The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green

Heard a lot of negative comments, but the trailer convinced me to at least check it out. I was pleasantly surprised. A nice, cute film with some very nice moments. Well written/acted/directed/produced - the only trouble for me is that the film isn't consistent. Starts out as "regular" comedy with asides, then tries to add grand farce and bouffe elements, and it never really comes together. Plus, if you want to have farcical elements, you need a speed and intensity in cutting that this film doesn't quite get to. And there are a few non sequiturs, which may be because my hearing isn't the best and there are no subtitles. On one hand I liked the playing with the stereotypes (e.g., elevator scene towards the end), yet found slightly irritating the glasses on / glasses off cliché. Loved the treatment of the Hat Sisters. I also like the constant reference(s) to characters who never appear.

On another level, I liked the film because it said something to me on a personal level at this time in my own life ("The Ethan Reflex"). Not that there's a "message", per se, but there happened to be a message for ME in Baxter's "words of wisdom" to Letterle.

A possibly shallow comment from me is that while the actor playing Punch is a wonderful actor and nails the character totally, he doesn't quite physically match my expectation. Sorry, but then, I'm as shallow as they come sometimes.

If you're looking for Letterle nude shots or suggestive shots or looking for soft porn, forget it. (Though there are some underwear shots for the desperate.) But if you're looking for a decent movie that stands on its own, check it out.

We went last night to by far the funniest new film of the year so far, THE MOSTLY UNFABULOUS SOCIAL LIFE OF ETHAN GREEN, an R rated (a few decades ago it would have been considered an X) release drawn rather brilliantly from a not-so-brilliant but long running comic strip in a number of "alternate" publications.

I was never a big fan of the strip which was crudely drawn and heavy handed in conception - or so it seemed in the papers and the several compilation books published - but on screen at New York's Quad Cinema, the characters are almost *perfectly* cast to resemble more attractive versions of the cartoon characters and screen writer David Vernon has been given latitude to smooth out and improve on the hilarious conundrums in Generation-X Ethan's self destructive social life (finding an intriguing blend of lots of sex but all too little satisfaction).

In some ways, this is a gay-male version of SEX AND THE CITY: whenever Ethan finds an almost perfect mate, you KNOW he will somehow screw it up (no pun intended). Right now, it's being marketed to a largely gay audience, but it's so well written and directed (feel-good date movie, "independent" variety), it should cross over to a much wider audience and deserves to do for the actor playing Ethan (Daniel Letterle from CAMP!) what BILLY'S Hollywood SCREEN KISS did for "Will & Grace's" Sean Hayes.

The movie is as episodic as Voltaire's Candide, but just as perceptive, and the very episodic nature gives the entire supporting cast (ranging from Meridith Baxter's all too supportive mother to Joel Brooks & Richard Riehle's "Hat Sisters" to Dean Shelton's oversexed teen entrepreneur, "Punch," to Rebecca Lowman's Ann Coulter look-alike/psychotically depressed real estate agent, "Sunny Deals") equal chances to shine, and shine they do.

The grand farce scene where ALL the romantic threads (including, in addition to the above, an ex-football pro, a landlord ex-lover, a Log Cabin Republican fiancé and Ethan's lesbian roommate) come together in the house where Ethan is trying to carve out a coherent love life tops one great laugh with another as if Feydeau-plotted and will have you howling.

Silly, sunny summer fun, and *highly* recommended to straight and gay alike open minded enough to laugh at a very funny but true look at how the other half (or at least a goodly younger part of 10%) loves. Stick around after the fine double ending for the playing cards from the plot significant "Dream Date" board game scattered through the credit "crawl." Its a device that hasn't been used as well since FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF.

After reading so many horrible reviews of this film I had to muster up strength to even go see it. To be honest, the only reason I went was to see Letterle, whom I've had a thing for since the movie musical Camp. However, I got a lot out of it! It's the first time I've seen a gay movie that wasn't about coming out, wasn't about breaking straight girls hearts, and was based more in , well, reality??.........I do say that lightly.

But honestly, the 30 people who were in the theatre with me, inluding my boyfriend, were laughing the whole time. I really enjoyed the movie. It was very entertaining.

Donnylutz :)

I loved this movie, the actors, the writing the score, everything about it. It's a shame it's not on release in the UK, I only discovered it by accident on Here TV and went on a search to to see if it was available. I decided to take a risk and buy it without first watching it. I'm glad I did, it'd quite refreshing to find a gay movie that's not all about coming out and being alienated. Is funny without having to present gays in a stereotypical way and presents life and love as any other 'straight' movie would. I loved Meredith Baxter she was fantastically cast as Ethan's mother, the Hat Sisters were great fun. David Monahan as Leo was too cute. And Daniel Latterle was brilliant as Ethan. As a 32 year old gay man this movie felt relevant to me.

The movie was never trying to be ground breaking or amazing. its a light hilarious movie with broad generalizations that everyone can identify with. Anyone who gives this movie a low rating was looking for too much. Why cant we make a movie for fun sake? Not every gay movie has to try to better our position in the world. This is a movie that could have come from a group of gay guys sitting around joking and laughing about the day to day grind of our lives. I would recommend it to anyone tired of the epic Greek tragedy of most gay films. For some reason every gay film has to have drug use, Pain and most often the death and or beating of one if not all of the people in it. For once we have a gay movie that takes a lighter view of our FABULOUS way of life.