In the pantheon of gay movies, there is one subgenre-the coming out story-which has been put on screen more than any other. Young, old, accepting, intolerant, happily ever after, tragic endings, unrequited loves, bliss…there´s not a stone which hasn´t been turned over in hopes of a fresh take on the story. Foreign varieties of the coming out story feel that by adding a new locale or a slight twist on the tale, the audience will get something new out of it. Alas, nine times out of ten, it´s the same old story dressed in the same clothes. Maybe a different color or slightly shorter or tighter, but the same clothes.
Midget Hollows lives a quiet life in Australia, surfing with his friends and generally keeping out of trouble. When his best friends gay brother, Cass, returns home, the two begin a closeted affair in plain sight of everyone in town. With Midget´s newfound homosexuality and Cass´s penchant for finding trouble, can these two have an honest relationship? Or is nothing more than a summer fling?
It´s heartening when one person is the creative force behind any sort of filmed entertainment. There is one vision, one set of guiding principles. But there are also problems with a movie being a one man show, as in the case of "Tan Lines." First and foremost, as we´re told several times in the director´s commentary, Ed Aldridge (who also served as writer, producer and cinematographer, in addition to director) has no idea why he did certain things. There are scenes he shot and ended up using in the film-such as the shower sequence-he has no good justification for. That´s what is most maddening about "Tan Lines": with a system of checks and balances in place to make sure the movie stayed on point, it might have stood a chance of being remembered. As is, it´s a grown man´s fantasy.
A key ingredient in any film is a protagonist the audience can root for. Whether it be a hero railing against an injustice or a heroine standing up for herself, a character needs to emotionally "get" to the audience and make them care. Our young Mr. Hollows, the protagonist here, engenders no such compassion or loyalty. And that´s where the film´s most spectacular failing takes place.
It´s as if Aldridge followed Midget (played by Jack Baxter) around with a video camera, taking in everything the boy did for a period of time. "Tan Lines" is a series of scenes trying to tell a story, yet never sure what it really wants to do or be. Most of that is the director´s fault; he mentions several times how this person or that is a personal friend of his and participated in the film because of that friendship. It is terribly apparent since "Tan Lines" doesn´t have the polish to it a professional film would, either in look or in execution.
Baxter, as the lead, does a good enough job with what he´s given, especially when the story takes a bizarre left turn near the middle with performing cunnilingus on a female friend to teach her about composure. You feel sorry for the actor and the character for having to be in this particular situation. He´s trying to learn about his own homosexuality, yet he´s literally face to face with the desire of male heterosexuality. There could be an analysis of this scene…however, as with other aspects of the film, the only analysis Aldridge can offer up is a "Great Expectations" homage of sorts.
I keep going back to the commentary and using it to critique the film. Maybe that´s unfair, but it is the only understanding we have about what is on screen. Why are a group of old people running around, drunk and nearly naked at night? He doesn´t know; it looks cool, maybe? That´s the overriding theme in "Tan Lines": you don´t have to know why you do something. Just do it and take the consequences as they come. Cass and a teacher had an affair? All Cass has to do is run away and the teacher keeps his job. His parents come home and give him a guilt trip for being gone so long? That´s their only reaction? Midget and that teacher make out in a public shower and Cass beats him up? It just doesn´t make any sense.
This could have been a wildly successful film, exploring the bonds of friendship through the coming out process in a culture that is not American. Or even through the surfer culture. (Another of Aldridge´s claims is that he doesn´t smoke, but if a person does, he thinks they´re cool.) Hell, if he had stuck to what might have been the premise of the movie-showing the events in a documentary fashion, allowing the audience to judge-"Tan Lines" would have turned out more focused than the eventual end product. There´s a moment after Cass and Midget engage in unprotected anal sex when Midget thinks he sees sperm in the toilet. In a reality-based movie, the shot makes no sense. Yet the director says it´s something all gay men do after being penetrated for their first time. Had this been a pure fantasy, the sperm swimming around could have had a deeper meaning. But in the end, it all falls back on Aldridge and his inability to really understand any of his own characters, chief among them his protagonist.
Midget Hollows lives a quiet life in Australia, surfing with his friends and generally keeping out of trouble. When his best friends gay brother, Cass, returns home, the two begin a closeted affair in plain sight of everyone in town. With Midget´s newfound homosexuality and Cass´s penchant for finding trouble, can these two have an honest relationship? Or is nothing more than a summer fling?
It´s heartening when one person is the creative force behind any sort of filmed entertainment. There is one vision, one set of guiding principles. But there are also problems with a movie being a one man show, as in the case of "Tan Lines." First and foremost, as we´re told several times in the director´s commentary, Ed Aldridge (who also served as writer, producer and cinematographer, in addition to director) has no idea why he did certain things. There are scenes he shot and ended up using in the film-such as the shower sequence-he has no good justification for. That´s what is most maddening about "Tan Lines": with a system of checks and balances in place to make sure the movie stayed on point, it might have stood a chance of being remembered. As is, it´s a grown man´s fantasy.
