From: "Kent ."

Subject: Re: Who Are you All

Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 16:50:10 PST

On Nov 16, Warwick wrote:

>Hi

>I think It would be a great idea if we did some kind of introduction

to

all the

>others on the mailing list. So I'll Shall Start....

I'll take a turn, too... My name is Kent Roberts. My lover, Joe,

and

I live in Brooklyn NYC, NY. I am a Federal Employee/Civil Servant,

Joe

is a chemist. We've been together 10 years as of this coming January.

 

I didn't see BT in a theater, my first viewing was on video in June,

'97. To say "I couldn't get enough" of the film is putting it mildly!

 

Now, I am happily immersed in the BT Mail list, IRC channel, etc. All

in all, the group of fans I have "met" in this way are a fantastic

bunch

of people to get to know.

>my 1st Beautiful Thing was on stage in 1994

I would be interested to know how the experiences compare-- movie vs.

play; as I don't recall anyone discussing their experience in seeing

the play. Also, Warwick, it would be a nice addition to the online BT

 

"library" if you still had a program which could be scanned and put up

on some Website somewhere.

>...bought the video and had it autographed at its launch at

>the gay shopping night at Virgin Megastore

Autographed by whom? (just curious!)

Kent

always glad to be part of this list!

**************************************************************

Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:21:30 -0800

From: painter

Subject: Re: Who Are you All

Hi,

My name is Mike  and I live in Oakland California, across the bay

from

San Francisco. It was my idea to start the first BT mailing list. I

suggested it to David  back in December of last year after reading

some of the great posts in his web site's guest book.

The first time I saw BT I liked it very much. What I liked most about it

is

that it showed two young guys falling in love as thought this were a

perfectly natural thing (which, indeed, it is). I believe one of the

reasons so many 'gay' (I put 'gay' in quotes because, as I've posted to

the

list before, I'm not so much 'gay' as just *ME* -- but that's another

story) men and women end up with negative self images is because there are

(or have been in the past) so few POSITIVE images of ourselves in the

media. The film deals with a (socially) sensitive subject with intelligence

and sensitivity. There are many ways this subject could have been

presented

that wouldn't have worked. I liked, for example, that the focus wasn't on

sex but on caring and, ultimately, love. I wished I'd seen a film like

this

when I was young (I'll be 50 in January) as it would have helped me feel

better about myself as a 'gay' young man.

I liked the film well enough that I took a young (23) friend of mine to

see

it. He's straight and I wondered what his reaction to it would be. He

liked

it very much and I liked it even better the second time. That time I

realized there was something speaking to me through the movie that I

hadn't

quite focused on the first time. It has to do with 'presence'; the fact

that Ste and Jamie were both 'there' for one another in the midst of the

chaos of their lives. It was a message I needed to hear. It was from that

second viewing that I began to think, "right, that's exactly what I want

and need in my life, too."

In February of last year, not long after the list got started, my partner,

David, died very suddenly of a brain tumor that we hadn't known anything

about. David was (as I am) HIV negative so I just hadn't expected anything

like this. (David did, but, again, that's another story.) His death was a

devastating blow to me. Although David and I had our problems in many

respects, we loved one another deeply. We'd been together for seven years.

During that time we'd also been part of an on-going couples support group

that had met every third week for five years. The group consisted of seven

'gay' couples that ranged in age from mid twenties to David and I, who

were

the oldest (late 40s early 50s). The couples in the group had been

together

for at least one year prior to becoming part of the group. The couples

group was very supportive of me during the difficult time just before

during and after David's death. And during the time I was part of the

group

I learned first hand a lot about love between men. It was an eye opener

that everyone (whether they are in a relationship or not) should have the

opportunity to experience. I also believe that the lessons learned in that

group helped David's and my relationship.

In May, not long after David's death, I met a man, Thomas, who has now

become my new partner. This happened as unexpectedly as David's death as I

wasn't 'looking' and really wasn't ready. But it was the closest thing to

'love at first sight' I've ever experienced. At the time I met Thomas I

wasn't ready to date and I told him so and he said, "I'll wait." and he

did. We had our first date in July and it was very powerful for both of

us.

By September it was clear to us both that we wanted to live together. He

moved in that month! Most of my friends have been supportive of this

sudden

change but a few felt it was way to fast. But if there's anything I've

learned from David's sudden death is that none of us (no matter how young

or old or no matter what our HIV status) know how much time we have -- so

we'd better make the best of it. The way I see it is even if Thomas and I

don't make it as a relationship, the time we've spent together so far has

been so wonderful, so rewarding, I'll not regret it. Thomas has been

living

with me for about ten weeks now and we are discovering that we love one

another more every day. I have no question that, God willing, our

relationship will last as long as we live (and since love is stronger than

death, even afterward). I almost feel like David sent Thomas to me -- it

has that 'magical' quality to it (David was a very 'magical' person in

many

ways -- very much an artist/elf). I'm still grieving David's death but

Thomas is very supportive of that process (he lost a lover to AIDS five

years ago and he also lost a brother to AIDS, so he understands grieving

from the inside out). Thomas is HIV + but has been living healthily with

the virus for over seven years.

