Gypsy 83

Who knew that Sandusky was another Oz? Not since Sherwood Anderson made Winesburg, Ohio THE place to be FROM, has Ohio seemed such an exotic backdrop! Todd Stephens once again shows us that being different in Sandusky may be the crucible out of which our most solid character values are forged. Sara Rue and Kett Turton--with a little help from Karen Black, John Doe, and Anson Scoville ( as the sexiest Amish man since Harrison Ford)--make being different ( Goth, fat, gay, whatever)seem like redemption.

A little road picture becomes, with good writing, direction, and superb performances, a modern-day Canterbury Tales, where the "Night of a 1000 Stevies" is as important a destination as St Thomas Becket's grave.

The journey is itself the important part of the story, and each character that Gypsy ( Rue) and Clive (Turton) meet helps to change them as they, in turn, alter the lives of those they meet.

Do not expect true love and happy endings because like all journeys of self discovery, nothing is perfect and believing, opposite from the adage, is finally seeing.

Rent this DVD; see this movie. Todd Stephens gets better and better. EDGE OF SEVENTEEN was far from being just another teen movie, just another GAY teen movie; so GYPSY 83, too, is far from being another coming of age film. I think it says that we are all essential: frat boys, rednecks, broken-down karaoke singers, Stevie Nicks impersonators, fat girls, hunky Amish farmers, Mary Kay sales queens, and Foto Hut booth girls.

Sandusky, Ohio IS Oz. Todd Stephens knows it.

Oh, and don't miss Karen Black's incredible sultry jazz singing. Why the hell isn't she on Broadway?