A key ingredient in any film is a protagonist the audience can root for. Whether it be a hero railing against an injustice or a heroine standing up for herself, a character needs to emotionally "get" to the audience and make them care. Our young Mr. Hollows, the protagonist here, engenders no such compassion or loyalty. And that´s where the film´s most spectacular failing takes place.
It´s as if Aldridge followed Midget (played by Jack Baxter) around with a video camera, taking in everything the boy did for a period of time. "Tan Lines" is a series of scenes trying to tell a story, yet never sure what it really wants to do or be. Most of that is the director´s fault; he mentions several times how this person or that is a personal friend of his and participated in the film because of that friendship. It is terribly apparent since "Tan Lines" doesn´t have the polish to it a professional film would, either in look or in execution.
Baxter, as the lead, does a good enough job with what he´s given, especially when the story takes a bizarre left turn near the middle with performing cunnilingus on a female friend to teach her about composure. You feel sorry for the actor and the character for having to be in this particular situation. He´s trying to learn about his own homosexuality, yet he´s literally face to face with the desire of male heterosexuality. There could be an analysis of this scene…however, as with other aspects of the film, the only analysis Aldridge can offer up is a "Great Expectations" homage of sorts.
I keep going back to the commentary and using it to critique the film. Maybe that´s unfair, but it is the only understanding we have about what is on screen. Why are a group of old people running around, drunk and nearly naked at night? He doesn´t know; it looks cool, maybe? That´s the overriding theme in "Tan Lines": you don´t have to know why you do something. Just do it and take the consequences as they come. Cass and a teacher had an affair? All Cass has to do is run away and the teacher keeps his job. His parents come home and give him a guilt trip for being gone so long? That´s their only reaction? Midget and that teacher make out in a public shower and Cass beats him up? It just doesn´t make any sense.
This could have been a wildly successful film, exploring the bonds of friendship through the coming out process in a culture that is not American. Or even through the surfer culture. (Another of Aldridge´s claims is that he doesn´t smoke, but if a person does, he thinks they´re cool.) Hell, if he had stuck to what might have been the premise of the movie-showing the events in a documentary fashion, allowing the audience to judge-"Tan Lines" would have turned out more focused than the eventual end product. There´s a moment after Cass and Midget engage in unprotected anal sex when Midget thinks he sees sperm in the toilet. In a reality-based movie, the shot makes no sense. Yet the director says it´s something all gay men do after being penetrated for their first time. Had this been a pure fantasy, the sperm swimming around could have had a deeper meaning. But in the end, it all falls back on Aldridge and his inability to really understand any of his own characters, chief among them his protagonist.
In the pantheon of gay movies, there is one subgenre-the coming out story-which has been put on screen more than any other. Young, old, accepting, intolerant, happily ever after, tragic endings, unrequited loves, bliss…there´s not a stone which hasn´t been turned over in hopes of a fresh take on the story. Foreign varieties of the coming out story feel that by adding a new locale or a slight twist on the tale, the audience will get something new out of it. Alas, nine times out of ten, it´s the same old story dressed in the same clothes. Maybe a different color or slightly shorter or tighter, but the same clothes.
Midget Hollows lives a quiet life in Australia, surfing with his friends and generally keeping out of trouble. When his best friends gay brother, Cass, returns home, the two begin a closeted affair in plain sight of everyone in town. With Midget´s newfound homosexuality and Cass´s penchant for finding trouble, can these two have an honest relationship? Or is nothing more than a summer fling?
It´s heartening when one person is the creative force behind any sort of filmed entertainment. There is one vision, one set of guiding principles. But there are also problems with a movie being a one man show, as in the case of "Tan Lines." First and foremost, as we´re told several times in the director´s commentary, Ed Aldridge (who also served as writer, producer and cinematographer, in addition to director) has no idea why he did certain things. There are scenes he shot and ended up using in the film-such as the shower sequence-he has no good justification for. That´s what is most maddening about "Tan Lines": with a system of checks and balances in place to make sure the movie stayed on point, it might have stood a chance of being remembered. As is, it´s a grown man´s fantasy.
A key ingredient in any film is a protagonist the audience can root for. Whether it be a hero railing against an injustice or a heroine standing up for herself, a character needs to emotionally "get" to the audience and make them care. Our young Mr. Hollows, the protagonist here, engenders no such compassion or loyalty. And that´s where the film´s most spectacular failing takes place.
It´s as if Aldridge followed Midget (played by Jack Baxter) around with a video camera, taking in everything the boy did for a period of time. "Tan Lines" is a series of scenes trying to tell a story, yet never sure what it really wants to do or be. Most of that is the director´s fault; he mentions several times how this person or that is a personal friend of his and participated in the film because of that friendship. It is terribly apparent since "Tan Lines" doesn´t have the polish to it a professional film would, either in look or in execution.
Baxter, as the lead, does a good enough job with what he´s given, especially when the story takes a bizarre left turn near the middle with performing cunnilingus on a female friend to teach her about composure. You feel sorry for the actor and the character for having to be in this particular situation. He´s trying to learn about his own homosexuality, yet he´s literally face to face with the desire of male heterosexuality. There could be an analysis of this scene…however, as with other aspects of the film, the only analysis Aldridge can offer up is a "Great Expectations" homage of sorts.
