Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing was one of the first gay films I ever saw and to this day it ranks as my absolute favorite. Sure, there are others that rank up there but as a whole this one is my favorite. From it's tender love story to the colorful supporting characters to the soundtrack made up entirely of Cass Elliot songs, it's impossible to resist this film's many charms.

Jamie (played by Glen Berry) is a quiet and sensitive young man who lives with his single mother in a south-east London housing estate with his mother, Sandra (played by Linda Henry). They get along well enough but can butt heads from time to time. Sandra works as a bartender and is trying to land a chance to manage her own pub and hopefully create a better life for herself and Jamie, while also dating a hipster half her age, Tony (played by Ben Daniels). Next door lives Ste (played by Scott Neal), who lives with his abusive and alcoholic father and older brother who isn't much better. One night on her way home, Sandra finds a distressed Ste (which is short for Steven, by the way) and takes him home to stay at their place. With nowhere else to sleep, he winds up sharing a bed with Jamie. Even though the two had always been classmates and neighbors, the two begin to form a closer bond when they are alone together and as a result start falling for one another, even if Ste is hesitant to admit his feelings right away for fear of what his brother and father would think. 

The film is written by Jonathan Harvey and based on his stage play of the same name. It's a fantastic piece of work with the lovely romance of Jamie and Ste played against the stark backdrop of lower class London. Both Glen Berry and Scott Neal do a great job as Jamie and Ste and watching their little romance blossom is simply sweet and maybe a little magical. There is a scene in the film I absolutely adore where Jamie and Ste are chasing each other through a park at night. Jamie gets tired and rests against a tree and Ste walks over and kisses him, all to the sounds of Cass Elliot's "Make Your Own Kind of Music." It's just perfection and wonderfully directed by Hettie Macdonald. I still can't listen to that song and not think of that scene, they're that perfectly matched. 

The film is also filled with colorful characters, including the frequently intoxicated, Mama Cass Elliot loving Leah (played by Tameka Empson), who at times damn near steals the show. I also really appreciated the mother lion portrayal of Sandra. Linda Henry really lets that feeling shine through her portrayal. She may be a little rough around the edges, but you know she would do anything to protect her son. 

There is just something about this film that I have always really loved. It's a sweet and endearing film that I just can't resist filled with a great cast of actors and a strong script to back it all up. It's my all time favorite LGBT film and one that I have seen many, many times over the years.