Get Real (1998)

"For over a year after that I thought babies were made when two women tied a man to a bed and covered his willy with ice cream."

Here it is - A movie for gay people that's not satirical or just about sex!

Upon the recommendation of a friend of mine, I, on my most restful weekend to date since I've arrived at William & Mary, decided to watch Get Real, a 1998 British dramedy that focuses on the life of Steven Carter (Ben Silverstone), a closeted gay teenager. The plot builds up to Steven's acceptance of his sexuality, built on the experiences with his secret lover, John Dixon (Brad Gorton), the head boy and star athlete - the so-called heterosexual paradigm.
I will be the first to admit that I have not seen very many films with gay themes. In fact, anyone who knows me probably knows that I have nothing friendly to say about one of the most highly regarded films of this genre, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain. But I will not be ashamed to admit that I found this film to be very touching and very well written. The obvious point of this film is to ease the taboo on homosexuality. We have come a long way since 1998. This film shows us that everyone is human, and everyone loves.
The real bulk of the film can be summed up by it's most memorable quote, made by Steven Carter at the end of the film - "It's only love. What's everyone so scared of?". Being friends with quite a few homosexuals, I would certainly like to ask that question as well. Love is love, and, it really is all around. This film does a very good job of criticizing not only the fear of this love, but the actual fear of loving (I won't go into details on this, as I would hate to spoil any of the plot!).
Acting? I was impressed with the entire ensemble. The cast was very well orchestrated, and the parts were done spectacularly. In particular, Ben Silverstone, the lead actor, impressed me. His character develops dramatically throughout the film, and I imagine it must have been difficult to keep Steven Carter three dimensional and consistent without completely throwing the nature of the character off. You have the same likable character throughout the film, and he becomes progressively more likable as he matures. The character is played with such emotion that you feel like you may have known Steven for years. It was well played!
The film was funny at times, it was happy at times, and it was sad at times. You really do learn a valuable lesson from this film, and you end up feeling good for learning it in the end. I give this film a B+.