Hard Pill

I caught this film at a gay/lesbian film festival and was blown away. Every so often, a film comes out that is so original that you can't help but wonder why no one has ever thought of it before. "Hard Pill" asks this question: What would happen if a pill was invented that could turn a gay person straight? The answer is a lot more complicated than you think.

"Hard Pill" tell the story of Tim (played by Jonathan Slavin in an outstanding performance). Tim is openly gay but unhappy with his life. He has had bad luck with relationships and doesn't feel very hopeful that that his life will turn around. When Tim hears of a new study that can change sexual preference, he decides to get involved. Tim is convinced that being straight would be a whole lot easier. What he doesn't realize is the repercussions that this change will have on his relationships and life.

This independent film appears to have been made with a shoestring budget, which fortunately doesn't detract but actually makes things on screen seem that much more authentic; almost as if we are watching real life unfolding. Also strong is the occasional humor that helped lighten things up when the subject matter became heavy. The ending is also quite satisfying and believable, not only leading one to think about the issue of sexual orientation, but also the risks of experimental drugs in general for non medical necessities. If my friends and I are any indication, we talked about this film for several hours afterward and I was moved to write a review which I don't usually do unless I really love something (or hate something.)

Kudos to John Baumgarten for both writing and directing this thought provoking film. Hope to see a lot more from him in the future!

I started watching this movie while sitting one evening channel surfing. It caught my interest...and, at the end I said, WOW! I very seldom say WOW to a movie! There was laughter and there were tears. That is pretty rare in a movie these days. The initial premise is a pill which makes a gay guy go straight. You assume it is going to be a comedy. But, once it gets going, it is heavy. The movie brings to light how such a pill would ruin wonderful friendships and relationships. Feelings are hurt, bridges burned, and then mended again. Especially if you are an older gay person, it brings back memories from your own life. I remember thinking how I wish there was "straight" pill. As the movie shows, it is not such a good idea after all. Be sure to see it and enjoy.

Sweet, well-intended comedy/drama examining sexuality and love.

A company comes out with a pill to make gay men straight and Tim (a very good Jonathan Slavin) decides to try it, since there is a painful lack of romance in his life as a gay man, while a number smart women seem to like him.

This leads to all sorts of complications, hurt feelings, lost friendships.

Some of this is clunky, the plot relying a bit heavily on some thin ideas, cliché characters, and big coincidences.

But it has a good heart, nice performances and ultimately is a real affirmation of self- acceptance, without pretending that is always an easy thing.

I'm very glad I watched this, because I had been somewhat leery due to the premise. I expected a low-budget alternative movie with strained, over-the-top comedy, and that's not what you get. This is a good-looking, sophisticated movie with an incredible depth of talent in the cast--virtually all of whom are people you've seen and enjoyed in other projects. The movie is not about the wild and wacky results of taking a "straight pill." It's a portrait of straight men and women seeking to connect and having their hearts broken. I felt most moved for our hero's straight friend. This movie still qualifies as a comedy due to the overall atmosphere, the dialogue, and the actors' comedy chops, but it's also a character study.

Hapless 33-year-old gay man with only a few friends volunteers to take a new drug which promises to make him heterosexual. The trouble with this premise is, the central character (inhibited and wounded) would be unhappy in any sexual environment, either with a woman or another man. Writer-director John Baumgartner doesn't seem to take this into consideration, and so puts our hero into uncomfortable scenes such as the one where he gets intimate with a female co-worker (who is seen as desperate and deluded). Low-budget and self-conscious, the picture doesn't even have the energy to hint at any intriguing ideas other than straight-vs.-gay. Baumgartner sees the casual indifference of the bar crowds and gives us a glimpse of the man's office job and his lonely life, but the main issue ("What would life be like if I were straight?") is too facile and obvious as a story-hook. Why not make the guy a bigot who is forced to take a gay pill? The point made here is strictly a dead-end one, made even worse by one-dimensional people who don't merit much interest. * from ****