Get Real
Tags: queer

Plot synopsis:
A 10/10 must see/have gay film! Meet Steve - a troubled teen coming to terms with his sexuality. Taunted & bullied, fate entwines him with John the school jock who, surprisingly, is having similar feelings. So their story unravels as they try to lead double lives as what society expects of them and how they are with one another.
Get Real has an interesting take on the gay cliches without going over the top as so many do. The token female friend and her very real problems. John's, jock friends, and their denial of his sexuality. The mistaken assumption of their female friends beliving they are wanting more then just friendship.
The realness of the parents coming to terms with sexuality is portrayed effectively well. Their inner torment of what a society percieves them as and who they truthfully are is acted to the best!! This amazing coming of age story is filmed tastefully & shot with beautiful cinematography.

Review: What I didn't expect was how true to life this movie really is!"Get Real" is the story about a 16-year old gay teenager named Steven Carter (played by the boyishly adorable Ben Silverstone) who has known about himself since he was 11-years old and is perfectly fine with it.
Only his best friend Linda (Charlotte Brittain, who delivers a terrific performance) knows and is worried about Steven, due to his sexual adventures at a gay men's restroom in a park.
But one day, he unexpectedly has an encounter with the "straight" high school jock John Dixon (Brad Gorton, who plays his role of someone with much sexual confusion with complete realism) and the two boys fall in love.
Being gay is not easy these days, especially for teenagers, but we all wish we were as brave as Steven, who matures as the movie goes on and we all hope the best for him as he embarks on his emotional recovery after the end of this movie.
When you're gay, you can't have both, thanks to the homophobia which still rules athletics with an iron fist.The two main characters of this film struggle to maintain a relationship, because they are in love - yet ultimately the homophobic attitudes of the world force them to part.
A Tender, Realistic and Superb Gem. Intelligently scripted, well-crafted and exceptionally acted story of a young gay man finding his way through the adolescent wilderness.
In the good ol' USA, teenage development in movies tend to be played for laughs or for mawkish sentiment, which could propel whining into an Olympic event.In a short summation, Steve Carter, the main protagonist, finds the path to love strewn with thorns.
"The Boys in the Band" made over 30 years ago still stands out as a major gay film; indeed a sorry state of affairs.European cinema has fared far more successfully with matters gay, with such fine works as "Wild Reeds" and the outstanding "Come Undone".
It comes as much of a surprise that the stodgy British cinema should have produced some of the landmark gay movies, amongst them the brave "Victim" (1961) made when homosexuality was still against the law and John Schlesinger's fiercely intelligent "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1970).
It's not a film directed especially at gay audiences and should be seen by all, especially high school audiences for whom it should be compulsory viewing.The casting of Ben Silverstone was inspired.
It could have gone very wrong in lesser hands, but Brittain is a joy to watch and brings a lovely sense of humor to the proceedings.Ultimately it's a truly unpretentious and very moving movie, far more effective than "Beautiful Thing".
Johnny Boy's smart, but like all teenagers, he's thwarted by desires that defy his good sense.And that is a shame, because if there ever was reason to give up everything for love, Ben Silverstone would be it.
Whilst never being as confident in my sexuality as Stephen, I really connected with the story told, his relationship with his parents and the scatter-shot but inadvertently appropriate use of homophobic abuse by the bullies.Also thought the excellent flashes of dialogue uplifted the film such as "Whenever I see that badge (Head Boy) I wish it were an invitation." Priceless.
The leads are magnificent - Ben Silverstone is more than a little swoonsome, and Brad Gorton switches from smooth as silk to blubbering jelly with just a twitch - and to all of you wondering why John would fall for Steven, wouldn't you want a boyfriend who makes you laugh, forces you to take risks, and to generally put yourself at ease?
However their relationship grows into lovers and they both balance the feelings brought around by secrecy and feeling like no one understands.From the sparky opening and good sense of humour, I had expected this film would just be another in the line of Richard Curtis-lite style of British romantic comedies.
The main one being the lack of relationship between Steven and John - I never saw them together and all they had in common is their sexuality.The cast do pretty well with the characters, even if some of them are being held up by the good script.
The support cast are mixed although all do their jobs ably enough.Overall this is a great little film that will never get the same success as the Richard Curtis comedies from which it borrows a bit of it's style, however the script is really strong and it is quite unarming in how well it deals with the issues without cliché or lazy caricature of characters..
I cannot say that this is the greatest piece of cinema ever created, from dialog to production values, many parts of the movie are askew (not to mention the often indecipherable British mumbling!), but it has given me hope that as a gay teenager I will someday find the type of love I am looking for..
The dramatic elements are very reasonable; it isn`t epic Greek tragedy, but the drama is plausible and held my attention throughout.I think there is a too predictable tendency for films of this `coming-out` genre to over rely on the friendly `fag-hag` sidekick character - such as appeared in the BBC Drama "Two of Us", and subsequent films like "Beautiful Thing" , "Parting Glances", and so on.
