Mulligans (2008) User Reviews

Interesting Premise

[B24 · 7/10 · 14 July 2009]

I have a feeling this story is played out in real life far more often than most people think. The psycho-sexual sublimations of real married men in middle age are if anything more intense than those lying at the heart of the character played with understated anxiety by the actor Dan Payne. The fact that the subject of his desire is a younger man rather than a younger woman sets this film apart from the trashy stuff of soap opera and carries it into the realm of social commentary as well as legitimate drama.

Does it succeed on its own as a gripping and well-produced story? Yes and no. There are problems with continuity from scene to scene and timing in general that interfere with the viewer's ability to stay on course by way of identifying with the main characters, in spite of generally excellent acting in the separate episodes comprising a more or less believable plot.

I liked the casting with the single exception of the writer's inclusion of himself as Chase Rousseau -- somewhat long in the tooth for a college kid. He was also quite wooden (no pun) in scenes with both the buddy and the dad.

How does it all end? How do stories of this kind usually end? To the extent that this one prepares the viewer for a unique catharsis the answer to that question will be revealed and the viewer will be satisfied. A solid seven of ten in my book.

Another Gay Throwback Film...When Will Gay Cinema Move Beyond the Trauma of Coming Out?

[nyctom · 5/10 · 18 November 2009]

If I hadn't known any better, I would have sworn it was about 1983-1984 while watching Mulligans (mainstream Hollywood always is a few years behind the times as, apparently, is so much of gay-themed cinema). Upper-middle-class white males in the throes of a Sexual Orientation Identity Crisis. Class and race usually don't figure into movies like this, though I must admit I spent more time wondering what exactly this Dad did that he could not only afford a Porsche, a sumptuous summer home, AND the ability to take off work for what appears to be an extended vacation than I did on, you know, the actual plot. But, since this is a generation AFTER Making Love, etc., we have the added twist of a father and his son's best college bud as unexpected (well, maybe not so unexpected after all...) lovers (well, maybe not lovers, per se, but it certainly sounds better to say that than what is actually the case: a blissful One-And-A-Half Night Stand Gone Horribly Horribly Wrong).

It's all too Lifetime Movie for words, with everything played for Maximum Emotional Impact, including a music score swelling to ridiculous proportions (the better to milk that pathos). It's not that it is a bad movie; it's just that it's all been done before. And with more than 20 years of gay-themed cinema now under collective belts, isn't it about time that OTHER stories were told instead of yet another coming out melodrama? Can we at least have a coming out melodrama that is not afraid to explore the *consequences* of said coming out? I would have been far more interested to see what happens AFTER Mr Hottie Newly-Out Daddy drove away than in anything that happened before...

A gay Mulligan stew...a soap opera with more suffering than sex

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 2 August 2009]

Well-heeled family man, a loving husband and father of two, is forced into coming out of the closet after falling in lust with his college-age son's best friend, a budding artist and (somewhat timid) homosexual. Facetious drama ostensibly aimed at gay viewers, but one which fails to give its target audience anything substantial or upbeat to connect with. Everyone suffers with such relish, but where are the bracing highs of finally bonding with someone who shares the same feelings? The dialogue is fairly worthless throughout (Child: "Mommy, what were those two men doing in the bushes?" Mother: "Probably looking for a lost ball."), which may be the reason why the movie is carpeted from one end to the next with generic 'romantic' music worthy of a daytime soap (it often substitutes for dialogue which, in this case, isn't such a bad thing). The film's weakest link is the casting: Dan Payne (as the dad) and Charlie David (as his young house guest) are both attractive actors, but Payne is too young for his role and David (looking about 30) too old for his. It's a step in the right direction that no character here perishes in an accident or commits suicide--but queer cinema still has an awfully long way to go. Cutting down on the guilt and the shame are the next obstacles to conquer. ** from ****

Definitely worth watching

[Squeats · 4 February 2009]

This film is a shining example of how to properly express a point of view in a way that everyone can understand and relate, rather than the traditional sledgehammer approach that we're used to from the big Hollywood films.

Mulligans deals with the issue of straight vs. gay, and how it affects the lives it touches. The film deftly shows the stark contrast between the forced bravado of the fast-paced college frat-boy lifestyle against the shameless and unapologetic honesty of the exploration of emotional needs and desires. Set against the stunning backdrop of Vancouver Island, the scenery works well to reflect the depth and tone of the subject matter. The lead character shows, for the most part, a confidence in his own sexuality that throws the seemingly "normal" lives around him into turmoil. It forces others to examine their own beliefs and prejudices and decide for themselves whether a person's sexual orientation is their defining characteristic, or just another facet of a complex and intriguing personality.

