Regarding Billy

Nothing is perfect (except maybe Jason Van Eman) so I can't rate 10 stars. A very sweet film. Warm, touching, real. There was a little awkwardness here and there, some of the scenes went a little too long with no real reason...there was maybe too much emotion at times, but all in all, a good little movie to watch with your special someone, gay or straight.

One of the better gay oriented indie films that I've seen. And no swearing, drug use, alcoholism or sex. A rare thing in almost any movie these days, but very rare for a movie with a gay male couple as the lead characters. For a change, two gay men are portrayed without the "always having sex" angle. Seems that Hollywood has to propagate that stereotype; if there's gay, there's immediately clothes coming off and gratuitous sex going on. Not here.

Thanks Jeff London, for showing a couple of gay men as just that. Men. Leading everyday lives with everyday worries and trials. Everyday happiness and love. Many could learn a lot by watching this movie. Give it a shot. It's a very short film and leaves you wanting more, but just suffice it to say, I ended it with all three of them living happily ever after.

*another gay feelgood movie with similar undertones as Regarding Billy, but with a little sex thrown in: "Get Your Stuff" Give it a look too.

I applaud Jeff London for trying to make a film about gay men who are actually human beings with feelings above the waist. The premise of this small-town story is quite good. People's lives are affected by economics, death, family needs and so on. The characters are real people with real, if not mundane, lives. I also make allowances for a low budget, which seems evident. However, the budget does not totally absolve bad dialogue, worse pacing, horrible music, bad lighting, poor set design, uninspired cinematography, poor casting and high-school-quality acting. It seemed to me that the story challenged the cast and crew beyond their capabilities. Having said all that, this film may some day be shown to church youth groups after bean suppers on Saturday nights in Wyoming. While they may scream at the kissing they will not be tempted into evil by the sexuality, which is entirely lacking.

Jeff London (The Last Year, And Then Came Summer) is a writer and director who takes on some tough subject matter about the ordinary men in gay life and fashions simple stories that, while not earth shattering, are delicate reminders of the non-sensational aspects of coming to grips with sexuality. In REGARDING BILLY, his best film to date, he has assembled a small cast of fine young actors (only three), and offers a film that for a $20,000. budget and two weeks of shooting time shows how sensitive little movies can be.

Opening inside a tent on a camping trip, we meet Billy (Ronnie Kerr) and Dean (Jason Van Eman) who have been best friends since childhood. Dean announces he has joined the military to address his life stance (his parents are long gone) and will be going to Iraq. Billy is obviously sad and both young men begin to tell each other something...'but it can wait until morning'. In the next scene Billy is seen with his mentally challenged sweet kid brother Johnny (Jack Sway) as they have returned from the funeral of their parents who have died in an accident. Billy comforts Johnny and moves back to the home he had left to care for his brother. While Dean is in Iraq he writes Billy and Billy fantasizes about Dean's returning home. When indeed Dean does come back from his tour of duty, injured irreparably in the war, Billy insists that Dean move in with the brothers. Despite the obvious new happiness of the three young men living together, there remains an underlying tension between Billy and Dean, a tension broken only by a moment of confession regarding feelings that is one of the more tender 'coming out' scenes yet filmed. The film ends as quietly as it begins with the power of love and extended family as the theme.

All three of the actors perform well despite a script that calls for excessive crying. Kerr and Van Eman are understated hunks that make the attraction and resolution of the plot completely credible. Yes, there are some awkward lines and shaky moments in the film, but the overall effect is one of a loving product that dares to be sentimental in the face of criticism because the creators obviously believe in the story. REGARDING BILLY is a refreshing change from the usual over the top gay films, a film more about core people than the peripheral characters usually in focus. Recommended. Grady Harp, February 06

Only 71 minutes long, this sweet little film has an engaging ensemble of three actors and a sympathetic musical score. Ronnie Kerr is perfect as Billy. He is genuine, childlike, honest, handsome, wistful, and well-built, with remarkably expressive eyes. Dean, his long-time best friend, announces unexpectedly that he has enlisted, and abruptly leaves home. Jason Van Eman plays Dean in a warm, forthright manner, and the two good-looking leads have a nice, playful – but very frustrating – friendship. Incapable of articulating their feelings, Dean departs with much left unsaid. By the time the injured Dean returns, Billy is caring for his learning-disabled younger brother, and the story really begins. The three young men learn to become a family and, though each has a handicap to deal with, their unerring love pre-ordains the powerful and intimate conclusion.

The film has its faults, to be sure, which would be more bothersome in a less engaging film. There is a lot of crying, for example, but the actors themselves laugh about this excess in the commentary track. On a purely physical level, one could wish for Billy to take his shirt off at least once, considering the look of his arms and chest in his tight T-shirt!

But the sincerity, skill, and earnestness of the actors overrides any flaws. This is a highly personal statement by writer/director Jeff London and his quietly seductive cast.

I'm a bit confounded as to why this movie has such high ratings on Netflix. Yes, it is intelligently acted by an attractive and watchable cast, but that's where my recommendation ends. The script is a slobbering sentimental mess from the first five minutes till the very end. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind seeing grown men cry - but this is ridiculous! This film is like a 'very special episode' of a gay "Party of Five" (or is that an oxymoron?). Unrequited love, mentally retardation, dead parents, war injuries, blindness - no tear is left un-shed. In the end, the characters come off as a bit naive, despite the fine performances. The plot lines are under-developed with details omitted if they didn't contribute to the bawling. There's a chaste kiss or two but little display of affection between the two characters. After all that time pining for one another, you'd think they'd do more than hold hands (they don't). This film is like a homo Hallmark Card, all sentiment, no substance.