There is a perception in the gay community that life ends at the age of 30. The feeling is gay men loose their sexual appeal at this age, not to mention they have to have their lives figured out. If you don´t have a boyfriend by this time-and a career instead of a job-you are a failure. This is the backdrop for "29th & Gay," a comedy which follows James Sanchez (James Vasquez, who also penned the script) after his 29th birthday.
At one time aspiring to be a great actor, James finds himself a tour guide on a Hollywood studio tour, boyfriend-less and wondering where his life has gone. All he really needs is one piece of the puzzle to fall into place. But which should he focus on: love or career?
Parts of "29th & Gay" jump off the screen like a page out of the Gay Stereotype Handbook. Interest in acting? Check. Overly approving parents? Check. Best friends with a girl? Check. An inappropriate amount of worry about looks? Alright, I´ve made my point. Surprisingly, the overabundance of "been there, done that" doesn´t become tiresome; instead, it helps to frame the movie as a story we´re being told by James.
The fact of the matter is we see people and events through our own eyes. Our feelings taint the way we remember these things. And that´s exactly what happens in the movie. In an early scene at an outdoor coffee shop, James falls flat on his ass doing a bad Wonder Woman impression, only to be greeted a moment later by his crush Andy (Mike Doyle). The ensuing action is what James would have said in a perfect world; suffice to say, his imaginary response is more articulate and assured than the gobble-dy-gook which comes out of his mouth. And then he runs away. It´s a near-universal trait for us to blow up a minor incident like this into something bigger than it really was. The accident stays with James so much he is afraid to see Andy again.
Need a further example? James and his best gay friend Brandon (David McBean) venture to a clinic for an STD test. Being terrified of the test due to the needle, James sees the pointy object coming to him at least 20 times bigger than it would be in real life. To add insult to injury, in James´ eyes, she is mocking his lack of sexual activity. Unknowingly, her jabs also begin to kick start his life.
"29th and Gay" is full of these absurd situations, which seem straight out of a Looney Tunes short, yet ring true to life. In these predicaments, Vasquez never looks or feels like he´s acting; he reacts just as any of us think we react. No false bravado, no perfect speech or even perfect looks. James is an everyman, further helping the audience identify with him.
One of the only problems in the film lies in its "comedy" classification. The first half is full of laugh out loud moments (his parents buy James a sling for his birthday), yet the second half takes on an air of seriousness and superiority, as if every question raised by the story has to be resolved before the credits roll. It´s a common enough occurrence in comedies and only a few have been able to circumvent it ("Spaceballs," for instance, kept its funny bone throughout).
There´s also a completely wasted cameo by Michael Emerson (The Others leader Ben on TV´s "Lost") playing a fellow animal-suit actor. Emerson is a scary looking man and he´s relegated to dispensing advice like Yoda here. Why? Name recognition? He owed someone a favor? Any one of a dozen other actors could have filled in the suit. Had he come back later in the film, I might be able to understand. As is, wasted talent.
Another thing I found perplexing: James insists he takes one day at a time, letting things come to him and not making any long term plans. However, his actions say just the opposite of his words. He wants a boyfriend right now, the perfect career straight out of school and his dreams to appear out of thin air. For all his faults (hypochondria, neurotic), James is the stereotypical MTV Generation child: instant gratification. He wants the things he wants right now. Most of what he has to learn is to be patient, to work toward a goal and to de-stress.
A friend of mine wishes there were more gay movies where the main character ends up happy and no one dies. Sad, but true, there are few of those films in the genre out there. I don´t think it´s a spoiler to say "29th & Gay" is one of them. It is lightly frothy, yet carries the weight of expectation and disappointment.
At one time aspiring to be a great actor, James finds himself a tour guide on a Hollywood studio tour, boyfriend-less and wondering where his life has gone. All he really needs is one piece of the puzzle to fall into place. But which should he focus on: love or career?
Parts of "29th & Gay" jump off the screen like a page out of the Gay Stereotype Handbook. Interest in acting? Check. Overly approving parents? Check. Best friends with a girl? Check. An inappropriate amount of worry about looks? Alright, I´ve made my point. Surprisingly, the overabundance of "been there, done that" doesn´t become tiresome; instead, it helps to frame the movie as a story we´re being told by James.
The fact of the matter is we see people and events through our own eyes. Our feelings taint the way we remember these things. And that´s exactly what happens in the movie. In an early scene at an outdoor coffee shop, James falls flat on his ass doing a bad Wonder Woman impression, only to be greeted a moment later by his crush Andy (Mike Doyle). The ensuing action is what James would have said in a perfect world; suffice to say, his imaginary response is more articulate and assured than the gobble-dy-gook which comes out of his mouth. And then he runs away. It´s a near-universal trait for us to blow up a minor incident like this into something bigger than it really was. The accident stays with James so much he is afraid to see Andy again.
