Make the Yuletide Gay

Due to my own not-so-good experiences with my coming-out, I'm a real sucker for feel-good coming-out movies - they never fail to bring me to some heartfelt tears of shared happiness. So with these kind of movies I'm not that critical as to whether the script, the direction or the acting is really above par. That's a good thing with this movie, for it's rather balancing on the verge.

For starters: there seem to have been made some strange and awkward choices in the editing. At many, many points the movie comes to a stand-still, when the camera lingers far too long on the face of a person after he or she has said or done something. Especially at moments when comedy is intended, it's killing: it not only effects the pace but it sucks the punch out-off every punch-line! This brings me to my next reservation: there are way too many double entendres in the script, it dangerously tilts the movie to the point of below-the-belt cheapness. Sure, I laughed at some of them (even at the beaver-joke), but it annoyed me too, this movie really didn't seem to need all that.

A last negative remark to the script: although it's a comedy, there ought to be maintained - especially in this kind of situational comedy - some sort of basic feeling of reality. Here this was put to the test way too often. Can a renowned professor walk around for a whole professional career being perpetually stoned out of his wits? Are these parents (obviously from the 60's love-generation) blind as bats, not to see that their son's room-mate Nathan is gayer than gay?! Is the switch of the neighbor-girl from love-sick goody two-shoes to an almost professional foul-mouthing fag-hag not a tiny bit too abrupt and weird??

Well, anyway, now for the good things. This is without any doubt a very sympathetic, warm and sincere movie. There is, thank god, not so much a Big Message that has to be drilled-in, it just keeps close to the real-life fears of a gay adolescent who is on the brink of revealing his true self to his family: will they accept me in this new light? Will I disappoint them? Will things change between us? The script doesn't provide a big plot - like in so many other comparable coming-of-age movies - with complicated misunderstandings, plot-shifts and all kinds of side-stories; it just sort of strolls along on it's basic theme and in this way gets a nice and quiet development.

Main characters Olav and Nathan both are given a fine and convincing portrayal by Keith Jordan resp. Adamo Ruggiero. I didn't know Ruggiero, I never saw "Degrassi", he's certainly beautiful and very cute and I thought that he grew in his role; he was supposed to be the gayish extrovert of the two boyfriends, but he proved that within that stereotype he could actually find his own nuances. But I especially liked Keith Jordan, he had this subdued way of acting that only enhanced the feeling of reality, and in his seriousness he is all the more endearing.

All in all the good things far outweighed the bad, and I vote it a heartfelt 8 out of 10!

I enjoyed this movie. . .

I was not perfect, but it was fun. . .

It didn't preach hard about coming out. . .

It seemed that the problems were that there was no communication from any of them. . .

It had touches from old screw ball movies of the 1940's. . .

Misunderstandings. . .

Confused identities . .

Anya the mother could have played off of the Three Stooges or the Marx Brothers. . .

I would love to see these characters in another movie. . .

Perhaps, the lives of the two young lovers as a couple.

Gunn has a holiday surprise for his folks and boy is it a big one!! A sweet and goofy film that has a fine message of acceptance but doesn't hit the viewer over the head with it. The male leads are endearing and attractive but this is stolen by Kelly Keaton as the mom who gets a natural high from the joy of Christmas and life in general. She and Derek Long have fun as the long married couple who accept each other as they are, she a motor mouthed dervish and he a semi clueless stoner. Hallee Hirsh is sprightly as the girl next door who is wilder than she appears and hey look its Nellie Olsen as her Mom! Speaking of Alison Arngrim she is having a ball as the randy next door neighbor who engages in veiled verbal jousting with Gunn's mom to the audience's delight.

Overall I am not too impressed with Christmas movies, they tend to be too, sickly sweet.

Since I'm a gay man, and had a free subscription to a gay video channel, I thought I would blow caution to the wind and view the movie.

I actually did like it more than six stars but for one just horrific casting, the father Sven, played by Derek Long. What shall I say about this performance? Hmm, maybe that Derek should find a fall back career? I think that's enough.

Otherwise, I thought the other actors were just fine. Anya the mother played by Kelly Keaton was fabulous I thought. Her comic timing was wonderful, and she pulls of the intensely upper Midwestern accent flawlessly. Either she's a native, or she has an amazing ear.

Now this might seem a strange focus for a review right? Well if you watch the movie, you'll quickly understand why it is important.

The other college male protagonists were great also, attractive and knew their craft obviously.

The strangest part of the movie was the inclusion of Gates McFadden as Martha, the mother of Thomas, the "out" gay college boyfriend. Her scenes we fine, she is a skilled actress oh course, but she had such a small part in the film. Makes you wonder about her motivation for being involved in this project.

If you are looking for a bit of a different Christmas themed movie, check it out and let me know what you think with a thumbs up of my review.

Cheers. Mark (aka The Dying Atheist) P.S. If I were to give this an (MPAA) film rating, it would be PG-13

Make the Yuletide Gay is not a great piece of art. This is not a film that will open on a ton of screens worldwide and earn millions of box office dollars. This is a small budget gay themed holiday film. If you go into it expecting anything more than a bunch of corny jokes and a formulaic plot, you'll be disappointed.

College student Gustav "Gun" Gunderson (Keith Jordan) is out and proud at school but is secretly not out to his eccentric Midwestern parents (Derek Long and Kelly Keaton). During the Christmas holidays he struggles to find the right time to finally tell his parents the truth. When his boyfriend Nathan's holiday plans fall through, Nathan (Adamo Ruggiero) surprises Gustav by showing up on the Gunderson home to spend the holidays. Comedy ensues.

This film explores familiar territory but it's a fun ride. Some of the jokes you see coming, but generally the script is quite clever. There are a few awkward transitions and the editing could have been a lot tighter. The camera particularly overplays Keaton as mom Anya Gunderson, lingering on her a few moments too long after each punch line. Often removing a few beats here and there would have made a lot of difference.

Keith Jordan does a fantastic job. Despite the fact this is a comedy and everything will probably turn out for the best, Jordan manages to make the "what if" fears seem real.

Degrassi-The Next Generation's Adamo Ruggiero seemed oddly uncomfortable in front of the camera during the early scenes. Initially I had trouble believing he and costar Jordan were in a long-term relationship. Ruggiero's acting steadily improves as the film progresses and eventually delivers a good performance, but he was obviously chosen to draw in an audience.

Make the Yuletide Gay is fun and light-hearted with a few good laughs. It won't become a mandatory Holiday viewing, but it is perfect for what it is. In other words, you get what you pay for.