This film is beautifully scripted to allow the viewer to take the journey with the character, so that when the question of sexuality comes up, it doesn't feel like an issue of orientation so much as an exploration of how best to fulfill the basic emotional need that we all have for intimate human contact. A truly inspirational musical score that works both to drive the action and stretch the heartstrings as necessary is a welcome enhancement to the story. It's rare to find a soundtrack so well suited to the mood of the film, the composer should be applauded for his work on this beautiful score. With its sensitive screenplay and superb acting, this film is definitely worth watching.

Oh Daddy!

[adamjohns-42575 · 7/10 · 25 August 2020]

This is a really cute story, but I do prefer a happy ending (Ooh er Missus). Perhaps Mr David should focus his talents on producing and writing as the only part of him that seems to be able to act are his eyebrows? Thea Gill was way over the top as usual as well, which is a shame, because everyone else did a great job. A lot of these films can be so cheesey, badly acted and usually with a terrible cliche'd story, so this one was refreshing. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more tension and drama as a result of the affair as I feel it would be a bit more believable, although I would love to think we are beginning to become a world where people are more tolerant and understanding of these situations . You have to feel for the incredibly hot Dad, Dan Payne, who has been added to my "list" and whose character is only able to come out years after his first child is born. He let things get out of control, but it's not always so easy. I personally would have liked him to pick Chase up at the end of the film to drive him back to college, but I suppose this ending is the "different" type of story I'm looking for. Unless there's a sequel I don't know about? The soundtrack was a bit twee and dramatised in the wrong places too. Sexy men, sweet story and quite well put together.

Could have been so much better.....

[ohlabtechguy · 7/10 · 22 September 2021]

Feast your eyes on wholesome, hunky daddy Payne for over an hour and that's pretty much what this movie is about. The rest of the cast were just distractions. The writer should have picked another lead to play Payne's love interest. The scene where Payne admits he's gay falls completely flat due to weakness in the script and Charlie's lifeless, unconvincing acting during the hugging scene. "It will be alright"....is what Charlie says. What a senseless line that just kills the whole scene. Dan Payne was well worth lots of screen time, but he didn't get a similar love interest, so the movie just sputters along.

Pleasant Surprise

[Filmy2020 · 7/10 · 22 October 2010]

I had actually never heard of this movie until it was shown on Movie Central. I started watching the show blind of what the premise was, but found it entertaining enough to keep watching.

The subject matter was not what I expected, as I figured it would be a stereotypical film about a gay man who falls in love with his best friend. However, the writing is not clever enough to disguise the true direction of the film for very long. Its somewhat predictable, but the ending played out quite well.

I was surprised with the cavalier attitudes to the situation by some of the characters, but the acting was well done, especially Thea Gill who can really turn a performance. I found it odd that I don't recall seeing Dan Payne in any of his other work before, as he came across as a solid actor. I would say the only character that could have been played better by someone else was the role of Chase. He seemed incapable of honest emotion through a lot of the movie with the exception of the beach scene where he tries to talk to his best friend.

The cinematography was beautiful and well done, and definitely does not look like a low budget film.

All in all definitely worth seeing.

Jumpy storytelling without logic

[sirivinda · 3/10 · 17 September 2010]

I watched the first 50 minutes of this, then I gave up. It was by and large unbearable. I have no problems with the basic premise, i.e. the son of a well-off family returns home for his summer holiday, brings a friend, the friend turns out to be gay, this causes the father of the family to confront his own feelings and his latent homosexuality. I buy it.

The biggest problem with this film, as I see it, is that even though (most of the time) I understand what it is that the filmmaker aim for - it's just very poorly executed. There isn't enough flesh on the bones for things to make sense. It's as if whoever wrote the script knows WHAT the characters need to do, but not WHY. For example, in one of the early scenes, the son of the family makes a big song and dance about how his friend should cover up when he's drying off after a swim. A few scenes later (after the friend has come out to him), the son questions why the friend is covering up (after a shower) when he's normally not shy. Rather than saying, "Because you told me to in no uncertain terms," it turns into an argument about whether the friend's coming out has changed things between them. And this is exactly my problem with this film: even though I understand why they argue and I think the question of what changes when someone comes out is valid, it's as if the filmmaker had to rush to explicitly make that point rather than allowing the audience to see for itself.

