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Shortbus (2006)

6.5
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Ratings: 6.5/10 from 20,972 users   Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 200 user | 153 critic | 27 from Metacritic.com

A group of New Yorkers caught up in their romantic-sexual milieu converge at an underground salon infamous for its blend of art, music, politics, and carnality.

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Title: Shortbus (2006)

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
PJ DeBoy ...
Raphael Barker ...
Rob
...
Caleb, the Stalker
Jay Brannan ...
Alan Mandell ...
Tobias, the Mayor
Adam Hardman ...
Jesse, the John
Ray Rivas ...
Bitch ...
Bitch / Shortbus House Band
Shanti Carson ...
Leah, the Beautiful Couple
Justin Hagan ...
Jan Hilmer ...
Nick, the Beautiful Couple
Stephen Kent Jusick ...
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Storyline

Numerous New York City dwellers come to the exclusive club Shortbus to work out problems in their sexual relationships. Rob and Sophia are a happily married couple, except for the fact that she has never experienced sexual climax. This irony follows her to work because she is a couples counselor who frequently has to deal with the sexual issues other couples have. Two of her patients are Jamie and James, a gay couple who have been monogamous for five years and counting. James wants to bring other men in to the relationship, and his own history with depression may hint at an ulterior motive. Ceth (pronounced Seth) may be the perfect addition to their family, but Caleb, a voyeur from across the street, may have his own ideas about that. Sophia visits Severin, a dominatrix with secrets of her own to reveal. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Voyeurism is Participation See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (Canada)  »

Also Known As:

The Sex Film Project  »

Filming Locations:


Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$107,907 (USA) (6 October 2006)

Gross:

$1,984,378 (USA) (2 February 2007)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Cameo [John Cameron Mitchell]: Unbilled, as one of the sextras. See more »

Goofs

When viewing his profile Ceth reads Magnum's "measurements". An important one is listed as 15cm, which receives a gasp from Sofia. In reality 15cm is a bit under 6 inches, which is about average. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Jesse, the John: Are you a top or a bottom?
Severin: I beg your pardon?
Jesse, the John: I mean in real life.
Severin: This is real life.
Jesse, the John: Let me put it this way: do you think we should get out of Iraq?
See more »

Crazy Credits

The orgy participants seen throughout Club Shortbus are credited as 'Sextras' at the end of the film. See more »

Connections

Featured in Brows Held High: Shortbus (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

"If You Fall"
Performed by Azure Ray
Written by Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor
Published by Angel Music (ASCAP)/La Booshi Songs (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Saddle Creek Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Life and love in the New York City universe of the ultra-cool
26 May 2006 | by (NYC) – See all my reviews

Brilliant directing and writing by John Cameron Mitchell (he gave us "Hedwig"), and great acting from everyone, especially Justin Bond, Lindsay Beamish, Paul Dawson and PJ Deboy. Great musical numbers too! You'll laugh and cry, and come away wanting to see it again immediately. Much has been made of a few rather intimate and well-lit sex scenes, but if anyone over 16 can't handle them, he or she shouldn't be out at night.

It's all ultimately wondrous, and one of the great revelations of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, where the audiences tend to be snotty and conspicuously unimpressed--but the screening of this movie was followed by parades and parties in the streets, with people carrying the stars on their shoulders, like they used to do with Verdi on opening nights in Milan. Lynne Cheney, sly pornographer that she is, will be eating her heart out that someone has gotten at last to the real g-spot of the cosmos, and it wasn't she what did it.

Love may be grim at times, kind of like Kansas, but Mitchell turns it into technicolor. Just like magic.


128 of 192 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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All the men in this film have large penises bdjefferies
Most viewers don't deserve to watch this mitchell_68
Why are all the guys circumcised? pjdavid
Ok so did anyone else Gympie14
Boho just went kitsch dta100
I have no idea what kind of message this movie was trying to send. subtlesilverlinings
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