The reason I'm sharing these personal details is that, as I said, what I

got from BT is this idea about 'presence'. In the two weeks before David

died I had the experience of that kind of presence in my life with him.

Although David lost ground mentally very fast, during that time we were

more present with one another than we had been during the previous seven

years. It was a very painful time for us both but it was also a miraculous

time of spiritual healing. In the face of death we confirmed our deep

commitment to one another. What's more, it is precisely this 'presence'

that drew Thomas and I together so quickly. We recognized it in one

another

at first glance and we've set it as the highest priority in our

relationship. So it is very interesting to me that BT came at a very

significant turning point in my life.

As for myself, I don't know what to say. I have been an artist (a painter)

and mostly now make my living from doing web related work on an independent

contractor basis. I have a 'love/hate' relationship with computer

technology. I'm very happy that I can write and share ideas with people I

may never meet. But I also know that I can get too caught up in it,

missing

the wonder and reality of life. One of the reasons I've not been posting

much to the BT list recently is that I'm having so much FUN. I enjoy

playing with Thomas (in all kinds of ways -- he is a very playful, sexy,

sensual, spiritual guy) and doing other things that interest me. David's

birthday was October 21 so I went to the grove where we scattered his

ashes

and had a little birthday party just between the two of us. That wasn't

'fun' in the usual sense of the word but it was very very powerful and

healing for me. I cried and cried and David's spirit comforted me. Well, I

don't pretend to understand what 'really' happened; but that's how it

seemed to me.

So, anyway, I'm glad the list is back in operation and I look forward to

hearing from everyone.

Best wishes to all,

Mike

**************************************************************

From: Jeff

Subject: Who's Who

Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 02:28:32 -0600

Introductions? OK, here goes:

I've been involved with the Beautiful Thing movement since March 9, 1997,

when I first discovered Davie and Andi's web site. That was just hours

after

I saw BT in a theater here in Omaha, Neb., where I've lived for nine

years.

I was so moved by the movie, I had to find out more about it. So much has

happened since I first saw the film. I saw it a second time later that

week. I joined the original email list. Then BT fans started meeting on

IRC, meeting only on Sundays on stealth.net. Then, with the release of

the

video in the United States, we started getting new fans and decided to

move

over to Dalnet, where #beautiful-thing resides today. Now I'm there most

every night. This has become bigger than BT. Quite possibly lifelong

friendships have been formed. We shall see.

I feel most fortunate that I had a chance to tour Thamesmead and Greenwich

in October wif me BT mates from the States, the Netherlands, Britain and,

of

course, Gav, our Singaporean transplant. It's a trip I'll never forget.

To actually see where the filming took place puts it all in perspective.

I've become a part-time evangelist for the BT cause, showing and

interpreting BT for as many people as I can.

As for me personally, I'm 33 and single and I work as a newspaper copy

editor.

Enough about me. Next!

Jeff

**************************************************************

Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 22:16:07 +1100

From: Andrew

Subject: Re: Who Are you All

 

Warwick wrote:

>Hi

>I think It would be a great idea if we did some kind of introduction to

>all the

>others on the mailing list. So I'll Shall Start....

>My name is Warwick I was born in Australia ( a long time ago) but I have

>been

>living in the U.K. for ten years.

All us aussies have missed you, come back!

Kent wrote:

>I'll take a turn, too...

Kent, you talked me into it! :)

My name is Andy. I live in Australia and work as a videoeditor for a small

TV station. I'm 37 years old and single...that is, I'm not in a

relationship. However I do share a close friendship with a guy named Tony.

I first saw BT on video last July, after waiting to see it for what seemed

like forever. A friend had told me about the film after he saw a preview

sceening of BT at the Sydney Mardi Gras Festival last year.

I've meet some wonderful people on this list and I hope I come across many

more.

Take care,

Andy.

**************************************************************

Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 07:58:17 -0500

From: Keith

Subject: RE: Who we all are

OK, here's me...

My name is Keith . I'm 30 yrs old, single, and still in the process

of coming out. (its about time, heh?) I work as a database analyst with

the American College of Physicians (a medical society similar to the AMA)

in Philadelphia.

