The film starts with Gene who has decided that tonight will finally be the night that he tells his friends he’s gay. The gang consists of 5 students: Rose is the host of the party, a flamboyantly theatrical one who is off to NYU the next morning, Ally is perhaps a bit too cool for this group and sees them all better than they see themselves. Claire is the repressed one, not even sure she likes acting but just happy to have friends while having a crush on Gene and Oscar is the guy who is a good actor, Gene's best friend and on whom Gene has a crush on. Things are off to a good start in the party but when pizza deliveryman JD (Their senior in high school) kills their buzz with his pretentiousness and cynicism, the friend group is left to ponder what’s connecting them all in the first place. It feels like both Oscar and Gene have some sort of crush on JD, but he leaves stirring emotions in them and over the course of the night. A lot of tension sweeps the night along with sudden drama twists, in the literal sense. Gene tries his best to come out and eventually manages it without really telling them, breaking heart of Claire, but eventually everyone accepting each other for their good and their flaws.
Every cast member in this is equally brilliant, and I certainly appreciated the way this film complicates the “coming out” narrative with something that feels far closer to reality than we’ve grown accustomed to seeing on-screen. Although Gene is the central figure, the director allows for a well-rounded ensemble vibe, with each performer and character allowed their own shining moment. There is constant emotional peaks and downs between the 5 friends throughout the night, while Gene looking for that appropriate moment to tell his friends and come out. With twitches of self-doubt and regret crossing his face, and the fact that he’s just crushing with this secret, the actor playing Gene does a wonderful job playing the character. His relationship and crush on Oscar is obvious but you can see Oscar is that obviously hot straight-ish guy in theatre who everyone has crush on but he is completely oblivious to it. The film was quite interesting but I am not sure why I found it myself a bit disconnected with it. Maybe a theatre teen dramedy was something I was not expecting and maybe is not my cup of tea. I see most folks absolutely loving the film. I liked it but thats it. And given the fact that most of pop references went over my head, I was unable to appreciate the nuances of the film. That’s not to take away from the warmth the film radiates, either, but is a celebration of a small underdog of a film that does a whole lot by modest means.
Its a true portrayal of friendship, self doubts, taking the next step in life with some good performances, but I wonder, like me, this may not be everyone's cup of tea. (6/10)
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