Sebastian (1995)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Svend Wam

Writers:

Per Knutsen (novel)
Hansi Mandoki (writer)

Release Date:

3 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Sebastian is one of five youths who are always together. Suddenly he realizes that he is attracted to another boy (Ulf).

Plot Keywords:

Coming Out | Homosexual | Gay Interest | Coming Of Age | Teen

Cast

Hampus Björck	...	Sebastian
Nicolai Cleve Broch	...	Ulf
Ewa Fröling	...	Mother
Helge Jordal	...	Father
Rebecka Hemse	...	Lisbeth
Lena Olander	...	Linda
Emil Lindroth	...	Jan
Karin Hagås	...	Inga
Mira Mandoki	...	Lisa
Stig Torstensson	...	Fyllie
Sara Alström	...	Girl #1
Johanna Sällström	...	Girl #2
Bård Torgersen	...	Vendor

Also Known As:

När alla vet (Sweden)
Sebastian - When Everybody Knows (International: English title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Norway | Sweden

Language:

Norwegian | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Germany:6 | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Company:

Mefistofilm A/S

Very shallow and unsatisfying

Basically I watched this movie because there was nothing else better on TV and because of pure curiosity. It sounded like a nice coming of age story, taking place in the summer and I thought it would be rather enjoyable. I was wrong.

Sebastian, the protagonist, is a teenager growing up in a Scandinavian idyll: His family is intact; he has a younger sister, a bunch of friends who love him and leads a normal life. Sebastian is about to become a man and as it is often the case with boys going on men he often locks himself in his room, thinks about the meaning of life and nearly drives his parents mad with his behaviour. One day, Sebastian finds out that he's gay. I don't want tell how this goes on because one more sentence and there you have the really stupid rest of the movie. Let me express it this way: Unlike other teenagers, Sebastian will not face any difficulties with his coming out and I suppose that even when he made a big poster having written "I am gay" on it and would parade with it through his village wearing a pink boa, still nobody would bother or say anything.

Being a teenager is sometimes hard enough – being 16 and facing the fact that one's gay is definitely not that easy. I don't mean to be dramatic – maybe there are enough gay teenagers whose parents and friends don't have a big problem with them being gay. But I know that in most cases it's a painful and difficult process – I speak from my own experiences. Therefore I think it's a shame how easy this process is portrayed in the movie – it is trying to imply that it's OK to be gay and come out with it – nobody will hate you for that and nothing will change. I mean of course it's OK to be gay, but you can't tell me that everyone will take it as if you tell them that the sky is blue. "Sebastian" is shallow, hypocrite, definitely not a big help for a teenager who comes in terms with his sexuality because it's unrealistic. I would even go so far and prevent them from watching it, or if they do, they just shouldn't take it seriously. Nice performances by the young actors, though.

It is like comparing Coca Cola with some no name coke drink. Both look the same, smell the same and taste sweet. But no other drink gives you the refreshing effect of the original. Same it is here: It seems to be a movie that shows a teenager coming in terms with his homosexuality. But there are much better movies dealing with this topic – I especially recommend "Beautiful Thing" and "Edge of Seventeen". Compared to those movies, "Sebastian" is the no name product – tastes too sweet and leaves no impression at all.