In this respect, the film is shallow. I don't see that whoever wrote it actually understands what the characters go through and why they act the way they do.

If you're not bothered about what motivates characters, then you might still get some enjoyment out of this film.

Totally predictable but good

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 23 June 2008]

Tyler Davidson (Derek Baynham) brings home buddy Chase (Charlie David) for the summer. His hunky father Nathan (Dan Payne) and mother Stacey (Thea Gill) love Chase. Then Chase tells Tyler he's gay. Tyler has no problem with it and tells his family...and Nathan realizes he might be gay too.

The story was totally predictable from beginning to end. I was always one step ahead. Also there's a little sister (Grace Viskovic) who's too cute and intelligent for anyone her age. Still I loved this. It was written by David (who is openly gay himself) and he perfectly caught the feelings and emotions of a gay man coming out to his friends. The acting is exceptional. David, Gill and Baynham are all good but Payne is just great. He has a very hard role to play and he pulls it off. Also the movie just looks gorgeous. They shot it in a small town in Canada and the scenery was just breath-taking. Also there's a few very hot man on man kissing scenes! So it is totally predictable but beautifully done and acted. I give it an 8.

Summer movie with drama and some humor

[FromDecatur · 6/10 · 1 August 2013]

I liked this movie--the relationship between the son and his friend is a really nice one at the beginning. The mother is a little quirky and amusing, as is the little sister. The father does a good job of showing that odd place in life where one realizes one left things behind due to choices that need to be revisited, i.e., him being gay.

I would have rated higher if the ending had felt a little more satisfying. Clearly the son, sister and mother are all making peace with the dad being gay and getting on with life. Our two gay characters seem to be left with a very uncertain future ahead of them and they don't seem to have any reason for optimism. I don't think it had to be a happily-ever-after ending, but I didn't have a sense of closure with the two characters with whom I identified the most. Still, I did enjoy this movie and would recommend it.

Painfully slow

[chiguy17 · 3/10 · 1 October 2019]

I really wanted to like this film, and I understand that it's an independent film, but it was just so amateurish and poorly made, it was like a Lifetime movie from the 90's. Even the sound was almost like someone bootlegged it with a camcorder in the theater.

It could have been compelling, but just really missed the mark. The script was just bad, bland, and boring.

A story worth telling!

[evelyncrows · 8/10 · 30 June 2008]

I caught this film at its Toronto festival release and I have to say that this movie was a very very pleasant experience. This is a story that is all too prevalent in society and still under-addressed. Charlie David's exploration was extremely in-depth emotionally and kept a beautiful balance between dark and light, sad and happy, drama and comedy. I also found the cinematography breath-taking. It conveyed a high production value with an excellent 'polish'. It has a quality acceptable in any market. I hope this allows for it to reach a large audience. I was very pleased with all the actors performances, however, I was most impressed by Dan Payne. His portrayal of Nathan was unbelievably well balanced and vulnerable. I have followed his career for a while and have seen his prowess in the comedic realm but this performance displays great talent I would like to see more of. I highly recommend watching this film if you get the chance.

Gay Rural

[showtrmp · 6/10 · 27 April 2012]

"Mulligans" is a pleasant enough example of a genre I have a certain weakness for--the gay/rural movie. While the more common urban gay movie tends to be about neurosis, overdramatics, and "witty" banter, the gay rural is generally less pushy and more disarming, with guarantees of pretty scenery and pretty male semi-nudity (often cued by nighttime swimming). The danger, of course, is that the director will get lost in the prettiness and forget to tell a story. "Mulligans" barely avoids this trap, although the story it tells is a lot less daring than the writer/star Charlie David apparently imagines. The movie is never actually painful to sit through, but we're all very familiar with the beats of the coming-out drama by now; the twist here is that the "torment" of the two men in question (Dan Payne as Nathan, a middle-aged, closeted golf enthusiast, and David as his college-age son's best friend Chase) is pushed to the sidelines--which is probably for the best, as the astonishingly beautiful David is a hopeless nonactor. (The only moment we feel sympathy for him comes at the beach scene near the end, when he tries to force tears and is clearly in agony from the effort). The reactions of Payne's wife, Stacey (Thea Gill) and son Tyler (David James) take over, simply because they're more unexpected. Baynham starts out giving a flawless impersonation of a slightly spoiled and entitled frat boy (like the ones in 80s movies and their latter-day imitators, such as "American Pie"). Then David, trying to sound casual, comes out to him, and Baynham--shaken, but trying his best to be broadminded--brings something unexpected out of the stereotype. It's a well-written scene, which seems to come from observation and probably reflects the experiences of many gays in the audience. The movies have rarely touched upon the relationships between gay men and their straight friends, which can be more solid and enduring than similar friendships with other gay men--the usual method is to pour on the wisecracks or play "is he or isn't he really straight" games.