`Get Real` is, I think, a valuable contribution to the Gay Film repertoire, which is thankfully growing like never before.
In its themes and character development, "Get Real" is somewhere between "Maurice" and "Beautiful Thing."  Steven Carter is basically the Maurice/Jamie character, while John Dixon might be destined to follow the path of Clive Durham (played by Hugh Grant in "Maurice"), who like Dixon, is a bit higher up in the British class sytem.I found myself charmed by the movie, but irritated.
But his coming out speech is a product of writer fiat and not particularly realistic in terms of how the film executes it (ie, given in front of the entire school).I felt the heart lay more with the other gay character, John Dixon, and this is where the movie frankly begins to cheat.
John Dixon is a far more realistic character, and his inability to admit his homosexuality in a public manner is a much greater mirror of the times--and of gay history in its totality.
Also, this is a character who has just admitted to himself that he's gay--after that scene, the movie's timespan takes up barely, say, a few weeks worth of narration--imagine the kind of leap Steven is expecting John to make, when Steven has trouble being open and he's accepted his gayness for over 5 years.The greatest cheat comes when Kevin Grainger, one of John's friends and Steven's tormentors, finds Steven and John together in a swimming pool--in a pretty "dodgy" position (John is sitting on Steven's shoulders).
John is completely at peace with the situation--leading one to think, Ok, this character has accepted himself at last (the scene occurs after John has decided to openly allow others at their school to know he has formed a friendship with Steven, so the swimming pool scene seems like a natural progression).
I can only disagree.All in all, a good movie--vastly superior to American teen flicks, which all seem to star Drew Barrymore or Freddie Prinze Jr. One last question: if you were Steven Carter and had just spent your first night in bed naked with the love of your dreams, John Dixon, would you have gotten out of bed (with him still in it) to fix breakfast?
I don't remember seeing any real deep good teen gay male movies coming out from Hollywood.
The scenes in the school were very realistic, the cameo roles helped the 'stars' to shine.The fact that it was set in a middle class suburb gave credence to the narrative; young people living in bad conditions are not the only ones who have problems.I thought the parents came across as genuine, puzzled adults trying to come to terms with their children, or not as the case may be.
And well, the cute guy Steven (Ben Silverstone) played his role so good, so real...A fantastic movie..
It would be so easy to write a tepid or even downright bad review of "Get Real", but, for all its faults - poor acting overall and a script full of clichés including a speech that seems to spring from a desire to give the film an upbeat ending rather than one the character would probably have made, I am not going to.
What is furthermore great is Steven's tipsy "heart-to-heart" with Johnny after he sees him with his (Johny's) stereotypical model-girlfriend, showing what thing jealousy is, to anybody, no matter who they are.Though, one would like to think that he lived happily ever after, he may indeed do, but that is not what the film is about, it is about the present and wanting people to accept, like a know one for who one really is and not what one is, sometimes, forced to put out.It seems strange to some that even the simplest of question (How are you?) can make one say one thing but desperately want to say the exact opposite at the same time.Ben Silverstone acted this perfectly and with passion and conviction, which is what after all acting, to a person not "on the stage", mainly consists of.
Hart, Kate McEnery and Patrick Nielsen is also of top quality and above all believable, so much talent from ones so young!The humour in this film is subtle and one MUST see this film several times to actually get the true benefit of it, for it is often quiet and understated, though perhaps it is necessary to do so in order to avoid "dumbing down" the true intentions of the film.It is a shame that films of this quality are not made that often, "Beautiful Thing" is also a must see for this genre type, which is a great film also in its own right, and just that little bit more mushy at the end for those people who want it that way!Quite simply, "What is the problem?
For you who didn't see this movie yet, i have to tell you how the storyline goes: Steven Carter (Ben Silverstone) is a young man who has recongnized himself as homosexual, and has got the same problem that all boys at his age happen to have.
For finish, I'm gonna say that if you haven't already seen this movie, you have to, as a duty to yourself, and I hope you could agree with me, regardless of whose that excuse the character of John Dixon (Brad Gorton), because and in their words "he had more things -than Steven- to left behind him", that is so wrong, and it had been established when our hero left behind him...
The only people who know Steven's secret are his best friend Linda (played by the excellent Charlotte Britain) and his lover, head boy John Dixon (Brad Gorton).Ben Silverstone is amazing in his role as 16 year old Steven.
As I watched Get Real, memories of his emotions and problems came rushing back to me.It would have been so easy for Get Real to have been a predictable, sentimental nothing of a film, but the strong story, funny, touching script and superb cast made it one of the best british films ever made.If you want to be inspired and amazed, watch Get Real..
This is a British movie (unsurprisingly...why is it that the only good gay flicks come from there?) and the only draw-back for me was that the accent was a little difficult to understand at times..
For young gay people who believe love can never happen to them, this movie is a godsend.
This is the best movie I've seen so far this year and one of the best gay-themed films ever made.
