Jeffrey

Rating:
Summary: Would've been great; a miscast and skimpy DVD drag it down
Review: This film version of (the fabulous) Paul Rudnick's successful play very nearly works. Written after a time of AIDS awareness, "Jeffrey" was one of (if not the) first attempts to make a comedy around the subject. This makes the story slightly dated, but I prefer to look at it as a period piece. The humor, characters and situations are sharp, poignant and memorable.
Jeffrey is a young-ish gay man caught at the crossroads of his sexual desires. The fear of AIDS and relationships, though, cause him to put his life on hold, to the point of announcing his celibacy. Just about that same day, he runs into the hunkiest guy he's ever met, who seems to like him too. His friends, peers and family all have opinions and advice for him, but it's up to Jeffrey to chart his own future.
Michael T. Weiss is wonderful as Jeffrey's new love interest and the rest of the cast, including Sigourney Weaver, Olympia Dukakis, Nathan Lane, Bryan Batt, Christine Baranski and Kathy Najimy, are hilarious and well-cast. But the scene-stealer is Patrick Stewart who is beyond marvelous as Jeffrey's older friend who is a flaming, opinionated and successful decorator.
So, what don't I like about "Jeffrey"? Unfortunately, it's the casting of Steven Weber as Jeffrey himself. Hard as he tries, he's unconvincing, first of all, as a gay man. He also doesn't seem to understand all the great lines he's been given and can't seem to react to his fabulous co-stars. Surely, there was someone auditioning for this plum role who would come across as less wooden. But, at the time "Jeffrey" was made, straight guys wanting gay roles was the hot thing to do and Weber was one of many who wanted to tackle this formerly taboo subject. Plus, he was good name recognition at the time.
So, if you can buy Weber in the title role, "Jeffrey" is a fun, clever and, at times, heartbreaking ride. It's also nice it's finally out on DVD,(...) Such a rich story must have lots of extras and this DVD has none.

Rating:
Summary: I laughed so hard my stomach ached!
Review: I saw this movie when it came out in the theaters back in 1995, and I simply loved it. Steven Weber plays Jeffrey very believably, considering Mr. Weber is in fact straight. Patrick Stewart also plays his character very well; it's a very unexpected role for him to play, and I like it when actors and actresses play against what audiences expect of them. While the plot is actually pretty predictable, the sheer humor makes that ok. I totally recommend this movie to anyone who wants a good laugh.

Rating:
Summary: Good Movie (how generic is that?)
Review: To start out - Steven Weber, however likeable he might be, is the only person miscast in this movie. I didn't buy anything he said or did. He just looked uncomfortable the entire way through the movie.

That being said - I don't think there is a weak cast member here. There are not a lot of major characters - but lots and lots of great supporting roles. Michael T. Weiss does a great job as Steven.

Sigourney Weaver and Nathan Lane both should have been nominated for Best Supporting roles from this movie. Of course, that would never happen because they could never ever ever play the clips at any televised award show. Both scenes are priceless. Kathy Najimy, Patrick Stewart and Bryan Batt all do outstanding jobs.

...and the scene where Jeffrey talks to his parents on the phone is worth the rental fee alone.

Rating:
Summary: Limited Release (distribution), Unlimited Laughs !!
Review: I remember when this first arrived in my area, it was only shown at one theatre near a university campus that typically shows *offbeat* films. My wife (at the time) and I had heard mention of the upcoming movie and its genre and we decided we would go see this film. I do not remember which night of the week we went, but the theatre was nearly packed, and there was laughter coming from everywhere during much of the film.

The film, I realized, was not a film about gay folk, but about not giving up too quickly on meeting "Mr. Right", not just "Mr. Right-NOW." And in a broader sense, the film is about not denying yourself any opportunity to allow yourself to experience love... whatever it's form, wherever it is coming from, leave yourself open to the very force of nature that moves us all to great acts of courage and even greater acts of compassion.

This film is a must-have for your personal video library... but don't forget to share the viewing/listening pleasure of this film with your family and friends. It is a real treat!!

P.S. The soundtrack ain't half-bad either! There is a short piano snippet that I find very delightful, and the song Helpless by Urbanized... awesome!!

-=- P.C.

Rating:
Summary: You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll love it!
Review: As the title said, it made me laugh cry and love it! I saw this movie back when it was released and even today continue to enjoy the film. Originally written for the stage, the script was beautifully adapted for the silver screen and wonderfully acted by all the actors!