The actual transgressive act between Nathan and Chase (don't those names scream Harlequin romance novel?) is awfully tame, even by gay rural standards. It's not just the brief vanilla sex scenes themselves--it's that there doesn't seem to be any new physical awareness or tension between the two characters afterwards--nothing breaks loose. Payne just carries on acting stoic and sensitive, in a 1950s soap-opera way, and David carries on posing and reflecting light, while we wait for the contrived scene revealing their affair. It comes even more awkwardly than expected, but at least the film's meditative rhythm gets stirred up, largely due to the exquisite Thea Gill's performance as Stacey, the only character who truly "arcs". Gill initially plays Stacey as a determinedly perky helicopter mom, full of nervous energy. Most of the humor and pace of the first half of the movie comes from her. When someone makes a conversational detour she doesn't care for, she says, brightly, "Okay then" and steers the talk firmly away, like a slightly hysterical cruise director determined to keep everyone happy and active. (It becomes a mini-routine). Once her world crashes down, though, it really crashes--she retreats into herself, and it's a little scary to see what that artifice was hiding. Gill brings a poetic intensity to her stunned silence--she'll really never be the same woman again.

Weak script bad acting

[jkrempelinsac · 1/10 · 19 August 2020]

Nauseating and cringeworthy acting along with some of the worst writing I have ever heard. Took a lot to get through the entire thing. Don't waste your time.

I dared Charlie David, and he............

[arizona-philm-phan · 27 April 2009]

........no, wait.......actually it was more of an admonishment to Charlie----arising from having read / viewed teasers and trailers of this already released film and my concerns over how the "final outcome" for older male character, 'Nathan,' would be handled (can read my comments about this, and a comment to Charlie, on the appropriate boards here at IMDb.com).

To continue, I am most happy to report the above expressed concerns were baseless, and Charlie's writing fulfilled every hope I had for the handling of 'Nathan's' future life. He was, after all, to have his second chance. Read on now to learn other of my impressions of this film.

As to the overall theme / tenor of this production, it is NOT a romance film......or love story. Instead it is a "lesson" film.....a finding one's self film.....a coming to accept one's self film. More, it is as much about young friendship lost and regained as it is about finding / admitting who you are.....but with the latter subject being particularly well-handled (in fact David's writing approach could serve as a model of its kind). Continuing, here are some points of the film which strike me:

• Charlie's 'Chase', was the precipitator, the enabler.....the cause of Nathan's "disinterment," if you will. Yes, Chase was the driving force behind Nathan's new journey of discovery and the older man's way-out-of-the-closet. Yet at no time did Chase ever come across as being "in love."

• Lotsa likes + 1 DISlike: My only fast-forward when watching this DVD is a too long / distracting party scene (like 100s in other movies/TV), taking time that could be better spent on the 'Chase - Nathan' relationship (sadly, only a mere 14 of the 92 minutes in this film has them in one-on-one scenes).

• If any of we romantics out here are disappointed over film's end handling of the "Chase / Nathan relationship," perhaps we only need realize that, truth be told, 'Nathan' does not need another son (think age of these parties). Instead, what we can hope is that his new journey will find him a loving someone who is both sure and settled in as to who he is---in other words, an "experienced" guide for our 'Nathan.' And I think that Charlie's film-end writing, which shows us 'Nathan' venturing out alone in his car, beginning his further search for himself, is all the indication we need, not just of this story's end, but its beginnings).

As far as this movie lover's overall impression of individual acting performances, just let me say:

• Charlie David (sexy as hell): Although having played in film for a time now, for some reason he comes across as being something of a "newbie".....leaving me a sense of his not being able to completely settle into a role (thought I saw the same thing in "Dante's Cove" series). Maybe there are too many expectations to be faced when writing and acting in one's own movie. On the other hand, I must acknowledge he may have adopted this approach to put across the obvious discomfort we'd expect he might be experiencing when thrown into the unfamiliar and seemingly tight and loving Davidson family scene. I do think he has a lot of growth potential.

