Amazon.com
The premise sounds great but the promise is never fulfilled. Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning hit about a cluster of gay male friends who gather several times one summer at a Victorian house on the bank of a rural lake never quite measures up (at least on film) as anything particularly profound. The story traces a history of infighting and changing relationships within the group, with the shock of AIDS slowly pushing everyone toward greater closeness and honesty. But instead of making an impact, so much of the film is trivial: dinner conversations are banal, tantrums are tedious, genitals are a little too overexposed. The two best and most familiar actors in the piece, Jason Alexander and John Glover, ironically play the most cliché-ridden characters. Still, Glover--who portrays British twin brothers who could not be more different from one another--is a very good reason to see this film. --Tom Keogh

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 50 reviews)

"Some people do things spontaneously!"

If only the director and screenwriter were among them! This film version of the Broadway play about gay friends who spend three summer weekends together is incredibly cliché, forced, and feels anything but spontaneous.

Old friends getting together could be interesting, but all these people talk about is being gay and it gets old fast. There isn't one line of dialogue that is believable or one character that rings true; they're too glib and there's no connection between them or with me. Jason Alexander does a good Nathan Lane impersonation but it's way too much and Lane is better. John Glover plays twin brothers, one a cranky sourpuss who desperately wants to be loved, the other a sweetheart dying of AIDS. Neither seemed real to me. The other characters were more subdued and tolerable, but they still perform like they're reciting lines; there are no pauses or nuances, their characters have no real love, valour, or compassion.

This MUST have played better on the stage, since most of the cast is from the play, but it misses the mark on the big screen. For me, it was tedious and disappointing and The Boys in the Band from 1970 is a far better film.
August 30, 2008

The Gay "on Golden Pond"

A good story, a peak back in those terrible days when there may have not been a great deal of hope for someone living with AIDS. They only thing that they could count on was each other. Of course that did not stop the ocassional personality conflicts but that is what happens when you know someone for a decade or two.
August 06, 2007

it is worth it

this shows you the life and love of friends through two meetins at a house and what happens when they cheat and go off on there own
July 08, 2007

Get this film! It's terrific.

I loved this film. Extremely good, touching, and accessible to all audiences.

I usually steer clear of any one film, which focuses too much - specifically on any one single demographic (e.g. black women, gay men, white republicans, etc.) Personally I like life to be more "mixed up"; a rich soup of all types of different combinations & flavors. So I had reservations about this movie going in.

"Love! Valour! Compassion!" surprised me. It really did. What a terrific film this is!

Production was SOLID. Good camera, good lighting, good sound, good scenery, nicely written script - the story keeps moving, never dull. The characters are meaningful, engaging & realistic. Most were good people; but occasionally imperfect; just like real-life. I love this quality in a film!

But this film is not just exclusively intended for gay men only. This movie should be seen by everyone. Male, female, gay, straight, or side-ways - and all points in between - anyone who appreciates such humane & grounded concepts as love, valour & compassion.

July 07, 2007

Intimacy of the Stage doesn't translate to the screen

This is not a bad film; production values are reasonably high, especially the gorgeous cinematography. Terrence McNally's talky play simply doesn't have the same impact. Still, the cast is attractive, and each character maintains a sense of individuality. Most impressive is John Glover's magnificent performance(s) in dual roles. It could easily have resulted in some atrocious over-acing, but Glover keeps it centered and simple. His performance alone is the best reason to watch this film.
May 12, 2007

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