Humor abounds throughout. I still cry at the end. How beautiful. The film is not a downer. You come to love all the characters. This truly is a great film for all audiences.

Rating:
Summary: A great movie - often misunderstood
Review: This is an excellent movie, and I'm afraid that far too many people have misunderstood the message. Jeffrey is a young gay man who has decided that, due to the fact that sex has become "radioactive" (as he puts it, when referring to the AIDS scare), he is going to give up sex for good. However, then he meets Steve, a kind caring man who is immediately attracted to Jeffrey. There is one problem, Steve is HIV positive. Jeffrey must decide - can he forget about Steve, or can he face his fear. That's what the true message is - AIDS is bad, it's scary, it can kill you, but that can't cause you to constantly live in fear, and that can't cause you to be afraid to love someone because they will eventually die. Darius, the "cat", has a great line, which I know that I will simply butcher if I try to quote it, but it basically goes that AIDS is like the guest that won't leave, but it's still our party. The message is a resounding - LIVE WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE, because you won't live forever, and you can't live in fear. It is true that this is a low budget movie, and let's face it, low budget movies have their mistakes. But hey, so do big, blockbuster, million dollar budget movies (pay attention at your next big budget movie and you'll notice some really BIG ones), so get over it, and just appreciate the movie for it's message.

Rating:
Summary: Funny & Cute
Review: I saw this movie a little after it was released in the theatres back in 1995. It's about a gay man that is trying to come to terms with the changing sexual landscape of the '90s. Back in '95, this movie was really funny with a serious overtone to it. Watching it again, it still remains funny but seems really dated in it's attitude towards HIV & AIDS. Even though it seems dated, this doesn't take away from the charm of this movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone that likes "arthouse movies" or gay themed movie fare.

Rating:
Summary: Frightfully Funny And Certainly Gay! (Happy)
Review: Do you remember when Gay meant "Happy"? Well the Gay and Lesbian community has taken a lot of comic slaps and personal tragedy over the last 20 years. Jeffery is a good example of how, with all the problems, threats and diseases, we can all be kind and learn to see the humor in life.

Jeffrey was a Broadway play that went to the big screen with a low budget. Really low budget. All the actors in here came together for basic "scale" for payment to convey the message of hope and love in a world of fear and hate.

The cast is to large to mention everyone, but stand-out performances are as follows - Patrick Stewart, Kathy Najimy, Olympia Dukaksa, Sigorny Weaver and with all that has been going on with the Catholic Church theses days, a performance by Nathan Lane that will have you in tears.

Keep in mind this movie is blunt, direct and holds no punches. It's a comedy about love, life and Aides. A really refreshing point of view and you'll love it.

Rating:
Summary: The best Gay movie ever!!!
Review: This movie is hands down the best gay movie one could posibly see! The characters are so memorable as well as the situations. The movie takes a real life situation (coaping with HIV in arelationship) and giving it such a unique twist. At any given moment the movie will transport you to a humorous scene of make believe and then return you back to where you were. This movie has a stellar performance by Patrick Stewart, playing a hilariously flamboyant gay man. This movie has cameos from several big name celebrities like Sigourny Weaver and Olympia Dukakis. This movie has everything, humor, strife, romance, as well as a happy "realistic" ending. If you could see one movie before any other, see this one, it has EVERYTHING!

Rating:
Summary: Way ahead of it's time
Review: When this movie first came out it was met by a sigh of relief by the gay community. Gay themed movies where not a big thing in those days. I also contained a number of credible actors from the painfully handsome Michael T Weiss through to the surprising inclusion of former Startrek Captain Picard. Both were and still are highly respected actors who at that time were taking risks in participating in such a film.

In the same way that they took risks in their involvement, the film was amongst the first to avoid a blanket doom and gloom approach to the HIV epidemic and in some ways was refreshingly disrepectful towards the idea of death.

The film is well acted and has a fairly large budget, filled with humour and warmth. The central character is not easy to like but at the same time you can't help but empathis(z)e with him. It also is a relief after the inherent morbidness of British gay cinema, which I have grown up with, to see a hollywood take on the same issues.

It has dated a little, gay cinema has moved on but it still remains a vital part of any gay mans DVD or VHS collection along with the likes of Head On, My Beautiful Laundrette and the british made, morbid but likeable Beautiful Thing.