This documentary is nearly twenty years old now, and it follows a gay couple as they navigate the stressful and exciting journey of their first pregnancy through surrogacy. You get to see it all— the hope, the nerves, and the dramatic hurdles they have to clear along the way. Back in the day, this was probably a massive deal, but since I’ve known a few gay couples who’ve gone through this exact process, some parts felt a bit dated to me. I liked bits and pieces of it, but I also felt like the film stays pretty surface-level. It doesn't really dive into the deep, complicated reality of life after the baby actually arrives. If only raising a kid were actually as simple as this movie makes it look! Erik and Mark have been together in New York for ten years, and since they feel solid in their relationship, they decide they’re ready to raise a child. They start the hunt for a surrogate and eventually connect with Wen, a wife and mom from Maine who agrees to carry the baby for a standard...
Good looking weatherman Sean broke up with his boyfriend Carlos almost 6 months ago. After a breakdown on live TV, he is asked to take few days off. He decides to get rid of the bog plan from his deck, the last remaining memory of his ex, but then that means he needs to get his deck repainted. For some reason, he picks up Ernesto, a middle-aged hispanic migrant daily worker. There is obviously a language barrier, but intentionally, Ernesto becomes an ear to everything that Sean has to say, given his loneliness. A very unlikely friendship develops between the two. Sean takes Ernesto for hikes, rowing, parties, eateries, much to Ernesto's dismay on why this is happening but sensitively provides listening companionship. One day when Ernesto doesn't show up, Sean takes to drinking and shows up to his place drunk where his family takes care of him. He leaves embarrassed for his actions and few days pass till one morning Ernesto shows up with his kid to help them translate and to finish the deck painting job he started. The 2 friends are back together.
The story may sound very serious but it's actually done in a very light comedy manner. The chemistry between the leads is really good and you get to see how the friendship between them ultimately develops. There are very few films that show friendships between a gay man and a straight man, unless they have been friends from childhood, so in that sense it was something new. It was fun when Ernesto would call his wife everyday to tell him of all the odd things that he was doing and he doesn't understand why Sean is taking him to all these places. I didn't understand the reason why Sean picks up Ernesto? Did he look like Carlos or something else? May be it was just a chance! It was great to see the hot hot Sean also do a great job of acting and bring out the sensitive side of him. You could see the loneliness he is going through and the craving for friendship and companionship. Talking about flaws, the film dragged in a few places to be honest, and I found myself losing interest, but overall it was ok to see how the two men get used to one another.
A funny yet poignant tale of a lonely gay man, that shows that long lasting binds can be made in the unlikeliest of people. (5.5/10)
Comments
Thank you so much for doing thoughtful reviews for LGBT films! And we will make sure it gets posted to all of our social media as well as the IMDB page!
Thanks again!
Mark Schwab
writer/director - Crisis Hotline (aka Shadows In Mind)
mschwab@ditrfilms.com
And when Sean arrives to Ernesto's party, all drunk, Ernesto takes him inside and puts him to bed. Some male relatives make a joke and Ernesto says something like "don't you remember what you were like when you were grieving?" and the man immediately becomes serious.
I absolutely loved the last part where Ernesto arrived to finish the deck and brought his grandson to interpret. Since I'm a translator it brought me to tears, because our profession was valued so much in that scene - sometimes all you need is someone who can navigate between languages, and everything becomes clear again.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts !