Pit Stop

This movie is slow-paced and not very eventful, I believe it's value comes from the emotion of the performances and unabashed realism of the story. Probably not for everyone but I love this movie. Made me feel seen.

Pit Stop is a wonderful new film from director Yen Tan. It is the story of two mid-thirtyish gay men, Gabe and Ernesto, living separate but not totally dissimilar low key working class lives in the same Texan small town. Separately each man is yearning for love and emotional fulfillment while respectively struggling with his daily life and relationships. The focus is on Gabe and Ernesto but everyone in the film is a real person with a story to tell. All are portrayed in a thoughtful and empathetic way with no one casually discarded for the sake of storytelling expediency. This is a true character study of people finding their way in life and love and one cares about what will happen to them.

Gabe is divorced but trying to sustain his family for the sake of his young daughter. He has recently been rejected by a male lover who is married and now moved away. Ernesto is trying to end a two year relationship that has fallen apart and has no future. At the same time he is dutifully visiting a previous lover who lies comatose in a convalescent home following a car accident. Both men want more but their personal situations and the small town environment constrain them from being who they are and achieving the love and intimacy they long for and deserve. Both men still want to be wanted.

The film is beautifully made and the ensemble cast, led by Bill Heck as Gabe and Marcus DeAnda as Ernesto, is top notch. Pit Stop is a moving film that deserves a wide audience. Fans of Tan's earlier film, Ciao, will particularly like Pit Stop.

Odd review history here. First there are nothing but wonderful reviews followed by nothing but terrible reviews. Don't know what that means, but it seems peculiar. This is an intelligent, very slow moving film concentrating on the lives of two gay men, though one is obviously bi-sexual, that you know are going to come together for a love story, but it takes one hour for these two to meet in a one hour and twenty minute film. However, what saves it is that their individual stories are interesting and bit unusually similar. Both are nice guys still connected with their ex's. One with his ex-wife who still care and need each other as they were best friends prior to trying marriage and remain that way, along with together raising a young daughter. And the other with his ex-boyfriend who wants to get out of a small town in Texas, which I would think understandable, but the other doesn't. For a film with so many nice people, not many seem very happy with their lives. The acting is good by the four principles (I particularly liked Bill Heck & Bailey Bass) and it's a decent film, but you have to like film as even at this short a length there are many scenes in which nothing of significance occurs.

You follow th life of two broken hearted men, Gabe and Ernesto, who live in the same town, go to the same places and work 100 ft away without even knowing each other.

It may seem a little still at the beginning and by the trailer you might expect it to progress into a much more sexualized interaction between characters, but it turns out to be a nice romantic drama, which was a nice surprise.

It's not one of those "instant love" movies in which two people meet, fall madly in love and ride in a white horse to the horizon, it's a bit deeper than that, showing you about how you can "move on" how and when you least expect it.

I recommend it.

Small quiet film about a few gay men in a small town in Texas. Each of their stories, some totally unrelated, until Gabe and Ernesto meet. Excellent quiet plain talk movie. Real people problems and lives all at the same time, but overwhelming, a few stories that end in one.

If you want 'young' gays from big cities, big gay communities, stereotypes, lots or any sex scenes = ACTION, clichés, hot handsome 'model's, then this is not a film for you.

If you want real people out there in the small towns that live real lives in a different place, real REAL conversations, situations, relationships, etc., Not a soundtrack from beginning to end of House Beat "Gay" music, then you could consider trying this movie.

The director, Yen Tan, should be a giveaway to a style of film. NOT Hollywood, Not gay films for the young and horny, but a film about real people, other people, etc.

For this type or style of movie, this one is great!