Breakfast with Scot

this being a movie made in my hometown( the dundas square certainly looks at its best now) i was very skeptical of a movie that will once again promote gay rights simply because its... "cool"(!?) to do so. frankly i was afraid for some hidden agendas of extreme nature + mature matter. besides any Canadian movie, especially action or comedies tend to be lame quickly forgettable. our home grown directors tend to pay more attention to artistic merits then to the actual subject/matter/plot...

well i was wrong; turns out that this comedy has quiet a lot of witty punch lines for ALL audiences. the situation is about family and not so much about the gay couple. the "contradicted" kid is at the center of the with the 2 main male leads as support.

the production is quiet great, the pace is quiet fast as well( almost no slow moments or fill-ins at all ). the acting is superb especially from the kids and Thomas Cavanagh. Ben Shenkman is more just of a stereotype character.

while i would still not recommend this movie to pre-teen kids, adolescents and teens would have nothing to "worry" about.as for any sexuality issues, there is only a quick, minimal(lips only) male kiss . other then that no intimacy at all that might offend some viewers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Best LGBT genre movie in the past few years..., Sep 21 2008 By Joe E. Mcparland "cojoeman" (Windsor, Canada) - See all my reviews

As a long time collector of contemporary LGBT genre movies, I rate Breakfast With Scott at the top of my list. I have practically worn out my DVD copy! This movie was screened as a special selection in the 2007 Windsor International Film Festival. The sold out house gave the movie a deserving five minute standing ovation at its conclusion. Aside from the wonderful message of tolerance, acceptance and adaptability, this gem of a movie will have you - as it had me - in tears of laughter and tears of sorrow. Laurie Lynd's direction of Tom Cavanaugh, Ben Shenkman and,of course,show-stealer - Noah Bernett, is nothing less than magical. I could not agree more with the Globe and Mail's DVD cover endorsement of the movie,"Absolutely Fabulous!"

Having discovered this film as a result of viewing and later purchasing "The Blossoming of Maximo Olivares", and "A Very Serious Person", both excellent LGBT themed films, I had high hopes for "Breakfast..", especially after the many glowing reviews on this and other websites. The story has great potential, about a gay male couple who become caretakers to one's brother's girlfriend's 11 year old son after she dies of a drug overdose. One of the men is a former hockey player who has no interest in becoming a parent, even temporarily. But it is his eventual relationship with the boy, well played by Noah Bernett, which becomes the film's central theme. Much of the happenings are predictable, especially the climactic sequence. I feel the main problem with the film is that the director, in trying to keep the film from being too heavy, relies on sitcom like comedy and some broad characters, who seem more like types, used to make points, rather than fleshed out human beings. It isn't boring, and it is rather pleasant, but it could have been so much better if it had more depth and a less loud soundtrack trying to emphasize the comedy. Watch "A Very Serious Person", and then see if you agree with my review more than before.

"Breakfast with Scot", the lighthearted Canadian comedy is a pleasant, Christmas movie. The only twist is the presence of the gay male couple, who show as much affection to each other as two neighbors. I know, the intention is not the offend the easily offended crowd, and to make it more mainstream. Whatever... Those who hate gay people will not bother, and the rest of us would expect little more guts, and maybe a sincere emotion or two, if it is not too much to ask. All that aside, it is a warm and fuzzy and charming movie,albeit quite predictable.The predictability is what you expect from this genre and the viewer gets over it. I did too.

I wanted to like this movie. Tom Cavanaugh is a good actor and deserves better writing. From the get go I didn't believe these two guys were a couple. There was no chemistry between them. The pathetic exchanges of affection seemed designed for an after school special. If it's a move not for kids then why make a movie suitable for kids? Seems like shooting itself in the foot. The writer seemed to be trying too hard to be cute and the obvious reaching for jokes kept it from being engaging. I didn't believe one bit of it. It was so obviously fake that I had to clean house while it played out and I hate cleaning house. The character Billy is supposed to be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yet customers in his store speak perfect English. The whole thing just never rang true.