There is only one problem that I can see with this film. It's really a play, not a movie. The scenery does not change often, there are few characters, and, like theater, it requires the audience to listen and think and stay with it to the end in order to appreciate the experience.
That said, look at the actors: Cheyenne Jackson (who plays a gay man from the New York stage world better than a gay man from the New York stage world?) and Gena Rowlands (if you have seen her act, you want to see more and more of her performances.)
'Is that Rita Moreno?' I asked myself at one point. Yep. At home on the stage as well as in the movies, she adds to the general mood of this multi-act play. Theatrical - and entertaining.
Cheyenne and Gena can be proud of their work in this movie. Yes, it's a little bit too progressive-liberal-politically-hip with some messages, which can make the viewer feel manipulated at times. This has nothing to do with stereotypes. It has to do with feeling in the line of fire of those messages being volleyed at that audience.
What is touching, and ultimately so lovely about the plot, the play, and the people is that the drama turns out to bring family feelings to the front and center. I found myself not disliking the Reverend (that shadowy figure who, if anything, is treated like a stereotype). I found myself not disliking any of the characters even though there is tragedy circling the story. It felt uplifting at the end to see the sunset and know that people dance sometimes not for the sexual feelings of body contact, but for sheer love of closeness that we all need.
I'd recommend this movie for anyone who wants to see a play. Theater lives! Acting!
