Gypsy
'83 (2001)
(For Pageant. I miss you!)
How infuriating is "Gypsy '83?" Well, it begins with
an hour of the most creative, imaginative, enjoyable
gay teen comedy/drama to emerge in eons and ends as
a typical and pathetic little "gay guys are so sad"
film. I have never been so mad at a film for dropping
the ball in my life. Forget will and Grace, the two
stars of "Gypsy '83," Sara Rue and Kett Turton, provide
the most wonderful fag hag and gay boyfriend couple
ever to grace the silver screen. Rue's Gypsy is a huge
Stevie Nicks fan and dreams of being a star. She has
a lot of issues with abandonment, because her mother
left when she was seven, but she is a wonderful and
delightful person. She reminded me so much of the young
woman who was so special to me when I was 18 and 19.
My first fag hag. Rue is brilliant here. She is bold
and vibrant and freeform and a breath of fresh air.
It is so awesome to see a large, attractive woman empowered
with wit and attitude and love and heart. This is one
of the greatest female characters to grace the screen
in a gay male movie in ages. Rue will win your heart
with her brilliant acting that seems so realistic, honest
and pure.
Rue has a wonderful scene mid-film where she bares
her breasts. It is the most daring and bold moment of
nudity I've seen in a film since Thora Birch bared her
breasts in "American Beauty." The vulnerability she
shows here is so on target because Rue, as an actress,
is making the exact same choice as Gypsy, her character,
to expose herself and to be vulnerable and to risk humiliation.
It's brutally frank and perfectly says everything about
Gypsy's true fragility and hurt that we need to know.
It's a remarkable moment.
Turton, meanwhile, is adorable and delightful as Clive,
a gothic, teenage, Robert Smith who insists on being
himself. Trouble is, he isn't exactly sure who that
is. With Clive, Turton brings forth a realistic, vulnerable
and bewildered sexual being who is just on the cusp
of finding himself, sexually and otherwise. Turton is
so fucking adorable that we just want to give him hugs
and brush our fingers across his sad smile and tell
him it will be all right. Clive may be confused and
teenage, but he is not really depressing, angry, bitter
or catty. He's a cute, sweet, loveable gay boy that
we just want to take home and love forever. In Turton's
Clive, I saw so much of the boy I was and the boy I
wished I had been. And Turton's chemistry with Rue is
remarkable. These two are the greatest screen couple
since Bogey and Bacall. They're the post-apocalyptic
Rock Hudson and Doris Day. Turton is like a gay Duckie
from "Pretty in Pink" and Rue, his voluptuous Annie
Potts.
Turton has a devastating and bold sexual scene as
well in the film. Coupling with hottie Paul Costanzo
of "Road Trip" in a roadside rest stop bathroom, Turton's
Clive is all heavy breath and wide eyes at the prospect
of his first sexual experience with another guy. The
chemistry these two share is remarkable and Clive's
insistence that Costanzo's Troy, who is hopelessly closeted,
kiss him is one of the most powerful and erotic gay
scenes to be seen. It is gay fantasy enacted with all
the empowering freedom of Stonewall. It is breath-taking.
It is no surprise that these sexual scenes of the
characters, which appear mid-film, are so bold, when
you know the film was co-written and directed by Todd
Stephens. Stephens wrote "Edge of 17" (another film
with a title that references a Stevie Nicks song), which
included a scene of a young man's first rimjob in a
parked car that was one of the most bold and steamy
gay sex scenes of 1998. Stephens has made a name for
himself with his interesting and honest depictions of
gay teenage life - including sexuality - and the first
hour of "Gypsy '83" is no exception to this.
But Stephens also has a sad and uncanny knack for
making his gay characters suffer. The man, it seems,
cannot write a happy gay character. After Clive has
the most wondrous and magical sex I've ever seen in
a gay film, porn or otherwise, Stephens insists on making
Troy gay-bash him with his frat boy friends. Make no
mistake. This scene is so obvious in its coming that
it is no surprise when it does arrive. But it's troubling
that Stephens resorts to the obvious when it does come.
To watch the adorable and huggable Clive hurt is the
most unimaginable pain to be inflicted by a gay bashing
scene ever. You just want to grab this boy and hold
him, wipe his tears and comfort him. I sat in the film
cursing Stephens because he shits on this character
so harshly.
Later, in the film, Clive has a run in with some catty
gay guys at a club and is hurt further. This would be
an awesome scene, a much needed jab at gay male snootiness,
if Stephens hadn't prefaced it with so much pain in
the gay- bashing scene. Stephens has remarkable talent.
He is better than this. That is the most infuriating
thing about this film. When Stephens decides to make
a gay film where the DRAMA does not revolve around sex,
he will tap into the true magic that film can become.
Stephens insists on making Clive suffer so much that
it becomes unacceptable. It is so unimaginative on the
writers' part here. The first hour of this film is so
brilliant and breathtaking, to have it degrade into
typical teen angst, devolve into that "gay boys are
so sad," "Boys in the Band" cliche bullshit is unforgivable.
ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!
And yes. It's impossible to sit quietly by and not
think: What this boy needs is a man like me. What this
boy needs is a loving older gay man to take him in and
love him. Turton is just so adorable. His pouty lips,
his perfect innocent bewilderment. I fell head-first
baby. This is not only a testament to Turton's abilities
but to the wonderful character Stephens creates. This
is super-gay- boy. He should stand up for himself and
get it right. This character is too smart and too cool
to be this confused. He deserves so much better than
he gets here. If it is any consolation, Turton will
have a huge career. He's talented as hell. His Clive
is a remarkable creation, a stunning, wide-open, loving,
eye-lined, dark Adonis.
If you need further proof that Stephens gets way off
course here, simply witness the scene (somewhere after
the sex scene) where Gypsy and Clive dance in a park
to a Cure song. It's beautiful, lush, flamboyant, happy
and jubilant. It is the open wonderment at sexuality
that gay film needs desperately right now. It is one
of those joyous film moments that have you smiling and
in love and happy as fuck. This is what we want "Gypsy
'83" to be. Not the typical teen angst festival of pain
and hurt that it becomes.
Damn it. When Todd Stephens stops insisting on shitting
on his characters, he is going to create THE gay teenage
masterpiece. He could be the happy Gregg Araki. And
we really fucking need that.
Note:
Also with Karen Black in a fabulous supporting role
as Bambi La Bleau, a washed-up lounge singer and X frontman
John doe as Gypsy's needy musician father. Both are
very good here, but Black brings forth a character that
is so wonderful and unique that the actress is destine
to be nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for
Best Supporting Actress.
Although Gypsy is obsessed with Stevie Nicks, the
only Nicks' song to appear in the film is "Talk to Me"
and it is always sung by someone else. Why? Either Nicks
would not consent to let her music be used in the film
or the producers could not afford it. "Talk to Me" is
one of the few Nicks hits not written by the rock star
herself.
Several Cure songs appear in the film but Clive never
once mentions the band nor does anyone accuse him of
being obsessed with Robert Smith. He does have a Cure
poster on his bedroom wall.
This Film Reviewed
from the 2001 Austin Film festival!
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Report
Card
Script:
D-
Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: B+
Special Effects\Make Up: C
Music: A+
Final
Grade: C
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