• Dan Payne: All I can say is Wow!! What a moving performance from someone put into the most difficult of storyline situations----yet with what perfect ease he delivers to us. He makes 'Nathan' come vividly alive in the most heartrending and confused manner. As a viewer you want to comfort him in your arms. And, oh, those eyes (NO one else in the bizness has THOSE dark, liquid eyes). I'm drowning.....I'm drown..... DOn't save me.....don't sav..... Now, snapping myself back into awareness, I'll simply have to admit that I'm unduly influenced by this beautiful man's appearance and exciting sexuality. He's got "it".....and without even having to resort to a "Charlie David shower scene."

• Thea Gill: Interesting to me that this particular actress was chosen to play a wife finding herself in this type situation. Because of her many past gay-friendly works, would she be able to effectively display the expected reactions of someone forced into her position of discovery? In your opinion, did she? Oh, and what appeared to me to be her initial over the top reactions to things "gay," I later came to realize was her character being set up for what lay ahead. So in the end, she surprises the heck out of us by the acceptance she brings herself to be able to express (and dare I even mention that "big bomb" of awareness she holds in her head about a certain someone's lifelong feelings---a bomb she unexpectedly unleashes on us----whoa!).

• Derek Baynham (Tyler) & Grace Vukovic (Birdy): One a lot of fun and one cute as a button. No, actually two a lot of fun and two cute as a button. Tyler's big brother to little sister, Birdy, was about the only "fun part" of this otherwise serious movie. But when the two of them, separately or together, got it going, they really made us feel better, didn't they? It's easy to see that Mr. Baynham (a little bit wild and bit of a riot) can be expected to show up more in future. And as far as what lies ahead for Gracey, all I can say is: move over, Abigail Breslin ("Definitely, Maybe" / "Nim's Island"), somebody else is ready to step in.

PS--As a lover of DVD Bonus Feature, voice-over Commentaries, I was disappointed at more time joking around (Baynham, particularly), less on plot point explanations and emotional difficulties arising in shooting various scenes (more control, Mr. Director).

****

Free vibes of summer

[baunacholi-86159 · 7/10 · 25 December 2023]

Stumbled over the movie during the Xmas holidays and it was the perfect time to watch it. Some drama, some romance, some laughs, some emotional moments... The movie brings you back to the free vibes of summer - breathtaking scenery, BBQ and nightswimming. The time of the year when things seem easy, vibrant and light. It's not necessarily a deep movie, but I think it has his heart at the right place. Overall the movie felt, well, genuine ... at least to me. The story might not be original in every aspect but it brought something the audience could relate back to... above all, Mr. Dan Payne in his convincing role as the Dad with his fears, doubts, hopes and dreams stood out as the lead and held everything together...a plus also on the soundtrack.

TV Movie Quality

[Silitonga · 6/10 · 19 November 2013]

When I saw the opening scene, the script, editing, and cinematography, I thought "Mulligans" was TV movie, then I saw IMDb and I was wrong, this wasn't any, but pretty much of it. Even now I still can't believe it was theatrical movie.

Honestly, the plot really predictable. I could eventually saw ahead from the first 20 minutes and I think the ending a little bit illogical.

Another lack is wrong casting. Dan Payne as father character, came out gay form closet after 20 years married, was too cold, there were any emotions, still he didn't a "father" in most of way. Charlie David as young gay was too obvious to be gay. And Derek Baynham as Charlie David best friends was too old played a straight college student.

For theatrical movie, "Mulligans" looks like amateur work. If you see well, the editing really poor. For example, when Nathan was in his garage and saw Chase passed him with full bag of cloches he looked like surprise, stupidly Jarod was just 5 meters away from him waiting for Chase. Even the beer bong scene clearly was fake and the golf playing too.

But, still, if this movie was a TV movie, didn't really work as good movie either. 6 from 10 will be the highest.

Worst casting ever

[DingelBerry · 4/10 · 19 February 2019]

So the father is only 8 years older than his son!!! The mother is only 10 years older than her son!!! Seriously! The father and son looked like brothers..... hahaha

Thumbs Up!

