Breakfast with Scot

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.

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.

I haven't read the book so I only have to go on what I saw. The premise is great - fresh and funny. A masculine gay couple end up as guardians of their effeminate 11 year old nephew and try to make a man out of him. The story is less about changing the nephew and more about changing the gay couple, in particular the partner who is an ex-Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player. The movie was enjoyable, light hearted, and good natured but it lacked something -- it resembled an after-school special at times, especially towards the end. There are too many characters with bit parts that don't make enough of an impact in the film. There is a neighbourhood tough kid who inexplicably becomes a friend of the flamboyant nephew and co-workers who come in and out of the film but never really say anything meaningful. An awkward meeting with a school teacher results in her suggesting the boy watch TV to find other role models -- a very clumsy scene without cause or precedence. The writer and director needed to streamline the movie and identify scenes that needed to be pumped up to give the story some poignancy. I was never quite drawn in, brought to tears, laughed out loud or was worried that things might not work out. Its a sweet story but could have been better.

I just saw Breakfast With Scot last night at the Seattle Intl. Film Festival. I was fully prepared not to like it at all, as most gay themed films of the last several years have been so disappointing.

Yes, it is a little predictable, in the sense that you ultimately know how a story like this is going to turn out. Novelty for the sake of novelty doesn't help stories either, and this is a solid well told story. The small turns of the story were not predictable though. I particularly liked that this Canadian production did not reach for the obvious over the top emotional climax an American production would have. For example, it resolves Tom Cavanaugh's work conflict with far less drama then I would expect from a gay themed film. The script deflates the situation in an interesting and realistic way, recognizing that the film is foremost about the relationship between Eric and Scot, and not about Eric's closeted work situation.

The acting is really really solid. The cast feels like an ensemble, not a group of actors vying for screen attention. It takes awhile to realize that Tom Cavanaugh, with his usual non-showy performance, is the adult lead. Noah Bernett, as Scot, hits it exactly right. A very tough character for an actor of any age to get right. Some criticize the script, saying that the character is way too flamboyant for a boy this age. But that is exactly the center of the book, and the film, for this character to be so unapologetically out there and flamboyant that he challenges gays even more than straights. He's not supposed to be a typical gay kid. (In fact, part of that challenge is that he (and we) do not even know for sure what his ultimate sexuality might be.) As it is, he is sort of a child genius of fun fashion and cosmetics. His character is supposed to make us uncomfortable, and challenging to our assumptions.

Cinematography and production design are first rate. I heard that the overall budget was well under 4 million, if so, then bravo to the production crew, it looks like more.

Having seen the preview for this, I was intrigued and decided to give it a try. It turned out to be yet another example of why I prefer films made outside of the U.S. The writing was first-rate and hilarious, and the performances were uniformly brilliant. Tom Cavanaugh is one of the most watchable comedic talents anywhere, Ben Shenkman (who reminds me a lot of Harold Ramis) was equally superb, and young actors Noah Bernett (as Scot) and Dylan Everett (Ryan) really shined in their roles as well. There are plenty of laughs and poignant moments in equal measure, with the underlying theme of accepting and loving others for who they are. Hockey is a major focus in the film, but it can be enjoyed by those who aren't familiar with the game. Aside from a few instances of salty language (including a couple "f-bombs"), it's family-friendly and the issues involved are handled with tact and gentle humor. Highly recommended.