Amore in sciopero

This film is about a gay man demanding equal marriage rights, and starting a gay rights movement by accident.

The film is so much fun to watch! It is light hearted and fun, despite approaching such a controversial subject. The plot is sweet and fun. Imagine all gays on strike! Initially the film makes fun of the stereotypically gay occupations, but it is shown that the strike quickly cascades into all aspects of the society. Yes, anyone around you can in fact be gay! The jokes are funny and work well. The cast work together so well, that it gives a vibrant feel to the film. I am impressed by Shel standing up and defending himself, and Maggie's supportive attitude over the whole matter. Coupled with Ted's reluctance towards a lifetime pledge, I think the interaction of the characters are as real life as can be.

It presents arguments on both sides of the movement, but understandably more vocal on the pro-gay marriage side. It highlights that love has no boundaries; homosexuality is not by choice. A positive message is conveyed in a balanced and non-radical way.

I really connected with this film. The ending touched me a lot. I really enjoyed watching this film!

"Wedding Wars" is a light comedy with some interesting aspects. Without being in one's face, the message it wants to project comes across clearly. As directed by Jim Fall and based on a screenplay by Stephen Mazur, the movie deals with a current issue that has divided America: the right of gays to get married. It is puzzling how people secured in their own sexuality can get so adamant in the way they condemn a group that has been so discriminated for being different.

The story centers on two brothers, Ben and Shel Grandy. Ben is getting married to the governor's daughter. The father is opposed to the idea of gays getting married. Shel, who is involved with a male assistant district attorney, comes out to Ben, as well his own parents, and to the rest of the community. As a way to protest their being chastised for standing out, Shel calls for a strike just before the wedding is scheduled to take place. Only when Ben realizes that his brother is a good person and learns to accept him, things go back to normal.

I was surprised by John Stamos' take on Shel. He gives a sensitive reading to his character. Eric Dane is also effective as Ben, the straight brother whose life goes into turmoil just before getting married. James Brolin has a couple of good moments as the governor.

The film is entertaining without being offensive.

Lots of people in the gay and straight press berating this film for being too "fluffy" and making light of an important subject. The film reminded me of Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats.

Let me explain ... when I was a kid, I would fight any attempt by parental figures to get me to try any nutritious, whole grain cereal like Shredded Wheat. Even when told I could sprinkle sugar on the big pad of shredded wheat, it had about as much appeal to me as chewing on a piece of wood. But when they came out with Frosted Mini Wheats, smaller bite-size shredded wheat with sugar frosting on one side, it made it palatable enough for me to try.

I think that's what this made-for-TV movie was striving to do (and mostly succeeded): to take a BIG issue that isn't palatable to most people out there (gay marriage), sugar-coat it (do a fluffy comedy with stars popular to many TV viewers), and serve it up in small portions over a two hour period. IMO, this approach had the potential to educate people MORE about the issue than a gaggle of gay rights advocates and GLAAD spokespeople giving speeches could ever hope to do.

And the message *was* definitely there, though sugarcoated and inserted in small portions throughout the two hours on A&E: (1)that "civil unions" are better than nothing but fall far short of marriage in terms of equal rights and protections, (2) the fact that a majority wants something doesn't mean it is right, and even some elected officials who may personally feel that same sex marriages should be allowed are often forced into pandering to the conservative majority in this country in order to stay in office, (3) that it is likely that you have a gay or lesbian member in your family, although they may not be "out" to you, because they suspect a negative reaction (which is caused, in no small part, by the fact that so FEW of us are out to everyone, so many people don't get to actually "know" anyone who is openly gay), 4) that even some gays have a problem reconciling the concept of committing to another man "till death do us part", mostly because we have been conditioned by society not to see that as an option, and (5) just KNOWING a family member or friend is gay is different than accepting them without reservations (illustrated by the interaction between Stamos'character and his straight brother, played by Eric Dane.)

As far as the "gays on strike" concept goes, as ludicrous and unlikely as that was portrayed in the film, it still made the point that there are a hell of a lot more of us around than people think, and (contrary to what that cartoonish TV reporter thought) we are not all hairdressers, decorators and florists, but pretty much cover the entire gamut of professions and industries, making up a fairly good size chunk of this nation's economy. In the film, the "gay strike" looked like it would make it impossible to put on a big wedding, even when the event was to be held at the home of the governor of the state.

I got that some of the humor was deceivingly tongue-in-cheek, such as the magazine covers and newspaper front pages signifying that the "strike" was picking up nationwide support. If you look closely, the content of each page matches the stereotype of that publications: sensationalism for the NY Post, a fashion spread for Out, Stamos standing shirtless on Genre, as a rock star for Rolling Stone, etc. A few memorable lines (e.g., when the director on a news show decides to join the protest, the anchor repeats what he sees on the TelePrompter: "Up next, I'm out of here too, a**wipes!") I also thought that the choice of "It's Not Unusual (to be in love with anyone)" as the first song we hear at the wedding party was clever, a connotation of that song I never thought about before.

Was it a great movie? Hell, no; it was a tacky and cheaply made as MOST made-for-cable films today. Despite a few cringe-inducing scenes (his singing, pointing out that this was a good day for him to picket and show off his calves, etc.), John Stamos did a good job overall in the role of a non-stereotypical gay man (certainly as good as, or better, than anything we've ever seen on "Will & Grace"), as did Sean Maher as his lover (who wasn't sure if he was ready for marriage). But it wasn't meant to be a documentary, wasn't meant to intelligently argue the pros and cons in the gay marriage debate. It was meant to entertain the average American cable viewer and - along the way - perhaps spoon-feed them some aspects of the issue they might otherwise never have paid attention to hear. IMO, that makes the film worth acknowledging and worth encouraging others to see.

When I heard that John Stamos was going to be playing a gay man in a new A&E movie, I was a bit perplexed. Stamos normally plays the macho alpha male...could he play a convincing gay man. Yes...why yes he can! His performance as Shel, a party planner, is some of his best work, ever. He's sexy and vulnerable, funny and earnest all at once. It would be really easy for this movie to teeter over the line from slightly campy to really silly, but Stamos helps keep things in balance.

Opposite Stamos is Eric Dane as Shel's brother, Ben. Ben is a rather uptight campaign manager for Maine's fictional Governor, Conrad Welling (played masterfully by James Brolin). Ben also happens to be engaged to the Governor's daughter, Maggie (played by Bonnie Somerville). While planning Ben and Maggie's wedding, he discovers that Ben wrote the Governor's speech in favor of constitutionally banning same-sex marriage. The resulting battle mirrors the real-life battles being waged over this issue, but is a lot funnier. It's cliché to say that this movie has a lot of "heart," but that's exactly what it has. A lot of that heart is provided by Sean Maher as Shel's boyfriend Ted, who isn't quite sure how he feels about the whole situation.

Without belittling the issue of same-sex marriage, Wedding Wars is able to take a complex and controversial subject and looks at it with humor and warmth. Don't miss it!

John did a wonderful job as a gay man who stood up for what he believed. Shel(Stamos)is asked to plan his brother's(Eric Dane) wedding to the governor's daughter. The problems begin when Shel finds out that his brother doesn't believe that gay couples should not have the same rights as straight couples. That cause him to make a stand for what he believes in, and he goes on strike to protest the governor's position. He slowly begins to gain support from people around the country who feel the same way as he does. John's a great actor who doesn't always get the respect that he deserves. Everyone should see this film as it handles a tough issue in a light-hearted way, without it being tossed in your face. A fresh, funny and enjoyable film. Very well written. Bravo John!