Defying Gravity

This film was such a wonderful surprise when I saw it in the

theater -- multiple times, in fact. Candidly, I liked it because I could

really identify with the character of Griffin. The chemistry between

Pete and Griff feels very real. Yes, this is a low-budget film and it

suffers a bit in production values, but the performances are strong

and I enjoy it more with each viewing now on DVD. Some have

criticized it for being cliche, but quite the opposite is true: the film is

remarkable because of the absence of stereotypes we've come to

expect in gay-themed art films: drag queens, dysfunctional

families, everyone dying of AIDS, disco music, diva worship,

pot-smoking, musical theater fanatics, "sissies," leather daddies,

the athletically-challenged...there's none of that here. Griff and Pete

are probably the most accurate representation of most gay men

that have appeared on the screen to date. They're just like any

other guys their age, except that their romantic interests are

focused on guys rather than girls. Had this film been made ten

years earlier, Griff would almost certainly have been portrayed as a

nerdy, unlikable, social outcast; but Griff is every frat boy's best

friend. Two thumbs up for this one.