[pavarotcheusa · 10/10 · 9 March 2009]

I watched this movie at a Movie Festival and, along with the whole audience, I gave it a standing ovation. Afterward, several of us voiced the fact that we were so proud of finally seeing a gay movie with such an impacting and, nonetheless, real life theme put together in a smart, witty, realistic, and inspiring way. I've been a fan of Charlie David and Thea Gill for some time. And now, I'm amazed at the talented Dan Payne who did a phenomenal job playing the closeted mid-aged (never too late!) father of the family, who decides to go for the "cliff jumping"decision of being his real self, no matter the cost. A role that many of us can relate to. I can't wait to have it at home for movie night with family and friends. Definitely thumbs up!

Oh Boy...

[crispin_13 · 4/10 · 9 July 2010]

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this movie. First off, there aren't enough gay movies around (I live in Toronto and if I can't get them here...) and I'm always excited about seeing them and promoting them; however, this is a terrible movie with a couple of highlights. Dan Payne is one of them. He is very good and while there are parts of the script that he gets mired down in, he manages to out act anybody else in this fiasco.

The script is awful. The ideas are sound but the dialogue is choppy and laughable. Thea Gill might be the worst actress I've seen in a long time. Her melodramatics are only emphasised by the bad script and the soap opera music score. Every time someone says or does anything that might be slightly hinting at homosexuality we are bombarded by a heavy-handed strum of the guitar and don't forget the obligatory music video/montage sequence. Sheesh.

The ideas are thoughtful and well intended but I don't want to like this movie in a desperate grasp for movies that identify our culture. I think that we need more than this. This movie is trying to be high culture but its coming off as an ABC Sunday Night Movie. Maybe we've hit a point where we are getting good and bad movies. Straight people get shitty movies; I guess we do too.

A very good character driven film

[fpwest · 8/10 · 21 July 2008]

I got the opportunity to see this film on Friday night, at Outfest in LA. This was a very character driven film, and it left myself and my friends talking for the rest of the weekend. In fact we've co-opted some of the phrases into our own vernacular. Without giving anything away 'Go Steelers!' and 'Golf, Golf, Golf, Balls, Balls, Balls' if I heard them once, I've heard them a thousand times. I have to say, for me, I was very happy the sex was kept to a minimum. Often the sex scenes become too long, and distract folks from the story. In Mulligans there is sex, but it's not gratuitous. Thank goodness.

The central characters are very deep and complex, the issues are not so black and white. More importantly, the resolutions are not so cut and dry. If this was the writer's first story, I look forward to seeing what else he has up his sleeve. Most of the cast were relatively unknown, at least to me, but I want to see more from all of them. Actors act, and there careers should span a body of different types of work. For those familiar faces, this was a great change of pace. For the folks I didn't know, I look forward to seeing where their careers will go.

So if you're in the mood to watch a well written, character driven story, that just has a splash of Gay in it check out 'Mulligans'.

Excellent Theme, Poor Attempt

[ChorusL106 · 2/10 · 19 September 2012]

I viewed this film last evening on Netflix. My personal opinion is that the film's general storyline is an important issue facing GLBT culture today. Given that the American public is still coming to terms with homosexuality and that homosexuality only started becoming publicly accepted within the last couple decades (maybe less), I think this film depicts an issue that occurs very often today. We are finding that, as America's perception of homosexuality has increasingly softened, older men and women who repressed their identities in their youth are slowly starting to come out and address their own sexuality issues. I think the film's desire to create a narrative of this sort is excellent. I thought their portrayal of the situation was ghastly. Part of this negative review is due to personal experience with the issues portrayed in the film and part is also a reaction to the film's poorly developed storyline.

There is actually a school of psychology that has been aptly dealing with the emotional damage that's affected by the later comings-out of closeted men and women. It is a small school of thought, and probably not particularly well known or received in the greater medical community. But whatever research these groups churn out does not match with what occurs in this film. The truth is, these late revelations wreak havoc on the relationships and marriages they change, change which normally manifests as destruction. While I can appreciate the film's creators' wish to create a situation and characters sympathetic to the struggle of these men's and women's long denial of their homosexuality, it's not a particularly accurate portrayal of what normally occurs in such a situation. It also didn't give justice to the struggle that the deceived partner goes through after learning something of that magnitude. The wife's reaction, while initially convincing, dwindled to acceptance far to quickly. It didn't accurately show the length of time it normally takes for a "surprised" spouse to recover from his or her partner's lies. It also didn't adequately show the emotional turmoil. In other words, nothing in the latter half of the film was believable. I wanted to see the wife kick her husband out, drink herself into oblivion, maybe attempt a suicide, and, after a long montage, finally gain a smidgen of acceptance for what happened. The wife's complete turnaround in what appeared to be one day was just incredible.

