Todd’s life spins out of control when an unexpected friendship with a gay man causes everyone in his life to start believing he’s gay. Do they know something he doesn’t?
Coffee Date (2006)
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First of all, get this straight (no pun intended). Coffee Date is NOT a movie about yet another gay man hopelessly in love with a straight man (not that there’s anything wrong with that–Who hasn’t been there, done that–and maybe more than once?) What Coffee Date is is a deliciously funny and frequently touching comedic examination of the nature of friendship and love and sexual orientation with some of the best writing/performances in indie gay cinema in recent memory.
Coffee Date started as a 17 minute short (the first 17 minutes of the feature) about an Internet blind date that goes unexpectedly and disastrously wrong (as a date) but ends up being the meet cute beginning of a beautiful friendship. Writer/Director Stewart Wade has done the seemingly impossible by expanding his short into a feature, and moving the friendship between Todd and Kelly in many different (and mostly unpredictable) directions, involving Kelly’s fag hag best friend/roommate and Todd’s slacker brother, with a surprise of his own to reveal, as well as hilarious appearances by Todd’s oh so supportive mother, Todd’s there’s-not-a-gay-man-I-can’t-seduce coworker Melissa, and a host of others.
This comedy of errors would end as soon as it started if only Todd’s family and friend’s would listen to him when he tells them he’s straight. But of course, being a movie, they never do, and his life as a “gay” man keeps getting crazier and crazier. Meanwhile, Kelly must cope with the reality that when love for a soul mate of a best friend is combined with physical attraction, someone is going to get hurt…
No more plot revelations here, so as not to move into the realm of spoilers, but plenty of praise for all concerned.
As previously stated, Stewart Wade is an upcoming talent to be reckoned with. A+ for his writing/directing. He’s got a lot more wonderful films in him!
A+ also to Stewart for casting the wonderful Wilson Cruz, openly gay in his career since his teenage days on My So Called Life, in the starring role of Kelly (of the unisex name). Not only does Stewart give Wilson the big fat leading role he so richly deserves, but he has the guts (and the wisdom) to realize that no, unlike Brokeback Mountain, this film just wouldn’t work if a straight actor were playing Kelly. Wilson is sexy and funny, and superb at the more dramatic moments. He gives the performance of his career so far.
In the same vein, kudos to Stewart for discovering Jonathan Bray. At the Outfest Q&A, Stewart said that Jonathan was his immediate choice for the role the role of Todd from his first audition. Here is an actor comfortable enough in his own heterosexuality to explore a straight man’s possible attraction to another man, at some level, maybe even physical. He’s a leading man in the Tom Hanks/Jack Lemmon vein–good enough looking to play the lead but enough of an Everyman to inspire immediate audience empathy.
Other wonderful performances: Elaine Hendrix and Jonathan Silverman: Two underrated and underused comedic talents who steal every scene they’re in. Both of these actors so disappear into their roles that someone having seen them in something else might not recognize them at first. (I didn’t know it was Silverman till the end credits.) Sally Kirkland as Mom. Sometime a little of Sally can go a long way, but here she absolutely marvelous as the PFLAG mother every gay son wishes he had, unless he were really straight. Deborah Gibson (here’s one teen idol who’s proved she’s got legs–18 years after her debut and she’s still showing new sides of her talent.) Her end credits song is the icing on the cake of this lovely film, and if she were still in her heyday, it would be a huge hit. In fact, if there’s justice in the music world, it still will be! Jason Stewart: Another out gay comedic talent, who is funny in everything he does including his role in Coffee Date as Todd’s gay work colleague. And finally, Stewart Wade proves himself a real mensch for writing roles in Coffee Date: The Movie for the original stars of the Coffee Date: The Short (Thomas Saunders and Peter Bedard).
When I saw this film at the Showcase Theater (Outfest 2006), the theater’s projection system was apparently not equipped to show the film in its correct aspect ratio. But Coffee Date proved itself strong enough to stand up to having everyone in it stretched out to slight chubbiness. I look forward to seeing it again with properly proportioned actors! This is one I’ll be standing in line for when it (surely) gets its theatrical release and one I will surely be adding to my DVD collection.
