Get Real (film)
| Get Real | |
|---|---|
| File:Get Real.jpg Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Simon Shore |
| Screenplay by | Patrick Wilde |
| Produced by | Stephen Taylor Patricia Carr Helena Spring Anant Singh |
| Starring | Ben Silverstone Brad Gorton Charlotte Brittain |
| Cinematography | Alan Almond |
| Edited by | Barrie Vince |
| Music by | John Luna |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Alliance Atlantis (UK) Paramount Classics |
Release dates | April 30, 1999 (US) May 14, 1999 (UK) |
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Template:FilmUK |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.2 million |
| Box office | $1,152,979 |
Get Real is a 1998 British drama film directed by Simon Shore, based on the play What's Wrong With Angry? by screenwriter Patrick Wilde. The plot is about gay teenager Steven Carter's coming out to the world. The film was shot in and around Basingstoke, England.
Plot
Steven Carter (Ben Silverstone) is a sixteen-year-old middle-class schoolboy: intelligent and good-looking, but unathletic and introverted. Bullied at school, misunderstood at home, his only confidant is his neighbor and best friend, Linda (Charlotte Brittain), and his only sexual outlet is cruising the local park toilet.
Things become complicated when Steven is propositioned there by, as it turns out, John Dixon (Brad Gorton), the school's head boy and handsome sports star, whom Steven had admired from afar. Both boys are mortified, but Steven is open to John about being gay, and John, intrigued, follows him home. John at first advances on Steven, but then panics and flees. At school, he cuts Steven off.
Drunk after a school ball, however, John comes to Steven's house and tells him of a previous homosexual encounter and of his own sexual confusion. The boys kiss, and then spend the weekend together at Steven's house. They are soon deeply attracted to each other; but to Steven's dismay John insists that their relationship must remain secret. Steven, embittered, writes for the school magazine an anonymous article about the anguish of being a gay teenager. The police just miss Steven and John having sex in the woods, but catch Steven and take him home to his parents; his mother now begins to have an inkling of the truth. When John sees his girlfriend again, Steven is so upset that he makes John declare his love for him and promise to acknowledge him at school. The boys begin to grow very close, and spend another weekend together, this time at John's house.
Jessica (Stacy A. Hart), a classmate who is herself attracted to Steven, stumbles upon evidence of his authorship of the magazine article. It is censored by the headmaster, but accurate rumours about it heighten John's fear for his secret. John tells his father he does not know Steven; but Steven has told John's mother he spent the weekend at the Dixons' house. John so panics that the star athlete loses his final race. Afterwards he confronts Steven in the locker room; when John leaves, Steven tears John's shirt in passion; two bullies see this and lay into him, but John interrupts and sends them out; and then John and Steven fool the bullies by playfully faking sounds of a beating. They are about to kiss when the bullies unexpectedly return. John then feels he really must be seen to be beating Steven. He throws him onto the floor and kicks him.
Steven is bruised in both body and soul when he comes to the ceremony at which he is to receive the prize for a newspaper competition. At the microphone, before a large audience of school and parents, instead of a word of thanks for his prize he emotionally comes out. He looks to John for support, but John refuses it. Steven leaves to a standing ovation and is greeted by his mother and by Jessica and Linda. John is shattered. Steven finds him on a bench outside the school. John apologises, and says he has never loved anyone so much. But Steven insists that his coming out must force them now to be open. John being still unable to come to terms, Steven wishes him happiness in his life, and walks away to his own.
Cast
- Ben Silverstone as Steven Carter
- Brad Gorton as John Dixon
- Charlotte Brittain as Linda
- Stacy A. Hart as Jessica
- Kate McEnery as Wendy
- Patrick Nielsen as Mark Watkins
- Tim Harris as Kevin Grainger
- Jacquetta May as Mrs. Carter
- David Lumsden as Mr. Carter
- David Elliot as Glen Armstrong
- Louise J. Taylor as Christina Lindmann
Reception
The film ranked number 34 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.
The film was well-received by many critics, and subsequently nominated for eight awards, and won six, including the British Independent Film Award 1999.
References
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External links
- Get Real at IMDb
- Get Real at Box Office Mojo
