Pushing Dead

Beautifully shot and so so so so so funny and heartwarming! Great to see a movie about a deathly serious subject that is funny and life-affirming! Particular love the way the Director moves the camera and the editing is spot-on. We need more indie films like this. Great cast as well, from folks we know to folks we don't. Watch the man key into hilarity.

Huge fan of James Roday, and I've enjoyed seeing Danny Glover also, and I don't blame them for my lack of enjoyment towards this movie. Basically nothing is ever explained... where are Dan's friends? Why are his two closest friends some very strange woman and an elderly man? I've seen almost everything Roday is in, and his acting is always great, but he was working with absolutely nothing throughout this entire movie. Such poor writing with so many holes. Solid plot, idea, and he's been funny enough to carry movies/TV shows before, but he seems like a less funny, more thinly written version of Gary Mendez from his show A Million Little Things.

Pushing Dead (2016) is not a movie about life's decline. It's about positive thinking and being brave in tough moments. All main characters show great ability to remain calmness in situations that you think is catastrophic.

The movie shows us, that there is no hopelessness until we create it.

Just want to give those who have not watched this before but watched Psych (the TV series), this is nothing like Psych and you can't watch this as if it is a TV show. You have to watch it as if you are a film critic. This is a beautifully crafted drama/dark comedy that delves into the daily struggle of a low income, HIV Positive gay man who tries very hard to stay afloat in an environment where everything is going against him other than his close friends. And this film showed that despite all the bad things that happened to him, he still has the humanity to be positive to those around him. The ending, seemingly trivial to most people, is a huge triumph for the protagonist, and adds a little bit of Karma. To me, that is a very inspiring.

I particularly love the way the film makes you feel like you are sitting next to him, feeling every tiny struggle he had to endure, and at the same time watching him being incredibly positive that, anyone else would be bitter and suicidal. I must admit that the pace was very slow at times and left the audience confused. For me, there were times were the film to so depressed that I had to pause to do something else.

So, I recommend that if you are planning watch it, make sure you level set your expectations first!

Pushing Dead (2016) was written and directed by Tom E. Brown. Believe it or not, this is a funny film about a not-funny situation. Dan (James Roday) has been HIV positive for over 20 years. His life is attuned to the beeping of his wristwatch. He takes his HIV medication ritually, because he needs to take the right meds at the right time to stay healthy.

Suddenly, his supply of medications is interrupted, and he may be forced to go without meds for three weeks. Going without HIV medication isn't the same as going without medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol. It could be the tipping point at which HIV-positive status turns into AIDS.

How Dan copes with that serious situation, and also how he goes on with his daily life, constitute the plot of the movie. Roday is an excellent actor, and you believe that this is a true life crisis.

Three great supporting actors help the movie succeed: Robin Weigert as Dan's roommate, Paula; Danny Glover as his boss, Bob; and Khandi Alexander as Bob's wife, Dot. I was surprised to see Danny Glover as a supporting actor in a small, independent film. My guess is that he liked the role, and wanted to remind us of what a truly great actor he is.

We saw this film at the excellent Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum, as part of the wonderful ImageOut Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will also work well on the small screen.

Pushing Dead is one of 22 films that had their New York State premiere, or their East Çoast premiere at ImageOut. My compliments to the ImageOut Programming Committee for their great success in bringing these films to Rochester.