Henry Gamble's Birthday Party

This is a really lovely film by a filmmaker I had not heard of. Never in a rush to get anywhere, Stephen Cone's film weaves its way so naturally through these intersecting lives, as they jump in and out of the pool at Henry Gamble's 17th Birthday Party. Everyone has a crush on someone else, no one is satisfied, and yet there's nothing melodramatic, just subtle body language, and flashes of accidental honesty. I was immediately intrigued - from the first innocent conversation between two teen boys casually exaggerating the size of their members, to the prophetic line Henry announces to his family, as he looks at the time on the morning of the party, "I was just born." The family is very Christian, dad is the local pastor so there's prayer before meals, and they don't touch alcohol, which makes the homosexual subtext (among other secrets) at the beginning of the movie all the more intriguing. Coming out movies had their heyday, and to do one nowadays requires it to be a lot more, which this movie is. Mr. Cone's delicate hand, and his subtle message of compassion is never overwhelmed by the enormous, talented, relatively unknown cast, or the inherent drama of teenage angst.

Writer/Director Stephen Cone has crafted a film that on technical merits alone is heads above most films dealing with a gay youth coming of age. Cinematographer Jason Chiu's contributions must be recognized as well. Finally, a fairly strong cast all adds to a film that is confident and ambitious. It may not always achieve, but its parts are greater than the whole.

The camera is an observer and moves melodically throughout the film. Yet, cinematographer and director never become showy. Each angle and camera movement is intentional and honest.

The lead actors are strong. Their backstories are sometimes revealed through dialogue but their untold stories echo throughout rewarding the audience with so many three dimensional people rarely seen in smaller films. The supporting cast is mostly as strong.

A majority of the film deals with teenagers conversing at a birthday party. The written dialogue accurately reflects that world but the subtext of real world drama rings through loudly. Cast and director deserve strong kudos.

The pacing of the film is not as strong. Multiple story lines are difficult to balance and juggle. Here writer and editor (both Cone again) show their weaknesses. As well, and no spoiler, the ending is lacking. Technically, it is fitting and true to the world of the film, but that does not discount the audience leaving feeling short changed.

A third of the way through the film, I was very excited by what I had seen thus far. Two thirds of the way through the film, I became a tad restless but I was invested in the characters to want to see it through. By the end, I was disappointed based on my initial excitement but not enough to be disenfranchised.

Stephen Cone is a talent to be watched. His ambition should be encouraged and nurtured. His cast deserves to be seen in many more projects. Henry Gamble's Birthday Party is a very good achievement and possibly one that will be recognized in future years as a major leaping point for many people.

This isn't my favorite Stephen Cone film (try The Wise Kids or Princess Cyd), but I appreciate the vibe it's capturing. The repressed setting definitely brought me back. Like Dramarama, it's filled with awkward teen pool moments. If you didn't grow up in a repressed Christian atmosphere, I'm not sure you'll get it.

This movie tries to balance out multiple viewpoints, but in the end, The Christians come off as judgmental and thin skinned and too many of the characters are stereotypes of people we can not stand.

At first I thought I wondered into a Christian movie, and then other characters start to pop up and by the time the movie is over, everyone has major problems, except Henry who is working it out as he goes along.

But ... I gotta say, a sweet and nuanced performance by the lead actor Cole Doman, anchored the movie and there were excellent performances from Patrick Andrews (manic), Elzabeth Laidlaw(mom) and Pat Healey (dad) who made the most of the material that they had to work with.

An ensemble cast of characters centered around a birthday pool party makes this more like a soap opera. The movie made me wish I could have similar summertime pool parties with plenty of fun and eye candy. But other than this, there were a few laughs, especially the "Democrat" comment, a few personal dramas, a secretive gay attraction and a lot of splashing. Movie lacked a focal point and basic message, except to say that not even white, religious, conservative, suburban families are perfect.