BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS
A movie review by Joe Barlow
(c) Copyright 1998
STARRING: Sean P. Hayes, Brad Rowe, Meredith Scott Lynn DIRECTOR: Tommy O'Haver WRITER: Tommy O'Haver RATED: R (language, sexual situations) YEAR: 1998 SEEN AT: The Colony, Raleigh NC
RATING: *** 1/2 (out of a possible *****)
Much of what I liked about "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss," the new gay romantic comedy from Tommy O'Haver, stems from what the film DOESN'T do: it doesn't degenerate into trite melodrama, it doesn't revel in its gayness, and it doesn't adhere to stereotypes. With the exception of a drag queen or three, the gay characters aren't flamboyantly over-the-top, the straight characters aren't homophobic bastards, and everyone basically gets along. Wishful thinking on the director's behalf? Perhaps... but O'Haver knows that a romantic comedy isn't typically the right place for a Great Statement, and he doesn't attempt to make one. I applaud him for it.
What he gives us instead is a charming story about a gay photographer named Billy (the extremely pleasant Sean P. Hayes), who has a dream project: he wants to reshoot some of Hollywood's classic movie kisses... but using only men, rather than heterosexual couples. While looking for models to use in this project, Billy spies an attractive waiter named Gabriel (Brad Rowe) at a local coffee shop, and decides that he'd be perfect for the shoot. The only problem is, Gabriel's straight.
This doesn't stop the two of them from becoming friends, however... and soon Gabriel is giving Billy indications that maybe, just maybe, his sexual preference is not as concrete as Billy had originally thought. That could be very good news for the lovestruck photographer, who's having a hard time keeping his feelings in check with his new friend. Thus do we have "Chasing Amy," but from the gay point of view.
"Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" tells its story with sweetness, intelligence, and an almost childlike glee; although it's hardly the first gay-themed romantic comedy, it skips along at a happy, lighthearted pace, unencumbered by the Serious Messages which all too often weigh down films of this kind. Creative directorial touches, such as Billy's wistful dreams about Gabriel, or the narrated Polaroid montages used to depict off-screen events, keep things interesting even when the narrative becomes unfocused, which does happen in a few scenes.
The performances are overall quite strong, with Sean P. Hayes' depiction of Billy being particularly praiseworthy. Director O'Haver couldn't have picked a better actor for the role: Hayes has that intangible charismatic quality that can make or break a character, and the utter sweetness he brings to Billy makes the film an utter joy. Brad Rowe is also fun as the sexually-confused Gabriel, although Gabriel's final scene is a bit of a disappointment; it's one of the few moments which seemed totally unbelievable to me. Meredith Scott Lynn brings a touch of sass to her role as Billy's (hetero) female roommate Georgeanna, which helps spice up the slightly downbeat second half of the film.
Wisely, "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" does not attempt to either apologize for or justify the fact that most of its characters are gay, which is one of the few nitpicks I had with "Chasing Amy." The protagonists feel like real people, who basically like themselves and are happy with who they are. It's a nice touch; like "Smoke Signals," this film gave me a better understanding of a culture I had very little knowledge of. I enjoyed the time I spent with both movies, and their respective inhabitants.
One of the nicest discoveries for me was the simple fact that the story didn't really revolve around the issue of sexual preference. There's no reason the film couldn't have worked just as well if Billy had been a straight guy, trying to charm a female waitress who was reluctant to model for him; as such, we can all relate to Billy's plight. Surely everyone has, at one time or another, been infatuated with a person and been unsure if their response indicated a mutual attraction or merely polite indulgence. That's undoubtedly an issue that spans both genders, and all forms of sexuality.
The script is extremely funny; one of my favorite gags involves a recurring character named Lance who keeps popping up at odd moments, forcing Billy to wonder if he (Lance) is stalking him. The dialogue sparkles; I laughed out loud several times, as did the predominately gay audience with whom I viewed the film. Although the screening I attended consisted almost entirely of male couples, everyone, regardless of sexual preference, came out of the theater smiling and laughing together. That may be the greatest praise I can give this, or any, movie.
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