Defying Gravity

I went with low expectations, and came out really having enjoyed this movie. Griff and Pete, members of a fraternity at USC, are having an affair. Griff is closeted, and still lives at the frathouse. Pete has left the frathouse, and is on the verge of coming out. He want more from Griff than just sex. Griff is unwilling to have a real relationship (complete with dating, dining, acknowledging a partner), but does not give up on pursuing Pete. Pete even gets Griff to meet him at a gay coffeehouse. Then comes the gaybashing incident that changes everything.

The guys in this movie are handsome and believable. The frathouse scenes seem real--they let you understand the camaraderie that make people want to be part of frats, but at the same time deprive them of the room to be themselves. The gaybashing is an overused plot device, but it works to make this into a poignant movie about the dilemmas faced by gays who want to fit in, don't want to risk being open, yet need affection along with sex from another man.