Jeffrey (1995)

Jeffrey should have been a major massive blockbuster, a sure-fire smash hit, just take a look at some of the names on the cast, Christine Baranski, Patrick Stewart, Sigourney Weaver, Kathy Najimy, Nathan Lane and Olympia Dukakis, yet it failed to set the queer or the straight world alight. Jeffrey a gay romantic comedy from America came out in 1995/6 and was based on a Paul Rudnick play about a young gay New York guy who considers sex is too dangerous in the days of AIDS and commits to a life of celibacy. Just to throw a spanner in the works and pad the film out another hour he meets the man of his dreams, whom surprise surprise just happens to be HIV+.It starred Steven Weber who was nice enough as the insipid Jeffrey an actor/waiter who is supposed to be AIDSaphobic, which just does not wash. Michael T. Weissis handsome and some nice eye-candy but you just wish he would get on and so something, anything as this film drags on and on and ever on. It would have been a total flop and dire mess on the floor of movie history were it not for the dozens of big names doing small cameos - Olympia Dukakis, Robert Klein, Nathan Lane, Kathy Najimy, Kevin Nealon, Ethan Phillips, Sigourney Weaver and Christine Baranski for example. Read more and find out where this film made it in the Top 50 Most Influential Gay Movies of All Time book, click this link.http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007FU7HPO

When Rudnick's right, he's unbeatable (Addams Family Values, In & Out) and when he's not, he reeks (Isn't She Great). Not having seen Jeffrey as a play, I can't attest to its workability in that form, but as a film, it never really gets off the ground. But as a series of loosely-connected vignettes, it's entertaining.The cameos by various stars are very good; Patrick Stewart's performance outshines the vehicle; and a number of trenchant points about America's ongoing confusion about sexuality are made.I have to keep writing because there's a minimum number of lines of text, which is a completely stupid rule.

I met Jeffrey quite by accident, when I was searching frantically for anything by the late cabaret singer, Nancy Lamott, whose "On the Way to your Heart" is a brief, but outstanding song among many in the film. Nowhere could I find that she had recorded this song to CD, so I purchased the movie, just to obtain the song. What a terrific find in every way! The story and performances are wonderful, and every piece of the music is to die for. (I later located and purchased a CD of the Jeffrey soundtrack, and also bought another copy of the movie - as much as I have watched and re-watched, the first one is sure to wear out!) While I don't think Jeffrey is considered a "musical" in the true sense of the word, I would classify it as that, just because the music is such an integral part of the story and serves as a perfect bridge from one scene to the next.If you are a Nancy Lamott fan or just love great music (there is also an especially memorable performance by Connie Petruk, among others), I highly recommend you look into Jeffrey. For me the movie was a bonus; a real treat that I didn't even think I'd be interested in. It's now one of my all-time favorites and I'd love to let everyone in on it, not only because it's a great movie, but also to continue to share the musical legacy of the beautiful and amazing Nancy Lamott, whom I discovered only about two months before her untimely death in late 1995. Get the movie (and the music). You won't be disappointed.

This was a very well thought out, film and one that deals with a tough subject quite soft-heartedly, but at the same time giving it the gravity that it requires. The acting I found to be very good, with convincing performances all round and great kudos to those who took part.This film is IMMENSELY funny and had me in stitches,something that has not happened in a long time! I would recommend the film for that quality alone, however the fact that interwoven in the humour are also some very hard hitting scenes, the death of Darius and the attempted queer bashing for example, to name but two. Both scenes make one think what one might do in that situation, especially the queer bashing scene. What would I say if in that situation, the pain resulting of saying the truth or the pain of not admitting it? A thoroughly enjoyable film, I recommend it very much to fans of this genre! A real gem!