Personally, I am quite sensitive to this issue because I have friends who have been deceived in this way. I also know men and women who are living the situation of the husband in the film. Personally, I think these scenarios make a great case for augmenting public respect for and learning of homosexuality. Repression of sexuality leads to people getting deeply emotionally hurt, often scarred. I feel these kinds of stories are a good way to educate the public at large, mainly because it shows the greater harm to society as opposed to the harm that is endured exclusively by the homosexual person. But unfortunately, this film did not serve that purpose.

My second gripe with this film was the bad story telling. As I said earlier, I had difficulty believing the wife's short turnaround. But also, I took issue with the lack of build-up in this film. There was relatively little interaction between the son's friend and the father. None of the interaction was really significant enough to truly warrant the turn of events that came about. It felt as if the father was actually a heterosexual, but decided he wanted to "try it out" a bit on a whim instead of finally being able to experience what he's been missing out on for years.

Lastly, the script for the film was wretched. There was no subtlety or nuance that helped create the characters. Characteristics of each character was blatantly shoved in the viewers' faces and demonstrated awkwardly. The example that I found most obnoxious was the writer's wish to convey the wife as an uptight conservative. They first developed that quality through a tacky scene involving a exhibitionist young boy and his skeezey mother, and then followed that with her participation in a predictable, hackneyed dinner conversation regarding homosexuality. While I don't think the actress that portrayed the wife was particularly good in this role, I can't really blame her given that her character was so clumisily developed. This was also true of the son's character as well. The script really suffered from a very rushed development, which unfortunately probably had to do with budget concerns. While I don't fault them for that, one other review mentioned several slow-moving, overly-lengthy scenes, the house party in particular. That thing just dragged on for close to fifteen minutes, and really didn't introduce us to any new or interesting qualities in the relevant characters. It was used mostly for comedic effect. That's fine, but the film really isn't a happy, light-hearted comedy; indeed the ending is particularly tragic. It didn't fit and it took away time from scenes that should have been more fully developed, particularly the growing interest between the friend and father, and the wife's emotional trauma. All in all, it case across as something written by a beginning film student.

So yes, while I think the message is important and worthwhile, this film bungled it and really did a bad treatment of the material. None of the characters' situations were believable, nor did the script allow the actors to truly develop their characters. One good thing about the film was the cinematography. There were some really beautiful shots and settings, the lake in particular. The scene with the wife sobbing at a patio table towards the end was quite breath-takingly beautiful. But none of these positives made watching the film worth it. There are better films out there that address this issue and I would suggest looking to those. Thanks!

Is it Mulligan Stew or Suffering Saccatash

[kellienrip · 2/10 · 27 June 2010]

I couldn't want to see this movie. Finally I thought, a movie with a twist and possibly realist portrayal of a closeted gay man and its impact on his family. What did I get, 90 minutes of over the top soap opera music, really really bad acting (either over done as with the son finding out his dad banged his best buddy, or no reaction at all. The father telling his wife he has been 'interested' in gay sex since college with no emotion at all on his face (Botox strikes again I suppose) and the 'lover' telling his best friend that he and his father had done the mattress mambo and showing no feelings at all. The only saving grace in this entire movie was the wife. I can not place where I have seen her before but she was both metered and nuance. Her face while the husband was unloading his burden rang true to me. My advice, skip it. If you into gays either over acting (remember Carol Burnett in her Mildred Peirce impression, but only not funny this time) or giving the classic soap opera stare as the music swell look, then you gonna love this, then you are gonna love this. If you want this story told correctly with good acting, check out the short Awakening.

Entertaining but slightly weak

[Dr_Coulardeau · 8/10 · 30 August 2012]

I like the film but maybe not for the good reasons. I like it because it is both sentimental and at the same time tense and dramatic. I like it because in the end they all manage to accept the real facts, the gayness of Chase and the gayness of the father forced to be straight for 20 years and revealing itself during the vacation with wife and children as witnesses. To be gay is hard, we all know that, especially for someone who has not been able to experience that kind of love for twenty years in spite of what he felt and knew he was feeling.

