The Life and Times of Elliot Pike

I’ve never written many “gay” posts before. I’m not sure why. I guess it’s easier to write about politics or computers or something similarly heady. Maybe it’s also because in ways it’s so much more personal. That said, I just (re)-rented a “gay movie” on Netflix that I thought was really top-notch, and it got me in a writing mood.

Gay Cinema is a funny thing, at least I’ve always thought it was. Ten years ago I first moved out to New York City. It was 1997, not all that terribly long ago in my book, but in some ways totally different. There were only one or two token gay characters on any television show; come to think of it, I only remember one on Melrose Place. Nothing remotely resembling Will & Grace existed. There were two types of movies: obscure films with limited release that delivered depressing drama about AIDS (Philadelphia, Longtime Companion, And the Band Played On, etc.) or very-very obscure low budget movies that only made the film festival circuit that all too often had bad writing, bad acting, and/or bad production value. Both categories were destined to fill the obscure “Gay Cinema” corner in any video rental store.

For the first couple years here I attended the annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. There wasn’t much quality, but man did people pump these strange artsy things out, most of them barely watchable. I kept going to them or renting them, hoping to find the occasional movie that would exceed the “barely palatable” category. It’s not that I had an obsession with Gay Cinema. If you’re straight you probably don’t realize this, but pretty much every fricken movie has at least some romantic sub-plot where you end up watching at least a few minutes of some guy kissing some girl, and usually much more than that. Even the sci fi or horror flicks!

On rare occasion I would find a movie that was enjoyable, and I decided to make a Top Ten list for anyone out there who cares. Maybe someone who has just recently come out would like a little Gay Romance to watch and escape. (Hint: Dude, if that’s you, hold off on Brokeback Mountain for a little while!) You’ll notice that only two movies predate 1997, which kind of demonstrates my earlier point. Also, I won’t claim that all of these movies is inherently great. Listen, you can’t judge gay films by the same standards as straight films. Most of them are made on a shoestring budget by people who are (or were) new to moviemaking. Some have dialogue or plots that make me grimace a little—that just comes with the territory.

One last disclaimer: there are mainstream films like “The Birdcage” or “In and Out” or “Object of My Affection” that, in my opinion, are about gay people, but are really meant for straight people. The latter of those I gave an honorable mention for some intangible reason.

Without further ado….

The Top Ten

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

If you don’t know about Brokeback you’ve been living under a rock. Big Hollywood delivers something devastatingly poignant.

Latter Days (2004)

I rented this completely by accident, but love it. A West Hollywood guy falls for a Mormon missionary kid. It’s got that B-movie budget feel, and a little bit of the dialogue is rough, but I really loved it.

Broken Hearts Club (2000)

Stereotypes galore, but I really loved it. Standard Hollywood production value so the acting and writing were professional. (And the guys are so cute!)

Trick (1999)

Very rough around the edges, this romance between a hot clubby kid and a quiet shy nerdy type is touching. I was also an extra in this movie (in the nightclub scene) so I had to include it.

Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998)

This almost went into the Honorable Mention list, but given that it’s star (Sean Hayes) went on to play Jack in Will & Grace with 6 Golden Globe nominations, it deserves to be included.

Broadway Damage (1997)

I really loved this movie. Set in New York City with a standard tragic love-triange, the nerdy guy who’s in love with his gym-boy best friend was really compelling, and it has a believable happy ending. This wasn’t a standard wide-release film, so there were things that were rough around the edges, but this movie may be my all-time favorite gay romance.

Beautiful Thing (1996)

The best innocent “young romance” story of two boys in the suburbs of London. Really touching and heartwarming, and if you (or your friend) is a teenager just coming out of the closet, a good one to rent.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994)

Who would believe that Guy Pierce could be so queeny and then break out to such (straight) roles in movies like L.A. Confidential and Momento? And then there’s Hugo Weaving who we all knew as one of the greatest cinema villains: Agent Smith from the Matrix movies! Before seeing Priscilla I’d barely heard of Abba, but that was quickly rectified. It won the Oscar for Best Costume design, and deservedly so!

Torchsong Trilogy (1988)

In my book this was the original gay movie. And with Matthew Broderick (one of my childhood icons) playing the boyfriend! This movie was truly groundbreaking and timeless.

Honorable Mentions

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

Although it’s one of my all-time favorite movies, I think it would be a mischaracterization to call it a “gay film” per se. It’s a movie (and musical) that transcends and stretches the boundaries of sexuality. But it’s f—ing brilliant and should have won awards for both costume design AND original music.

Edge of Seventeen (2000)

A Film Festival flick, but a nice one. This is the one of the better “teenage kid coming of age and coming out of the closet movies. Cute enough to forgive the rough edges, and hey, I always love seeing Lea Delaria.

Queer as Folk (1999)

This isn’t on the list above only because it was a television mini-series and not a movie. And by the way, I’m talking about the original UK version, not that horrible crap that Showtime made in the U.S. In my opinion this show had some of the greatest writing in television history, and the writer and creator Russell T. Davies is the same man who pulled the major miracle of successfully reinventing and resurrecting Doctor Who.

Hit and Runway (1999)

If I wasn’t restricting the above list to “top 10″ movies this would go up there. It’s a really good romantic comedy (better than Kiss Me Guido) with some snappy dialogue. From the offset it kind of smells like a bad B-rate movie, but I honestly think it’s cute and worth renting.

Object of My Affection (1998)

Paul Rudd is so cute in this film, I had to at least give it honorable mention, although it falls under my list of “straight movies with a gay theme”. It’s watered-down (no make-out scenes) so as to be palatable for a wide audience, which meant in 1998 that it was like a movie that was in the closet.

Love! Valour! Compassion! (1997)

I don’t like sad AIDS movies, but this movie had a terrific screenplay and marvelous acting—especially Jason Alexander. Frankly, it’s been 10 years since I’ve seen the movie, so I only remember it vaguely, but it deserves mention.

Maurice (1987)

A film made from the E.M. Forester novel, which was itself posthumously published and worthy of its own place in gay literary history, Huge Grant plays one of the gay lovers (not the main character, and he ends up going back into the closet and donning an atrocious mustache!). There’s nothing very racy in the movie, and really it’s filmed in a period style reminiscent of Howard’s End so it’s not exactly what you typically think of when you think “gay movie”, but nonetheless it is wonderfully made, bearing a poignancy similar to Brokeback Mountain. (But it has a happy ending!)

There you go! If you’re on the lookout for some good Gay Movies, this might help you fill your Netflix queue.