I urge everyone, gay or straight, who is interested in movies about human beings and life itself to see this film.
Having watched "Get Real" for the first time on DVD, I am amazed that I managed to miss a film of such quality when it was showing in the cinema.
As a great fan or "Beautiful Thing" and Harvey's work in general, I can honestly say that "Get Real" is better.Based in the commuter town of Basingstoke, south of London, this film took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions from joy to sadness.
It touched the heart strings like few films manage to do as the central character explored his sexuality for the first time, fell in love and grew in confidence.
Brilliantly acted by Ben Silverstone and Brad Gorton (who many British readers will know more recently as Dan in ITV's "London's Burning"), these two actors portrayed their characters with stunning passion and energy.The film suffered slightly from a dose of "Rose Coloured Spectacles" and lacked some of the hardness that other gay plots have shown in the past (particularly the recent screening on British Television of "Queer as Folk").
It's been a while since I first saw this movie in theaters, but I remember really liking the girl who plays the main character's 'fag-hag.'  She is such a funny girl that will give everyone kicks.The story is great in that it doesn't necessarily limit itself to being just another independent film about how sad it is to be a gay person in America.
Realistic gay film of two boys who fall in love.
Ben Silverstone looking like a young version of Mr. Bean plays Steven the sixteen year old gay schoolboy.
Brad Gorton looking like a young Hugh Grant but with curlier hair plays John, the Head Boy at their school.This movie is teen angst with a few twists.
Of course, John has the much bigger problem of concealing his gay nature from everyone except Steven.Two other films come to mind with similar themes."Wild Reeds" from France also deals with gay love between two schoolboys.
Light flick about the stormy first love affair between the unwanted, unloved, intelligent gay teenager who will no doubt grow up to become a successful out and proud journalist or playwright (stereotype), and his athletic, popular, upper middle-class, good-looking 'straight' school mate who obviously has not yet had a single original thought in his life, and, by the looks of it, will have had precious few by the time he graduates from Oxford (stereotype).
True, it doesn't cover any real new territory where gay themed films are concerned (what new movies really are all that fresh?) but the thing that truly stands out is the performance by Ben Silverstone.
On the surface, "Get Real" is quite similar to the wonderful "Beautiful Thing;" both are British, and concern teenage boys falling in love with each other.
Too bad there won't be a sequel.)The performances in "Get Real" are uniformly excellent, especially Ben Silverstone as Steven, Brad Gorton as John, and Charlotte Brittain as Linda.
In that little film festival, lies some wonderful movies, one of the best being Get Real, a gay dramedy (drama-comedy) with some BRILLIANT acting and a WONDERFUL theme, it was amazing and so well done.
Memorable scenes include Steven's cruising of the park toilet as The Troggs sing "Love is All Around," John telling Steven of the time when he first responded to the touch of another boy on a school outing to Cornwall, and Steven announcement, to an assembly of classmates, teachers and parents, that he has been living a lie.There isn't a weak performance in the film, and the choice of Basingstoke, England, with its almost U.S.suburbs appearance -- complete with a red Corvette -- gives it a universal appeal.Some of the dialog passes a bit too quickly for an American ear to catch every word, but this is a minor complaint.
Some people may be put off by the gay content of the movie, which would be a pity as I found the film very rewarding - there are several very moving moments in it.
As Stephen Ben Silverstone carries the movie, he's very attractive and charming and it's easy to understand why John falls in love with him, because I also fell for him watching the movie.If you want to see a quiet, sweet, and funny film, head to the Angelika Film Center in New York City and enjoy "Get Real".
So imagine a film much better than that one, this is Get Real, by genius director Simon Shore (remember "Eton, class of '91"), with a wonderful cast (especially young Ben Silverstone - just GREAT !!!!- already seen in The Browning Version...) The screenplay is so interesting, a lot more than Beautiful Thing's, we can feel Johnny and Steve's emotion, the fear of being "discovered" because of the reactions of all those stupid people...
It's sweet, funny, sexy and thought-provoking, and one of the best gay films of late.Imagine a queer British John Hughes movie, and you'll begin to savor the charms of this little gem..
I want to believe that I am able to apprehend a good film (well, not too artistic, please, i.e. static and protracted...).Anyhow, Get Real had everything in place, emanating from my taste and wishes: smooth and logical plot, splendid performances (particularly Ben Silverstone as Steven Carter and Charlotte Brittain as Linda; Brad Gorton as John Dixon was a bit too much Ancient athlete type), scenes with twists, paving the way for a versatile ending.Moreover, I liked that the general mood was nice, there was a balance between good and bad, laughter and tears, truth and lies, and the gay topic was dealt with homage and without sensation.
This film makes me want to be a British gay school boy.
Perhaps it's the film, or just my insanity, but either way "Get Real" gives me the strange urge and unattainable goal of being a gay school boy from Great Britain.
But I know one thing for sure, if you are going to watch a movie about a gay British school boy, "Get Real" is the movie for you..