Hard Pill

I'm very glad I watched this, because I had been somewhat leery due to the premise. I expected a low-budget alternative movie with strained, over-the-top comedy, and that's not what you get. This is a good-looking, sophisticated movie with an incredible depth of talent in the cast--virtually all of whom are people you've seen and enjoyed in other projects. The movie is not about the wild and wacky results of taking a "straight pill." It's a portrait of straight men and women seeking to connect and having their hearts broken. I felt most moved for our hero's straight friend. This movie still qualifies as a comedy due to the overall atmosphere, the dialogue, and the actors' comedy chops, but it's also a character study.

Hapless 33-year-old gay man with only a few friends volunteers to take a new drug which promises to make him heterosexual. The trouble with this premise is, the central character (inhibited and wounded) would be unhappy in any sexual environment, either with a woman or another man. Writer-director John Baumgartner doesn't seem to take this into consideration, and so puts our hero into uncomfortable scenes such as the one where he gets intimate with a female co-worker (who is seen as desperate and deluded). Low-budget and self-conscious, the picture doesn't even have the energy to hint at any intriguing ideas other than straight-vs.-gay. Baumgartner sees the casual indifference of the bar crowds and gives us a glimpse of the man's office job and his lonely life, but the main issue ("What would life be like if I were straight?") is too facile and obvious as a story-hook. Why not make the guy a bigot who is forced to take a gay pill? The point made here is strictly a dead-end one, made even worse by one-dimensional people who don't merit much interest. * from ****

Don't let the title fool you. HARD PILL is not one of those Showtime movies that tackles a modern morality issue at the expense of character, plot and general viewer enjoyment. Yes, the underlying story is of a young gay man who joins a medical study to test a pill to turn him straight. But the premise is really just a springboard to explore relationships and the wonderful pain and joy when human beings seek to 'connect'. A variety of characters in various stages of relationships are all forced to re-assess their tenuous links to one another when our hero agrees to go on the pill. The film is full of honest, intelligent performances with room for humor, sentiment and yes - even some social commentary. HARD PILL is a prescription for a thought-provoking and entertaining 90 minutes that went down well with me.

Part self acceptance as gay and part drug addict storyline is the foundation for this film. That idea makes it sound like a great film but it ended up being a film with no back story to any of the characters and there are multiple storylines playing out where some parts seem left out that occur during the film and in the end your left with unanswered questions. This script would have made a good second draft and then they should have taken it filled in the holes and expanded it before creating a movie with a plot line that looks like Swiss cheese.

I caught this film at a gay/lesbian film festival and was blown away. Every so often, a film comes out that is so original that you can't help but wonder why no one has ever thought of it before. "Hard Pill" asks this question: What would happen if a pill was invented that could turn a gay person straight? The answer is a lot more complicated than you think.

"Hard Pill" tell the story of Tim (played by Jonathan Slavin in an outstanding performance). Tim is openly gay but unhappy with his life. He has had bad luck with relationships and doesn't feel very hopeful that that his life will turn around. When Tim hears of a new study that can change sexual preference, he decides to get involved. Tim is convinced that being straight would be a whole lot easier. What he doesn't realize is the repercussions that this change will have on his relationships and life.

This independent film appears to have been made with a shoestring budget, which fortunately doesn't detract but actually makes things on screen seem that much more authentic; almost as if we are watching real life unfolding. Also strong is the occasional humor that helped lighten things up when the subject matter became heavy. The ending is also quite satisfying and believable, not only leading one to think about the issue of sexual orientation, but also the risks of experimental drugs in general for non medical necessities. If my friends and I are any indication, we talked about this film for several hours afterward and I was moved to write a review which I don't usually do unless I really love something (or hate something.)

Kudos to John Baumgarten for both writing and directing this thought provoking film. Hope to see a lot more from him in the future!