Dare (2005)

High school senior Ben secretly lusts after bad boy classmate Johnny. After Ben gives Johnny a ride home one night, the boys end up in Johnny's swimming pool and have an encounter that breaks the rules and blows Ben's mind.

Director:

Adam Salky

Writer:

David Brind

Stars:

Adam Fleming, Michael Cassidy, Marla Burkholder

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Adam Fleming	...	Ben 'Light Boy'
Michael Cassidy	...	Johnny
Marla Burkholder	...	Alexa
Terry Guerin	...	Drama Teacher
Carly Haines	...	Alexa's Friend
Matt Lundy	...	Jock
Steve Sweigard	...	Jock

Storyline

Ben (Adam Fleming), an introverted high school senior who is running the lighting for his high school senior class play, shines a spotlight on Johnny (Michael Cassidy), an outgoing jock who can't remember his lines in the play, and the target of Ben's lust. Holding his desires inside, Ben offers to give Johnny a ride home from rehearsal and help with the lines. Once they arrive at Johnny's house, Ben drowns his trepidation in champagne, and jokes provocatively with his crush. After a bit of mutual ribbing, the boys take a swim in Johnny's pool. Each of the boys shares some of their most private thoughts, and things progress, until Johnny's friends show up....

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Plot Keywords:

friend | swimming | swimming pool | fellatio | sex in pool | 

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Taglines:

Do something you're afraid of.

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Genres:

Drama | Short

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dare

Filming Locations:

Friends' Central School, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Adam Salky Films, BrindStar Productions

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Johnny: I can't believe this is your first cigarette. I'm corrupting you.
Ben 'Light Boy': It's kind of cool.

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Crazy Credits

Produced in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MFA degree of the film division, School of The Arts, Columbia University.

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Connections

Edited into Mein bester Freund (2007)

User Reviews

Getting hit by the ambiguous nature of teenage desire

"Light Boy" Ben admires Johnny, the star of the new school play ("A streetcar named desire"). Unbeknownst to Johnny, this admiration will soon turn into lust. What then? Can the two boys remain friends or after certain limits are crossed there is no turning back? When Johnny invites Ben to swim together after having a few drinks, the conversation will become more intimate.

Both actors manage to convey a youthful spark, while at the same time expressing defined personalities in this brief story. It was especially interesting to see Michael Cassidy play a role only too familiar to his character in The OC or Hidden Palms, although here perhaps he is a most riveting seducer, full of sensuality.

There is something very subtle in the way these two boys interact with each other. Not only because of the ambiguous source of desire that ignites a more contact physical exchange between them or Ben's suggestion of practicing a fellatio on Johnny. As they move swiftly in the swimming pool, it's easy to realize that, indeed, something lies beneath the surface.

In the credits, director Adam Salky acknowledges filmmaker Tom Kalin; then it should be easy to understand why the fascination towards ambiguity and the subtlety are paramount guidelines in this short film.