Home of Phobia

Caught this movie on HERE! on Demand. What a nice surprise. Completely funny throughout, appealing characters, and interesting story. The premise revolves around a straight college guy who pretends to be gay to get closer to a girl he likes. This could have been another "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" which I found a bit offensive and patronizing. What's so refreshing about the film is that the film has a gay sensibility but does not try to preach gay acceptance. The characters are who they are. Sam Huntington as Clay was extremely appealing in the lead role. Lots of hilarious supporting characters too including Rachel Dratch as a very drunk, very old college student, and John Goodman who nailed it as a local bartender who teaches the lead character how to "be gay." Heather Matarazzo was a bit over the top as the New York Jewish girl but funny nonetheless. It's rare to find a movie that I have never heard of, yet enjoyed so much. I think whether gay or straight, if you are looking for a fun teen comedy, you will enjoy this film.

I saw this many years ago in the American Pie era and it was relatively funny. Not the greatest but it had it's moments and the classic 'Hit Me Baby One More Time scene"

In 2022 it hasn't aged well and can come across as a little offensive in terms of how far we've come with gay rights, I can understand if the LGBTQ community could be offended by this movie and the stereotypical tone of the movie.

I still enjoyed it on rewatching it but there were some 'ooh they didn't moments, especially in 2022.

It's a fairly low budget movie though they did manage to score a decent soundtrack and John Goodman. It's definitely of the teen gross out era which is no longer as funny as they used to be when the novelty wore off years ago.

I was extremely disappointed with this movie. It looked like it might be one of those unheard of movies which end up making you laugh for hours. I instead found myself groaning every scene as gay stereotypes are reinforced and the entire depiction of life in college and gay rights activists is warped so severely that it becomes unrecognizable except as a caricature to be used like a punching bag for the movie's comedy. The superficial perspective on LGBTQ life highlights this movie's writers' affinity for stereotypes that would make even a Westboro Baptist Minister blush. My gay friend commented this movie sets back the view of gay people by 15 years and I would have to agree. The IMDb title "Home of Phobia" is jarringly accurate.

Good watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

Sam Huntington, Marla Sokoloff, and Kaitlin Doubleday are all extremely underrated actors and do excellent jobs.

I'll give you that this premise is potentially problematic, but it does have a positive edge to it. What really holds the movie back (or forward for some) is how sociopathic the main character starts.

There has to be a low to grow from, but yeesh. It is a coming of age and self discovery story for about 6-20 people, depending on how you count, and there is a lot of good work that goes into balancing and keeping so many character plot lines to quality.

A couple of the characters literally stop to shake off how much is going on in the movie at certain points.

In the end, this is full of absurdist comedy with a sweet core.

Way back in the dark ages of ' Gay ' cinema there was a film called ' The Gay Deceivers ' about guys pretending to be gay so that they would not be drafted into the army. In 2004 the dark shadow of that film looms over this one, except in the most crass way it tries to show that Gay men and Lesbians are really just like everyone else, except that they are not. Boy kisses girl at the end and that is not a spoiler it is an indictment of this film trying to have it all and hoping an LGBT audience would respond to such patronage. Hard to say no spoilers but I will try not to give away the plot. In simple, and I do mean simple terms a young man pretends to be gay as the desired girl will only go out with him if he is!!! And eventually the heterosexual couple see that cupid sends the right arrow into the right heterosexual place. Along with this a few predatory bisexual Lesbians have fun, and one nice young man eventually does find out he is gay, but the ending says it all. Exploitation of so-called gay politics with an elderly gay man getting sentimental about Stonewall, and how he was there. As for the film itself it wallows in crudity and the acting leaves a lot to be desired. I am happy that LGBT cinema has moved forward into its deserved maturity, and hoping that it will look back in bewilderment at films like this.