Green Plaid Shirt

Philip (Gregory Phelan) and Guy (Kevin Spirtas) are lovers in an open relationship. Philip is monogamous but Guy can't seem to stop having sex with as many guys as possible. Philip doesn't like it but lives with it. Then Guy gets AIDS and this all moves to a predictable conclusion.

Pretty bad. The film is grainy and the sound is frequently inaudible. I can forgive that (this is a VERY low-budget film) but I can't forgive the cardboard characters and woefully predictable plot. Even in 1996 (when I saw it) this was considered old hat and had been done many times before. I saw it at a gay film festival in Boston. There was scattered applause when it ended and people walked out complaining about how it was just another AIDS film. I agree! AIDS WAS (and is) a serious subject but (back in the late 1990s) every gay film seemed to be about that and nothing else. This was just one of many...and not a very good one. Phelan and Spirtas (who is openly gay) are as good as they could be and they're both handsome, hunky guys but that's not enough for a 90 minute film. See "Longtime Companion" if you want to see a good film about AIDS and avoid this one.

This film just got better and better for me. The personalities, and by certain, the good looks of the two leads, Gregory Phelan and that Greek God, Kevin Spirtas, were enough for the price of admission. Add to this a great story, terrific acting and excellent direction by Richard Natale, who also scripted the film, and you have a gay movie that not only touches you but teaches you about partners. The honesty of the movie is what got to me. So many scenes that spoke out in a simple and yet moving way reached me. I liked the scenes when the two guys were going through the hardships of living together. Even the daily getting up in the morning, eating each other's breakfast and going to work. The scene when Phelan gets a message on the machine from Spirtas that he's left him for another man was only too real. Phelan just stood there as he listened to the message. What went on with his face told the story. I remember the same feelings when it was done to me. You could see the shock and pain. Bravo, Gregory. And the scene when Spiritas comes back having had a bad relationship with the guy he left for, almost begging for fogiveness. Seems that partner was into abusing him and probably gave him the AIDS he later is diagnosed with. Watching them both go through the agony and touching moments of living one day to another was all too real. They never overplayed this situation. The final scenes were too heartbreaking to watch. Yet you wanted to reach out and say stop, it's okay, things will get better. But they don't. You get so involved with them, you forget the underlying tragedy that is unfolding. That last scene they have together, on the beach, is a testament to that. Thinking all would get better as they walk off into the sunset, the final line just whallops such a punch. I just sobbed my heart out. Thanks, for this film to producers, actors, directors and all. I also meant to say another performance by Richard Israel, looking much like a younger Richard Kind, was well played. On the campy side, yet quite believable, he more or less tells the story of our two lovers. I am purchasing this movie as I must be able to get my hands on it anytime I want. It's that beautiful.

After a slow start, "Green Plaid Shirt" picks up steam and ultimately becomes one of the better fictional films I've seen about the AIDS epidemic and its impact on the gay community. I found it much more convincing and satisfying than, for instance, the more widely publicized and viewed "Longtime Companion," thanks to greater character development, most particularly the character of Philip; Gregory Phelan really carries the movie, in a fine performance.

That said, I wish the copy I saw had had better sound production values -- too often the dialogue was hard to understand, an unnecessary distraction. And there is a certain New-Age-y, California sloppiness (sorry!) to the narrative that creates needless confusion. The chronology seems screwy, and seldom to good effect. Guy's collapse in the kitchen looks more like an epileptic seizure than anything AIDS-related, and it seems to come well before the breakup and reunion. Guy's father comes to visit when he is sick and in an apartment with Philip; so I guess Guy goes into remission before he and Philip buy the house, break up and get back together, but really, who can tell? All this is unfortunate in view of the film's strengths, especially the acting.

As for the garment of the title, its employment frequently seems a contrivance (more "Yellow Rolls-Royce" than "Red Violin" ... hmm, why is there always a color involved?). But it looks good on everyone who wears it, notably Phelan.

I was going to say this was the worst gay-themed film I've ever seen, but I can honestly say this is the worst film if any genre I've ever seen.

You know you're in trouble when a movie starts with a "personal note" from the Director, asking for the audience's "understanding" for the "many challenges" facing a first-time Director. The audio track is so bad in many scenes it's almost impossible to follow the dialogue, and this from a DVD version. Bad lighting, bad sets, bad photography, poor script, generally bad acting all add up to make this "film" unwatchable. I did make it through to the bad ending after several attempts, and immediately gave away the DVD I foolishly purchased. I'm sure there are many challenges facing a first-time Director. But, don't try to palm off this lame attempt as a finished product. I see from IMDb details that this was not only the first Directing attempt of Richard Natale, but also the only. That's the one positive thing I can say about this alleged "movie".

I could barely sit through this awful movie. It was so bad and it makes me wonder why so many gay movies are so hideously awful. Why do they have so many flashbacks? Why do they have to have slow plots with bad artsy directing undertones? I'm sick of bad gay movies where people try way too hard to make it "arty". This was a HUGE waste of time and if I could I would give it a negative 10.