Home Cafe), Joshua Close (Reiner), and Wendy Crewson (Isabel Morrow). Michael Cunningham wrote the screenplay based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Hours". Duncan Sheik composed the original music, and the soundtrack includes songs by Laura Nyro, Leonard Cohen, and Dusty Springfield. Michael Mayer directed.