Get Real (1998)

A tenderly romantic coming-of-age story as two boys in a British school fall in love.

Director:

Simon Shore

Writers:

Patrick Wilde (play), Patrick Wilde (screenplay)

Stars:

Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton, Charlotte Brittain

6 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Silverstone	...	Steven Carter
Brad Gorton	...	John Dixon
Charlotte Brittain	...	Linda
Stacy Hart	...	Jessica (as Stacy A. Hart)
Kate McEnery	...	Wendy
Patrick Nielsen	...	Mark
Tim Harris	...	Kevin
James D. White	...	Dave
James Perkins	...	Young Steve
Nicholas Hunter	...	Young Mark
Jacquetta May	...	Steven's Mother
David Lumsden	...	Steven's Father
David Elliot	...	Glen
Morgan Jones	...	Linda's Brother
Richard Hawley	...	English Teacher

Storyline

This tenderly romantic film tells the story of Steve, a young boy in a at secondary school, as he struggles with coming out and falling in love with John, the top athlete at school - who, amazingly, falls in love with him as well.

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Plot Keywords:

gay lead character | homosexual jock | smelling someone's clothes | falling in love | public lavatory | 

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Taglines:

Boy meets boy. Boy likes boy. Boy, oh, boy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexual content

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Comme un garçon

Filming Locations:

Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$54,254, 2 May 1999, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,200,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arts Council of England, British Screen Productions, Distant Horizon

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Steve goes into the public bathroom and sits on the toilet, the toilet paper is neatly rolled/not between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Steven Carter: I came late to sex. I was nearly ten. That's when my friend Mark Watkins told me how babies were made.
Young Steve: Really? Are you sure?
Young Mark: Yeah. Honest. I saw it on one of my dad's videos.
Steven Carter: For over a year after that I thought babies were made when two women tied a man to a bed and covered his willy with ice cream.

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Connections

Features Doctor Who (1963)

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Soundtracks

If You Want It to Be Good Girl (Get Yourself a Bad Boy)
Written by Robert John Lange (as Robert John 'Mutt' Lange)
Performed by Backstreet Boys (as The Backstreet Boys)

User Reviews

A Tender, Realistic and Superb Gem

Intelligently scripted, well-crafted and exceptionally acted story of a young gay man finding his way through the adolescent wilderness. The situations that arise, when one finds themselves serving too many masters, are portrayed in a moving, heart warming manner. A great balance of relevant humor and teenage emotional tribulation is struck, without so much as a gram of maudlin melodrama, which normally crops up in films of this nature (especially American ones). In the good ol' USA, teenage development in movies tend to be played for laughs or for mawkish sentiment, which could propel whining into an Olympic event.

In a short summation, Steve Carter, the main protagonist, finds the path to love strewn with thorns. His friend and counsel, Linda, walks the same road. Steve in discovering himself, discovers that anguish is also a companion to love.

GET REAL does just that in such an honest, disarming way, that it exudes originality. The performances and characterizations, are far ranging and finely realized. There's not a weak link in the chain, either in performance, script execution or direction. Innovative and fresh from start to finish. A contemporary classic that is highly recommended.