Movies - Beautiful Thing

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	Movies - Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing, a play written in 1993 by Jonathan Harvey. In 1996 there was a Channel Four production based on the play, with a screenplay revised by Harvey. Initially, it was only intended for television broadcast, but it was so well-received that it was later released theatrically. It is arguably the first film to show a realistic same-sex romance between two gay teens, and features many homosexual themes.

Plot

Set and filmed in Thamesmead, a working class area of London, Jamie (Glen Berry), a teen who is more than a little infatuated with his handsome classmate, Ste (Scott Neal), has to deal with his single mother Sandra (Linda Henry), who is totally occupied with her ambitious plans to open her own pub, and with her ever-changing lovers. Jamie's homosexuality, while he tries to hide it somewhat, is reason enough for his classmates to bully him at every oportunity.

Ste, who is living together with his drug-trafficking brother and his alcoholic father in the apartment next door, one night gets abused by his father so badly that Sandra takes pity and lets him sleep over.

Lacking a third bed, Ste has to make do with sleeping top-to-toe with Jamie, who tries his best not to act too excited. However, after a memorable scene that demonstrates an imaginative use of peppermint foot lotion, the boys soon change sleeping arrangements to something more convenient.

The next morning, Ste panics because he had sex with Jamie and runs away. A few days later, Jamie finally spots him at a nearby party and decides he will tell Ste about his feelings for him.

Slowly it dawns on Ste, that he should accept another person's love, this most Beautiful Thing of all, no matter if other people find that idea repulsive.

The movie ends with the two slow dancing to the tune of the Cass Elliot classic, `Dream A Little Dream Of Me`, with a guarding Sandra, who has discovered that being a caring mother is for her more of a Beautiful Thing than sleeping around with men, at their side.

Theatrical productions

The film is based on Jonathan Harvey's original play script.

February 1998: The Australian premiere was directed by Michael Darragh and produced by Make Believe Productions in Sydney. A Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival event, the critically-acclaimed independent production starred Fiona Harris, Simon Corfield, Andrew Wallace, Natalie Murray and Charles Kevin.

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