I keep going back to the commentary and using it to critique the film. Maybe that´s unfair, but it is the only understanding we have about what is on screen. Why are a group of old people running around, drunk and nearly naked at night? He doesn´t know; it looks cool, maybe? That´s the overriding theme in "Tan Lines": you don´t have to know why you do something. Just do it and take the consequences as they come. Cass and a teacher had an affair? All Cass has to do is run away and the teacher keeps his job. His parents come home and give him a guilt trip for being gone so long? That´s their only reaction? Midget and that teacher make out in a public shower and Cass beats him up? It just doesn´t make any sense.
This could have been a wildly successful film, exploring the bonds of friendship through the coming out process in a culture that is not American. Or even through the surfer culture. (Another of Aldridge´s claims is that he doesn´t smoke, but if a person does, he thinks they´re cool.) Hell, if he had stuck to what might have been the premise of the movie-showing the events in a documentary fashion, allowing the audience to judge-"Tan Lines" would have turned out more focused than the eventual end product. There´s a moment after Cass and Midget engage in unprotected anal sex when Midget thinks he sees sperm in the toilet. In a reality-based movie, the shot makes no sense. Yet the director says it´s something all gay men do after being penetrated for their first time. Had this been a pure fantasy, the sperm swimming around could have had a deeper meaning. But in the end, it all falls back on Aldridge and his inability to really understand any of his own characters, chief among them his protagonist.
Midget Hollows lives a quiet life in Australia, surfing with his friends and generally keeping out of trouble. When his best friends gay brother, Cass, returns home, the two begin a closeted affair in plain sight of everyone in town. With Midget´s newfound homosexuality and Cass´s penchant for finding trouble, can these two have an honest relationship? Or is nothing more than a summer fling?
It´s heartening when one person is the creative force behind any sort of filmed entertainment. There is one vision, one set of guiding principles. But there are also problems with a movie being a one man show, as in the case of "Tan Lines." First and foremost, as we´re told several times in the director´s commentary, Ed Aldridge (who also served as writer, producer and cinematographer, in addition to director) has no idea why he did certain things. There are scenes he shot and ended up using in the film-such as the shower sequence-he has no good justification for. That´s what is most maddening about "Tan Lines": with a system of checks and balances in place to make sure the movie stayed on point, it might have stood a chance of being remembered. As is, it´s a grown man´s fantasy.
A key ingredient in any film is a protagonist the audience can root for. Whether it be a hero railing against an injustice or a heroine standing up for herself, a character needs to emotionally "get" to the audience and make them care. Our young Mr. Hollows, the protagonist here, engenders no such compassion or loyalty. And that´s where the film´s most spectacular failing takes place.
It´s as if Aldridge followed Midget (played by Jack Baxter) around with a video camera, taking in everything the boy did for a period of time. "Tan Lines" is a series of scenes trying to tell a story, yet never sure what it really wants to do or be. Most of that is the director´s fault; he mentions several times how this person or that is a personal friend of his and participated in the film because of that friendship. It is terribly apparent since "Tan Lines" doesn´t have the polish to it a professional film would, either in look or in execution.
Baxter, as the lead, does a good enough job with what he´s given, especially when the story takes a bizarre left turn near the middle with performing cunnilingus on a female friend to teach her about composure. You feel sorry for the actor and the character for having to be in this particular situation. He´s trying to learn about his own homosexuality, yet he´s literally face to face with the desire of male heterosexuality. There could be an analysis of this scene…however, as with other aspects of the film, the only analysis Aldridge can offer up is a "Great Expectations" homage of sorts.
I keep going back to the commentary and using it to critique the film. Maybe that´s unfair, but it is the only understanding we have about what is on screen. Why are a group of old people running around, drunk and nearly naked at night? He doesn´t know; it looks cool, maybe? That´s the overriding theme in "Tan Lines": you don´t have to know why you do something. Just do it and take the consequences as they come. Cass and a teacher had an affair? All Cass has to do is run away and the teacher keeps his job. His parents come home and give him a guilt trip for being gone so long? That´s their only reaction? Midget and that teacher make out in a public shower and Cass beats him up? It just doesn´t make any sense.
This could have been a wildly successful film, exploring the bonds of friendship through the coming out process in a culture that is not American. Or even through the surfer culture. (Another of Aldridge´s claims is that he doesn´t smoke, but if a person does, he thinks they´re cool.) Hell, if he had stuck to what might have been the premise of the movie-showing the events in a documentary fashion, allowing the audience to judge-"Tan Lines" would have turned out more focused than the eventual end product. There´s a moment after Cass and Midget engage in unprotected anal sex when Midget thinks he sees sperm in the toilet. In a reality-based movie, the shot makes no sense. Yet the director says it´s something all gay men do after being penetrated for their first time. Had this been a pure fantasy, the sperm swimming around could have had a deeper meaning. But in the end, it all falls back on Aldridge and his inability to really understand any of his own characters, chief among them his protagonist.
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