Angora Ranch

Okay, admittedly the acting, pace and dialog are not up to par with some high budget movie. That's part of the charm of "indie" films, isn't it?

Putting aside the merits of the the physical attractiveness of some of the actors, the story is good on. Not only is this positive about overcoming fears/anxieties/hangups about age differences; it emphasizes the good and bad aspects of the family responsibilities and relationships and tensions between parents and children. These are realities, just as the awkwardness of some dialog and acting reflect what actually happens between and among people, whatever their sexual identity.

ANGORA RANCH is not a great film but it's at least a passably good one and worth watching. I felt better after seeing it than when I watched EATING OUT.

First off, it seems that Tim Jones, the executive producer and a actor in this film, passed away in August of 2006. May he rest in peace, and thank you for having made the film. Critiques are fine, but I also want to point out that, regardless of constructive criticism, that these people made the film at ALL puts them a far sight ahead of most people. Congrats and cudos to the entire cast & crew!

That said...

This has some good potentials, but suffered from pace issues in several places. Pregnant pauses that should have been picked out by a decent editor made the film drag. The audience would certainly have preferred a shorter film that moved at more brisk a pace. Some of the dialogue is trite, some of it awkward, and too often the blocking looks as though it was made for stage. The best scenes are between the two leads when they forget to act and just have conversation, while they're getting to know each other.

The filmmaker intended to have fun with it, and it does demonstrate a somewhat surreal whimsical feeling, but we could have had more constant reminders, whether via some mechanism, lense coloring, or something to remind us not to expect reality. Then the departures might not have been so taxing.

Did I enjoy the DVD? Yes, despite the flaws (and myself) I did. But I wouldn't wittingly have parted with $27 for a copy, except to support the work.

It's a good first draft. I'd have re-edited, re-shot some scenes... but that would mean remaking the film altogether in this case. The expenses were obviously minimal by Hollywood standards. With some fine-tuning and rewrites, maybe some more outside help, this could have been a much better movie.

I applaud the effort. It's good to see gay independent filmmakers not falling back on cheap sex sells. Now to lose the clichés.

To The Writer/Director: Paul, there ARE some homo men who don't have gay mannerisms. They may even be a substantial portion of the population. They're just inherently unseen. It might have been nice to show this as well, and set another example of tolerance in the process, as you did by this remarkable town you've created. Get ahold of me before you start your next production. I'd be glad to pitch in!

I would really love to believe that in the hundreds of little redneck hamlets in the State of Texas I'd dearly love for one like where Paul Bright and Tim Jones live and where Bright can fall in love with young Thomas Romano and have no fear of reprisal. It's what makes this Texas based gay film a true fantasy. But having said that it is a nice fantasy.

Young Romano works for his father in the advertising business based in Austin and Kyle Evans the father is forever on his case. He can't seem to do anything right. Evans is also in an incredible state of denial as far as his son's sexual orientation is.

On assignment from his father to meet with a client Romano's car breaks down avoiding hitting a white rabbit nowhere near the size of Harvey. It is the special pet of Paul Bright who lives with his father Tim Jones and is still mourning the loss of a life partner. He's got some additional responsibilities taking care of Jones who is in first stage of Alzheimer's Disease.

Romano and Bright are soon in love and in the sack, but both have some severe father issues to deal with.

Angora Ranch is a pleasant enough film. I liked all the players especially young Mr. Romano on many levels. I hope that Angora Ranch does not remain his sole film credit.

Though I want so much to believe there is a tolerant and accepting town like this somewhere in the state that elects Rick Perry and Ted Cruz.

I agree with the two people who posted positive reviews about this small film. The small budget is obvious and the acting is about on par with a primary school play-let (especially the younger lead and the main character's daddy). These 2 negatives aside, there is a lot left in this film to enjoy: the May/December romance, the non-stereotypical gays, the fluffy ending and the realization that there are gays in the state of Texas and not just hateful bible spewing heteros. Basically I bought the tape because of the cover showing 2 guys kissing and the cute little bunny and I was not disappointed. I rated it 6/10 and am looking forward to other films by this director.

"Angora Ranch" is a sweetly low-key romantic movie that has plenty of animals in it. There are rabbits, goats, horses and chickens (and the cat that managed to sneak into the dinner scene). But the romance is between two men who must overcome a different kind of animal: the paternal kind. Justin (Thomas Romano) is a 20-something cutie working for his father's advertising agency, a self-absorbed manipulator whom Justin can never satisfy. (And Daddy has a few secrets on the side.) Jack (Paul Bright, "Angora Ranch's" writer and director) is a gay widower who has a live-in father, Peter (Tim Jones, the movie's co-writer), that is trying to push "his gay son Jackson" into a relationship before he slips into total senility. A chance accident and a little of Peter's meddling drops Benny the Bunny squarely into the stew and a May/September romance begins in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.

While the movie is certainly not a slick affair (in the extras, Bright and Jones joke about how their budget was in "the thousands"), it does do several things the creators promise:

No tragic gay man dies of AIDS. No screaming queen is running around disrupting things. No men are just straight-acting guys claiming they're gay. And most importantly - All gay male characters are actually played by gay men.

The acting is not going to get any Academy Award nominations, but that isn't why you're going to enjoy this. "Angora Ranch" is a delight for the many things it isn't. Non-hyperactive, not bitter or angry, not political (other than the general wink at gay marriage) and not aimed at the tweaker circuit coming-out crowd. This is the kind of movie I am comfortable showing to friends with dinner, and, I am going to project, feel comfortable with repeat viewings.

And it's worth it just to see a rabbit yawn.

(For those of you who only buy "gay movies" based on skin content, Justin appears naked from the back and the two leads have a love scene from the waist up.)