I like this situation and the way it is dealt with by all the protagonists. The first one to go big bang is the mother but she negotiates the obstacle rather fast. The son will come second but he will find it hard to accept it and make up with his best friend after all. The father has it hard because a door opened and he could not even control what was happening. He is the one who did not think one single minute. He fell in love and ga-douche-bag down it went. He needs some time to try to find out sex is sex and love is love and that there is an enormous chasm between the two because they are not even the same thing, not even close cousins. The mind and the heart on love's side and the endocrine hormonal glands on the other side. It is sad but understandable for a forced straight monk till the ripe age of 38.

I like that piece of dialogue that reveals how hard it is in our society to just accept love is a passion of the mind and the heart and not of some other appended organs.Tyler is the son and Chase is his best friend, who is gay though Tyler does not know it yet.

Tyler Davidson: I love you man, like a brother... just... Chase Rousseau: I know, no sword fights. Tyler Davidson: Maybe we can find a more macho way of saying it... Chase Rousseau: ...Go Steelers? Tyler Davidson: Yeah, Go Steelers, I like that. Go Steelers. Wow I never said I love you to a guy before. Chase Rousseau: Me either. Tyler Davidson: Good talk.

But that's the reasons why I like the film but they are false reasons indeed. And the real reasons I should consider may make me dislike the film.

The first one is that the older man falls in love with a younger man, his own son's best friend, at once, without hardly one moment of hesitation, without courting the younger man, having some value or quality time with him, exchanging ideas, feelings, emotions, literature or whatever that has nothing to do with sex but everything to do with knowing the other and letting the other know who you are. Within five minutes on the screen, without any exchange of anything but a few looks, the older man starts undressing the younger man. Things may happen like that but it does look and sound like rape or at least hygienic hormonal milking. Sorry but I am a romantic somewhere and when two people meet, even if they fall in love at first sight, they have to spend some energy and time finding about each other, and they generally do. It is too much like: "I am… I know. Hug, First kiss. Second kiss. Older man undresses younger man." At least the older man does not seem to be shy, for a closet gay man for ever since his birth, he is catching up on the fast track.

The second one, and this is a pattern in many films, is that the mother explodes first and then she is the first one to come to terms with the situation. She may pretend she knew the unexpressed sexual orientation of her husband, it does not explain the violence and then the acceptance. She should have been waiting for that moment of revelation, that epiphany all the time. I do not say she could have helped before it came all by itself, hence by accident, but she could not be surprised, not to mention angry and violent, even if only in words and packing a suitcase, because she knew it was going to come sooner or later in today's world of course. Twenty years ago things were different, but she lives in this here modern world with our TV and the Internet.

The third one is the superficial acceptance of gayness, as long as it is abstract, by everyone, even the son who is told by Chase himself and in private that he is gay. As soon as it becomes real they all lose their footing. And this time again it is the mother who completely scatters her marbles with her younger daughter when on the beach the girl is looking at the penis that a friend of hers her age is showing her. Then she scatters them again because the girl is fond of her tennis instructor, a woman, after the first lesson. She is afraid of the word lesbian. And her defense is so weak: I have nothing against it but I do not want my daughter to be like that. And it is this mother who accepts after all rather easily her husband's gayness. Unbelievable. I am afraid that tolerant surface is there only to teach the audience a few lessons about the subject. It is pure ideological wrapping.

But the film is quite entertaining, though we know from the very start who is who and who is going to go with whom.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Trite in the extreme, absolute shlock

[TheLastBaronW · 3/10 · 6 December 2020]

College cuties come home for summer, dad falls in love with his son's bestie who happens to be gay. Uptight Mom tries to fit into hubby's life by taking up golf (golf ad nauseam in this snooze fest), during which see catches a glance of hubby and son's bestie having a fumble in the nearby woods, leading to - oh, my goodness, clutch my pearls - marital crisis, then taken to even higher peaks of bad acting when son discovers dad and bestie having yet another careless grope. Amazingly badly written and acted, accompanied by one of the sappiest soundtracks of all times. Best character is the alcoholic grandma who is a shining beacon of reason in this cliché-bonanza extraordinaire. I nearly lost in when uptight Mom is explaining to precocious daughter why she and hubby spend lots of time apart: "Well, I have my scrap(book)ing ... and daddy has golf." Just the most vomitous claptrap in decades, probably based on some poor shmo's "true story" given the ultimate in bad-taste Hallmark channel melodrama. The three stars? Because this turd should inspire a renaissance of non-trite gay cinema and because grandma had the only decent, non-melodramatic lines.