Need a further example? James and his best gay friend Brandon (David McBean) venture to a clinic for an STD test. Being terrified of the test due to the needle, James sees the pointy object coming to him at least 20 times bigger than it would be in real life. To add insult to injury, in James´ eyes, she is mocking his lack of sexual activity. Unknowingly, her jabs also begin to kick start his life.
"29th and Gay" is full of these absurd situations, which seem straight out of a Looney Tunes short, yet ring true to life. In these predicaments, Vasquez never looks or feels like he´s acting; he reacts just as any of us think we react. No false bravado, no perfect speech or even perfect looks. James is an everyman, further helping the audience identify with him.
One of the only problems in the film lies in its "comedy" classification. The first half is full of laugh out loud moments (his parents buy James a sling for his birthday), yet the second half takes on an air of seriousness and superiority, as if every question raised by the story has to be resolved before the credits roll. It´s a common enough occurrence in comedies and only a few have been able to circumvent it ("Spaceballs," for instance, kept its funny bone throughout).
There´s also a completely wasted cameo by Michael Emerson (The Others leader Ben on TV´s "Lost") playing a fellow animal-suit actor. Emerson is a scary looking man and he´s relegated to dispensing advice like Yoda here. Why? Name recognition? He owed someone a favor? Any one of a dozen other actors could have filled in the suit. Had he come back later in the film, I might be able to understand. As is, wasted talent.
Another thing I found perplexing: James insists he takes one day at a time, letting things come to him and not making any long term plans. However, his actions say just the opposite of his words. He wants a boyfriend right now, the perfect career straight out of school and his dreams to appear out of thin air. For all his faults (hypochondria, neurotic), James is the stereotypical MTV Generation child: instant gratification. He wants the things he wants right now. Most of what he has to learn is to be patient, to work toward a goal and to de-stress.
A friend of mine wishes there were more gay movies where the main character ends up happy and no one dies. Sad, but true, there are few of those films in the genre out there. I don´t think it´s a spoiler to say "29th & Gay" is one of them. It is lightly frothy, yet carries the weight of expectation and disappointment.
There is a perception in the gay community that life ends at the age of 30. The feeling is gay men loose their sexual appeal at this age, not to mention they have to have their lives figured out. If you don´t have a boyfriend by this time-and a career instead of a job-you are a failure. This is the backdrop for "29th & Gay," a comedy which follows James Sanchez (James Vasquez, who also penned the script) after his 29th birthday.
At one time aspiring to be a great actor, James finds himself a tour guide on a Hollywood studio tour, boyfriend-less and wondering where his life has gone. All he really needs is one piece of the puzzle to fall into place. But which should he focus on: love or career?
Parts of "29th & Gay" jump off the screen like a page out of the Gay Stereotype Handbook. Interest in acting? Check. Overly approving parents? Check. Best friends with a girl? Check. An inappropriate amount of worry about looks? Alright, I´ve made my point. Surprisingly, the overabundance of "been there, done that" doesn´t become tiresome; instead, it helps to frame the movie as a story we´re being told by James.
The fact of the matter is we see people and events through our own eyes. Our feelings taint the way we remember these things. And that´s exactly what happens in the movie. In an early scene at an outdoor coffee shop, James falls flat on his ass doing a bad Wonder Woman impression, only to be greeted a moment later by his crush Andy (Mike Doyle). The ensuing action is what James would have said in a perfect world; suffice to say, his imaginary response is more articulate and assured than the gobble-dy-gook which comes out of his mouth. And then he runs away. It´s a near-universal trait for us to blow up a minor incident like this into something bigger than it really was. The accident stays with James so much he is afraid to see Andy again.
Need a further example? James and his best gay friend Brandon (David McBean) venture to a clinic for an STD test. Being terrified of the test due to the needle, James sees the pointy object coming to him at least 20 times bigger than it would be in real life. To add insult to injury, in James´ eyes, she is mocking his lack of sexual activity. Unknowingly, her jabs also begin to kick start his life.
"29th and Gay" is full of these absurd situations, which seem straight out of a Looney Tunes short, yet ring true to life. In these predicaments, Vasquez never looks or feels like he´s acting; he reacts just as any of us think we react. No false bravado, no perfect speech or even perfect looks. James is an everyman, further helping the audience identify with him.
