Get Real (1999)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Unlike the eccentric yet equally profound "Beautiful Thing", this British romantic drama about gay teens yells a real story about real kids who are for the most part truly believable and almost all likable. The story focuses on one shy kid, the victim of bullies, who gets a crush on the totally likable school jock and makes a surprising discovery. Natural young actors give their all, yet these aren't cardboard cut-outs but flesh and blood young people with secrets and insecurities. Even the parents are filled with multiple dimensions, and while there are some homophobic bullies, they are presented fairly as well.The acting is sublime with the two young leads attractive but not cardboard cookie cut-outs. Their desires are real, and while there is a sequence that presents an obvious carnal knowledge scenario, the way it is presented isn't done for shock, only insinuating a liaison between someone underage and an obviously older man with an obvious secret life. The ending gets truly gripping as the secrets of the supposedly straight jock are threatened with revelation. But even though there are a violent turn of events that aren't in keeping with what had come before, but they make absolute sense. The ending may have you sobbing. If just one out of ten homophobes can see this film and change their tune, then this film has done more than its duty.

This is one of the best gay coming of age drama's to come out of the British movie industry in recent times, well if 1999 can be considered recent? It created quite a stir on the film festival circuits including Edinburgh, Toronto and Sundance. Pulled in acclaim and derision in equal measure from that odd bread of human called movie critics, yet were not quite so divided and loved this kooky British story of love and coming out from 1999.Sixteen year-old lanky Steven Carter is a boy with a secret, he cannot tell anyone he likes boys and not girls, except of course his slightly chubby best pal Linda, who seems old before her years. Oh and the occasional older bloke he picks up at the various public bogs around town, just to add that sleazy aspect to gay life that movies like to hit with. He wants to be a writer (Don't we all sugar!) and is already on the school newspaper team. He also cannot tell anyone that he has the hot's for John, the school hunk and head boy, who without out a doubt would be called a jock if this were an American made picture. He's the sporty handsome guy with prospects that your mum longed for you to bring home after school or before a date, except he's straight. John's current squeeze is a model, but he is not short of admirers, seems the whole school get moist whenever he is around.Before long, John and Steven finally meet, not at school, but in the cubicle of the local cottage, weird, odd, yes, I mean how many times do you strike up relationships with people you bump into during a random fumble in the dirty park bogs? However, hey, this is fiction and these sorts of things happen, besides, it helps the story develop and I am not being harsh, just honest. So anyway, as I say they strike up a friendship away from the seedy toilet sex and I don't mean swapping Match sticker cards at break time either, it's a full on love fest. However, this is Britain, supposedly modern times, this is school and John is supposedly straight, so they've got to keep their little romantic liaison secret, but as we all know, with secrets come lies and deceit and what a tangled web we weave when trying to keep our private life away from public eyes. There is a lovely little scene at the school prop when they dance with each other with their eyes alone, in reality, they are dancing with their respective prop dates, but their eyes are locked on each other, which is both touching and oddly strange. However, things all work themselves out in the end, with a few little spills along the way. It really is a nice little film, even though I seem to knock it a bit, it has some important messages, not least when it raises the spectre of homophobic bullying and the harsh bitter reality of classroom taunts and sports field aggression. Dark and light go together in this film, with comic moments and serious situations simmer along side by side quite nicely. There are some weak jokes in the script that reply on old and overused campy gags you would expect from Julian Clary or Graham Norton. Not often will a films DVD cover give the whole game away, usually it's just a slight flavour, but Get Real seems to not want you to watch by spelling out in American lingo most of the films plots and interests on the cover 'What if you can't avoid sexuality, guilt, peer pressure, lies, bigots, rumours, misunderstandings, nerds, jocks, romance, loneliness, shame and insecurity? Your only choice is to get real. School's out and so is Steven Carter.' It is such a shame because you know it has already put half the audience off, and that is the half that would really benefit from seeing it. Get Real is a lovely film, some key issues are brushed upon; other's mysteriously absent, but on the whole an engaging movie of surprising depth. It has the ability to make you laugh aloud at the funny bits and tear up at some of the not so happy bits. I am sure the appeal of this movie has much to do with the reminiscent quality its storyline evokes in much of the collective minds of the audience. Many of us have had similar experiences at school, dealt with the same crap and overcome the taunts and teen angst as we battled our way through the choice of either staying safe and ultimately unrewarded in the closet. Alternatively, risking the abuse, possible gay bashing and isolation of coming out and being the only gay in the school. Read more and find out where this film made it in the Top 50 Most Influential Gay Movies of All Time book, search on Amazon for Top 50 Most Influential Gay Movies of All Time, or visit - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007FU7HPO

Stephen Carter (Ben Silverstone) is 16 and secretly gay. Only his best friend Linda (Charlotte Brittain) knows. He finds out hunky star athlete John Dixon (Brad Gorton) is gay too. They become lovers...but John doesn't want anyone to know and tells Stephen to keep it a secret. Stephen agrees but it's starting to tear him up inside.I saw this THREE times when it played at a small art cinema here (Massachusetts) back in 1998. It attracted a sizable crowd around here (for an R rated gay independent movie). It still works over 10 years later. It's well written and well-acted by the entire cast. Silverstone and Gorton are both str8 in real life but they play gay convincingly. Their kisses are passionate and there's one heart-breaking scene at a dance when they're dancing with their girlfriends and are looking into each others eyes sadly knowing they want to hold each other--but can't. There's nothing loud or explicit here like no nude sex scenes (how it got the R rating is beyond me). It only gets a 9 because there are a few problems. The ending seems really rushed and leaves a few plot streams hanging (mostly dealing with Gorton's character). Brittain is the comic relief and quickly becomes very annoying. These people are supposed to be 16 but it's pretty obvious they're WAY over that age! Lastly the British accents are VERY hard to understand at first. Still--well worth catching. Try to see this letterboxed--the full frame version cuts off a lot of information off the sides so some scenes play very badly--sometimes people are talking to somebody but you can't see who it is!

i think its a really good film about 2 young lads - one is totally confused about the way he feels and he's scared to admit it - its a real confidence booster to young gay males who are scared of coming out to people. the acting is great, especially for not very well known film actors - really good film - i'm so angry i didn't see it at the cinemas - going to watch it now - Ben Silverstone was really good playing Steven - especially because he's straight playing a gay character - it gives people an insight to their child's sexuality - not everyone is how you think they are - again - an excellent movie - excellent acting - great storyline - i can watch it over and over again - i don't know why people are a bit disappointed by the ending of it all - its a good way to end it - Steven coming out to the whole school while on stage wen supposed to be receiving an award. i like it that he leaves john after the whole coming out scene - john beat him in the locker room just to make it look like he wasn't 'into' Steven - John was so confused - the best part of the end is when the 'bullies' are bullying Steven and his mum walks behind them - she says something like - 'ill tell you who he is - he's my on and i'm very proud of him - and if you do anything to hurt him i'll err... have your bollocks for ear-rings - its so funny how she says that. think there should b a get real 2 (the sequel) about Stevens love life and how his school react to him being gay. would love to see john grovel as well