Product: Jeffrey [VHS] (1995)
Rating: 3.0
Think about this movie....
I saw this movie and enjoyed it immensely the first time. It was funny, I liked Patrick Stewart's over-the-top performance, and hey, the leads aren't bad to look at. But then the more I thought about this movie the more I came away from it with problems about the way gay men are portrayed in this film.My primary discontent with this movie is Jeffrey's conception of "love." Jeffrey swears off of dating just because he's afraid of the potential consequences of sex -- as if love and sex are so absolutely intertwined that one really cannot exist without the other. Jeffrey basically says "why bother to meet new people if I know I will be refusing to have sex with them?" There's no hint of him even considering that there may be more to men than rock-hard abs and what's between their legs.Then he meets up with this hot guy at the gym. The sexual tension between the two is palpable, but because of Jeffrey's new resolution, he's determined to head it off at the pass. But he can't... because his new friend is *just so hot.* Heck, they kiss within five minutes of meeting each other.What does that say about gay men? Jeffrey's pledge is broken not because he's met a *great* guy, it's broken because he's met a *hot* guy. This just further reinforces that notion that men need nothing but the sexual appeal to sustain a "relationship."Indeed, very little of this movie shows us anything about the two main characters actually learning anything about the other's personality or character or values or morals or anything. All they seem to know about each other is that they are sexually attracted to each other.So, yes, it's a fun movie to watch. Its initial appeal is amusing. But following that, if you think too much (like I apparently do), it can get difficult to accept.