Beautiful Thing [IMPORT]

Starring:Meera Syal, Linda Henry, Glen Berry, Martin Walsh (III), Scott Neal, Steven M. Martin (II), Tameka Empson, Andrew Fraser (II), Ben Daniels, John Savage (III), Julie Smith, Jeillo Edwards, Anna Karen, Garry Cooper, Daniel Bowers, Terry Duggan, Sophie Stanton, Ozdemir Mamodeally, John Benfield, Davyd Harries
Director: Hettie MacDonald
Studio: Import [Generic]
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

This absolute winner, based on a stage play by Jonathan Harvey and adapted by him, is a kind of enchanted, urban slice-of-life tale about a gay teen, Jamie (Glen Berry), who is in love with the boy next door, Ste (Scott Neal). Hampering Jamie's progress on the romantic front is his fear that his mother (Linda Henry) will find out, as well as concern over complicating Ste's existing problems. Beautiful Thing is a relationship movie, to be sure, but that description doesn't really describe the buoyant tone of this British television production. Democratic in its inclusive regard for each character (whether camera-pretty or not), the film--well-directed by Hettie Macdonald--is full of surprises. Chief among them is the terrific personality of Jamie's mum, a strong and independent woman who truly worries over and adores her son. But this is a movie involved in a kind of happy dialogue with itself: the tunes of Mama Cass, for instance, play a part in both the story and overall ambience, while a strategic placement of the Rodgers and Hammerstein chestnut "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" during an act of love is fun and exciting. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

beautiful thing.......2007-06-02

enjoyed the story. only problem was the strong accent. difficult to hear the sound. didnt understand a word from the black girl though it was well acted. loved the ending.

Beautiful Thing, impossible to understand.......2007-05-29

This movie is very difficult to understand, is spoken in a British jargon which is impossible to follow. It does not have any subtitles or a better translation to an American Standard English. I recommend buying it only if you live in the UK and understand their jargon.

snap.......2007-05-24

A good coming of age/romantic comedy. The Brit humor is always good for a laugh.Would watch this one again just to catch all the one liners.

I never tire of seeing this movie. It IS a beautiful thing!.......2007-05-06

As a gay man, I have to say the plot of this film takes me back to a time when I first started to find myself and, eventually, came out. "Some things are just hard to say", says Jamie (one of the teenagers in the film), effectively coming out to his mother. I remember saying that or something not unlike it at the time.

Jamie and Ste live next door to each other, and when Ste's father and brother have physically abused him (an ongoing problem), Sandra (Jamie's mother) takes him in for the night, whereupon he and Jamie begin their self-discovery.

Perhaps my favourite scene is when Jamie and Ste are running through the woods together when they finally stop to begin a long, passionate kiss. It always brings tears to my eyes because I feel so happy for them, not to mention deliriously envious.

I think the gay theme of this film is mild enough as to not offend too many people if they are already open to viewing a film covering such a topic. However, some of the language is quite crude - the "C" word appears a number of times. I've read many American reviewers stating they have trouble with the accent so I suspect British TV and films are not widely shown there (perhaps there is little interest). Being Australian I fortunately have no trouble understanding both accent and colloquialisms.

I've seen plenty of gay films before. Most have not had that great a storyline or lasting feeling to them. Beautiful Thing has genuine effects on the emotions, especially if you can relate to the main characters. It is definitely my favourite film in this genre. I just love it!

Do Something You Won't Regret.......2007-04-02

This movie is awesome! It's definetly a repeat I watched it again and again. Its entertaining to watch and there's great music throughout.

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