The Trip (2002)

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Fantastic!

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.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

i am really touched by this film, which, in others' opinions, might not be a very good one. through the whole movie, i was always hoping the two guys could be together living a peaceful and happy life. but what they do in this film are out of the ordinary, a public writer and a gay-right activist. this made their life much harder than the average, because they received much more attention from the outside. i like the role of tommy, who is so brave to fight for his life, for what he was born to be, and for what is originally not his very choice. i can feel that his love was so deep, and this even made me a little bit jealous of their relationship which i do not have now. i do hate the ending, which was so tragic. if a film is to teach us how to give love and take love, why it needs to be sorrow in the end? why it is not good for every couple to get their happiness?

We have seen this before; it is known as "a very special episode," or at least it is when it pops up on TV sitcoms. It is when the comedy suddenly gets serious or the comedy disappears completely so that a sermon and platitude can be served up. It happens unfortunately in even the best of sitcoms; actors who obviously are intelligent, talented and charismatic, comfortably playing characters who are interesting and ingratiating, suddenly have to pander to some misbegotten need to "get real" and educate the viewer. The jokey attitude and contrived situations that somehow are acceptable in a comedy, become transparent when applied to the attempts at dramatic honesty. Even a bad sitcom can be funny, but there is nothing worse than a bad "serious" sitcom.At first it seems as though THE TRIP can slip by solely on the charms of its two protagonists. One is Alan Oakley, a pleasant, nerdy, somewhat goofy, wannabe writer, who claims to have a purely journalistic interest in exploring "the homosexual lifestyle," since he also claims to be both straight and a Republican. He crosses paths with Tommy Ballenger, an idealistic, no-nonsense gay activist who wants to explore more than just Alan's lifestyle. The story begins in 1973 when everyone is on shaky ground when it comes to gay protocol. Thus, whether he knows it or not, Alan is something of a tease in the way he pursues Tommy's friendship, and a lustful Tommy is left uncertain if he is being the prey or the predator in this vague game of cat and mouse.Despite an amateur sitcom-like script by writer/director Miles Swain, the story draws you in, thanks largely to the chemistry between Larry Sullivan as Alan and Steve Braun as Tommy. Their mating ritual is sweetly awkward and it amuses, even as it is apparent that their coy flirtations are far from spontaneous. THE TRIP seems to be charting a course along the familiar road of a typical opposites-attract movie romance, albeit from a gay perspective, but Swain seems as uncertain about his intentions as Alan does about his homosexuality.So the film breaks down into three episodes and the story jumps ahead in time and makes desperate attempts at being serious, first in 1977 during the Anita Bryant years and then again in 1984 during the early outbreaks of AIDS. The clumsy attempts at being a romantic comedy ("It's my parents! Quick hide in the closet!") fall by the wayside as THE TRIP makes even clumsier attempts at political statements. Telling their story against the panorama of the gay rights movement is a great idea, but like those "very special episodes," THE TRIP unsuccessfully tries to shift from funny to poignant, but hasn't built up the necessary supply of good will to justify the demands on the audience.As THE TRIP goes from sitcom to soap opera to unbelievable melodrama, Alan and Tommy find themselves at the mercy of convoluted plot twists that just don't make a lot of sense. The film can't pull off trying to have it both ways, being seriously sentimental and outrageously funny; as the road gets bumpier, Swain's sometimes desperate attempts at humor just aren't enough to absorb the shocks.Good traveling companions certainly can help. Most are broad clichés (Jill St. John as Alan's boozy mom, Sirena Irwin as the kooky fag hag, Alexis Arquette as, once again, a swishy party boy, etc.), but Sullivan and Braun sidestep the stereotypes and play nicely realized characters. They both have a flair for comedy and even overcome the heavy-handed drama well enough to make you care. Sullivan in particular gives an endearing performance as a man who isn't quite prepared to be swept up by love or social revolution. He more than anything else makes THE TRIP worth taking.

As a gay man I was totally floored by the performances in the movie, "The Trip." In particular, the acting of Steve Braun (Tommy Ballenger) and Larry Sullivan (Alan Oakley) was magnificent. I've watched the DVD now at least fifteen times. I've even had straight friends watch it with me who thoroughly enjoyed it as well.Steve Braun is definitely stunning to look at and his range of emotions shown through Tommy is absolutely brilliant. I just can't seem to get enough of him in "The Trip." If you rent the DVD, make sure you check out all of the "special features," but particularly the one with the characters commenting throughout the film. It was really interesting hearing all of the particulars that took place while doing the actual filming of the movie. Kudos to Miles Swain (writer and director) for this warm, beautifully written and poignant love story.

THE TRIP Aspect ratio: 1.85:1Sound format: StereoThe relationship between a free-spirited gay activist (Steve Braun) and a conservative closet-case (Larry Sullivan) is tested to breaking point during the political turbulence of the 1970's and reaches a bittersweet conclusion during the Reaganite 80's, when AIDS begins to decimate the gay community.Miles Swain's warm-hearted comedy-drama ploughs a far-reaching furrow through two decades of gay liberation. As the opposites who attract each other against their better judgment, Braun (EVERYBODY'S DOING IT) and Sullivan (FORBIDDEN CITY) are perfectly matched, and both young men are profoundly altered by their burgeoning love for one another, while an eccentric supporting cast spins a magical web around them, including former Bond girl Jill St. John (DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER) as Sullivan's daffy, kleptomaniac mother, veteran character actor Ray Baker (WHAT LIES BENEATH) as the scheming politician who covets Sullivan for his own bed, Sirena Irwin (TV's "Stripperella") as a bubble-headed blonde who is forced to step aside as the two main men in her life begin to fall in love with each other, and the ubiquitous Alexis Arquette (I THINK I DO) as an activist more interested in bedding guys than changing the world. The fads and fashions of ages past are exploited to the hilt by costume designers Kristen Anacker and Cherie Sevilla Granger and art directors David Touster and Donna Willinsky, while the changing political landscape is charted through a series of contemporary news clips (including the glorious moment when Anita Bryant was ambushed during a live TV broadcast!). Best of all, the romance between Braun and Sullivan is depicted with heartfelt sincerity, making their final scenes together all the more tender and poignant.For all its good intentions, however, the movie is weakened by a significant flaw: Despite Swain's clever screenplay (loaded with fruity one-liners), his depiction of Braun's activism is both underwritten and underplayed, resulting in a narrative imbalance which fails to convey the zest and forcefulness that characterized the gay liberation movement of the 1970's. Braun does his best with the material - he and Sullivan give fine performances in their own right - but his character lacks the sheer dynamism that might have elevated proceedings to a whole new level of achievement. Despite its flaws, however, THE TRIP is one of the most romantic gay films to emerge from independent US cinema in many years, and is heartily recommended. Lovely music score by Steven Chesne.