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 | smelling someone's clothes | falling in love | public lavatory | winning an award | 

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Taglines:

School's out, so is Steven Carter

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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

Spoofed in Another Gay Movie (2006)

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Soundtracks

OM-23
Written by Steve Dixon and Brian Moss
Performed by Drug Free America
Courtesy of Peaceville Records, Ltd.

User Reviews

A fantastic film which was very close to home.

I have just watched this film as part of Film 4's British Connection. I felt this film was an excellent exploration of homosexuality in the heart of Middle Class Britain. I lived close to the film's location Basingstoke when this was made and am the same age (give or take a year) as the main character, Stephen. Whilst never being as confident in my sexuality as Stephen, I really connected with the story told, his relationship with his parents and the scatter-shot but inadvertently appropriate use of homophobic abuse by the bullies.

Also thought the excellent flashes of dialogue uplifted the film such as "Whenever I see that badge (Head Boy) I wish it were an invitation." Priceless. The performances are almost perfect through out (I was a little unconvinced by Jon the Head Boy to begin with but warmed to him hugely as the film and love story progressed.) The cinematography is suitably understated and this is not the most cinematic film ever shot, which I feel helps with the realism. Some of the symbolism is quite fantastic, especially the closing shot, which I wont spoil.

I found it to be a much more recognisable film for me than Brokeback Mountain, Not to that films detriment, it is a masterpiece but I may feel closer to this because I have regularly been to the Odean in Basingstoke, but have never herded sheep on a snowy mountainside with Jake Gyllenhall.

It is a simple effective narrative about a subject close to my heart and I recommend it highly.