One of the only problems in the film lies in its "comedy" classification. The first half is full of laugh out loud moments (his parents buy James a sling for his birthday), yet the second half takes on an air of seriousness and superiority, as if every question raised by the story has to be resolved before the credits roll. It´s a common enough occurrence in comedies and only a few have been able to circumvent it ("Spaceballs," for instance, kept its funny bone throughout).
There´s also a completely wasted cameo by Michael Emerson (The Others leader Ben on TV´s "Lost") playing a fellow animal-suit actor. Emerson is a scary looking man and he´s relegated to dispensing advice like Yoda here. Why? Name recognition? He owed someone a favor? Any one of a dozen other actors could have filled in the suit. Had he come back later in the film, I might be able to understand. As is, wasted talent.
Another thing I found perplexing: James insists he takes one day at a time, letting things come to him and not making any long term plans. However, his actions say just the opposite of his words. He wants a boyfriend right now, the perfect career straight out of school and his dreams to appear out of thin air. For all his faults (hypochondria, neurotic), James is the stereotypical MTV Generation child: instant gratification. He wants the things he wants right now. Most of what he has to learn is to be patient, to work toward a goal and to de-stress.
A friend of mine wishes there were more gay movies where the main character ends up happy and no one dies. Sad, but true, there are few of those films in the genre out there. I don´t think it´s a spoiler to say "29th & Gay" is one of them. It is lightly frothy, yet carries the weight of expectation and disappointment.
At one time aspiring to be a great actor, James finds himself a tour guide on a Hollywood studio tour, boyfriend-less and wondering where his life has gone. All he really needs is one piece of the puzzle to fall into place. But which should he focus on: love or career?
Parts of "29th & Gay" jump off the screen like a page out of the Gay Stereotype Handbook. Interest in acting? Check. Overly approving parents? Check. Best friends with a girl? Check. An inappropriate amount of worry about looks? Alright, I´ve made my point. Surprisingly, the overabundance of "been there, done that" doesn´t become tiresome; instead, it helps to frame the movie as a story we´re being told by James.
The fact of the matter is we see people and events through our own eyes. Our feelings taint the way we remember these things. And that´s exactly what happens in the movie. In an early scene at an outdoor coffee shop, James falls flat on his ass doing a bad Wonder Woman impression, only to be greeted a moment later by his crush Andy (Mike Doyle). The ensuing action is what James would have said in a perfect world; suffice to say, his imaginary response is more articulate and assured than the gobble-dy-gook which comes out of his mouth. And then he runs away. It´s a near-universal trait for us to blow up a minor incident like this into something bigger than it really was. The accident stays with James so much he is afraid to see Andy again.
Need a further example? James and his best gay friend Brandon (David McBean) venture to a clinic for an STD test. Being terrified of the test due to the needle, James sees the pointy object coming to him at least 20 times bigger than it would be in real life. To add insult to injury, in James´ eyes, she is mocking his lack of sexual activity. Unknowingly, her jabs also begin to kick start his life.
"29th and Gay" is full of these absurd situations, which seem straight out of a Looney Tunes short, yet ring true to life. In these predicaments, Vasquez never looks or feels like he´s acting; he reacts just as any of us think we react. No false bravado, no perfect speech or even perfect looks. James is an everyman, further helping the audience identify with him.
One of the only problems in the film lies in its "comedy" classification. The first half is full of laugh out loud moments (his parents buy James a sling for his birthday), yet the second half takes on an air of seriousness and superiority, as if every question raised by the story has to be resolved before the credits roll. It´s a common enough occurrence in comedies and only a few have been able to circumvent it ("Spaceballs," for instance, kept its funny bone throughout).
There´s also a completely wasted cameo by Michael Emerson (The Others leader Ben on TV´s "Lost") playing a fellow animal-suit actor. Emerson is a scary looking man and he´s relegated to dispensing advice like Yoda here. Why? Name recognition? He owed someone a favor? Any one of a dozen other actors could have filled in the suit. Had he come back later in the film, I might be able to understand. As is, wasted talent.
Another thing I found perplexing: James insists he takes one day at a time, letting things come to him and not making any long term plans. However, his actions say just the opposite of his words. He wants a boyfriend right now, the perfect career straight out of school and his dreams to appear out of thin air. For all his faults (hypochondria, neurotic), James is the stereotypical MTV Generation child: instant gratification. He wants the things he wants right now. Most of what he has to learn is to be patient, to work toward a goal and to de-stress.
A friend of mine wishes there were more gay movies where the main character ends up happy and no one dies. Sad, but true, there are few of those films in the genre out there. I don´t think it´s a spoiler to say "29th & Gay" is one of them. It is lightly frothy, yet carries the weight of expectation and disappointment.
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