My introduction to BT as pure chance, but has really changed my life. I

saw a preview of it at an art-house theater when seeing the reissue of The

Godfather. Instantly, I felt the movie was somehow special, but for no

reason I could put my finger on. It only ran a week or two, so I didn't

get to see it. About a month later, I saw the

box in the video store, and rented it immediately. I watched it that

night, and fell in love instantly. I had seen gay themed movies

before, but BT was different. It was the first movies really about love,

not just sex. It was also about innocense, and trust. It was

also the first gay movie where hostility towards gays didn't play a part.

The next day, I found Davie's web site, and subscribed to the email list -

another first for me. I didn't expect anything to come of it, but

the next day I came to work and had 12+ emails from the list. It's

been great ever since.

Keith

(P.S. The picture of Jamie and Ste from the cover of the US CD-ROM

embracing makes an awesome screen backdrop. Several people here at work

have commented on how good it looked : ) )

**************************************************************

Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 15:02:18 +0100

From: jmcs

Subject: Re: Who are you all

At 02:28 18/11/97 -0600, Jeff wrote:

>Enough about me. Next!

>

>Jeff

Message received!! My turn!!

My name is Sandra . I'm Spanish and I live in Madrid, where I

was

born 25 years ago. I've studied English Philology at the University and

I

just started my two-year doctorate (at this rate I will become a first-rate

unemployed!).

Anyway, it was because of my English Literature teacher and his Robin

Williams' Mr. Keating complex that I got into this wonderful world. He

told

us to either watch or read Beautiful Thing and then make a study about it.

I

didn't get in time to see the film in the movie theatre and when I

couldn't

find the play anywhere, I panicked. My time was almost up and one day,

surfing the net, I bumped into Deavie and Andi's site. I emailed them

desperately asking for help and through Davie I bought the video to

Virgin.

I also bought the screenplay, just in case. Thank God, I read it before

seeing it and I had time to look up most of the slang terms. January, 8,

1997, 14:40 approximately, was a turning point in my life. I was sitting

in

my bed, a sheet of paper and a pen in my hand to take notes about the film

and before I knew, the film was over, the paper was blank and I was

floating

in a world of love and laughter. I've watched many films in my life but

absolutely nothing can be compared to what BT gave me that day. I

couldn't

believe it. Needless to say, the study wrote itself, I got a B+ grade and

I

papered my old portfolio with BT pictures (in a few days I wasn't the

only

one in my class, let me tell you!!).

Since that day, many things changed in my life. BT became a way of life.

I've always been an introverted, shy person. I think that when I was 9

years

old I had nothing that was worth living for, or so I felt. I was ironic to

the caustic point about almost everything, love included. I lived because

I

had no choice in the matter but I had ceased feeling passion about

everything. I had nothing to be happy about. I'm not blaming anyone. As

far

as I can remember I've always been alone, I've felt alone. Even in the

middle of the most loving of families you can feel lonely and such was my

case. I felt I had nothing in common with them. I've always felt like an

alien, in every situation. BT changed everything for me. It was a flash of

hope, a sweet hope that one day things would change. That sometimes love

comes to you when least expected. Suddenly, I became an annoying optimist.

And I needed to share it. My poor friends had to endure my BT mania. All

of

them saw the film and one of them is a nut case already.

It's been more than ten months and I still watch BT almost daily (last

night

the sight of Jamie and Ste holding hands had me shaking like a leaf in the

darkness of my room).

I joined the list on March, 27, and I met the greatest bunch of people

ever.

I tried to join IRC several times but I don't know what's wrong but I

can't.

In any case, I'm very happy to be a part of this. For the first time in

my

life I feel special, or rather, I feel I'm a part of something very

special,

something bigger than all of us. Now there's a flicker of hope in my

heart

and a joy of living I never imagined possible. Sometimes I even get up

early

and I go to the University smiling. Can you believe it?

 

Take care.

 

Sandra.

**************************************************************

Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 14:28:31 -0600

From: Gary

Subject: Re: Who Are you All

 

 

Actually, in my part of the world (West Tennessee), the subject line

should read "Who are y'all" but I won't quibble. <G>

I'm Gary , a college professor in communications at a small,

private

liberal arts university.

I'd read about BT during 1996 in several magazines such as the

Advocate

and Genre and got to see it in the theater over Christmas break while back

in my hometown of Rochester, New York. At that time, I wasn't yet out to

my

parents so I couldn't really discuss it much. (Although, as I found out

later, they'd already figured things out. )

I found the website upon my return to Tennessee, signed the guest

book,

then joined the e-mail list. And participated in the IRC channel and the

newsgroup.

This fall, I had the chance to submit a proposal for an academic paper

to the Popular Culture Association's annual convention next April in

Orlando

(actually, at Disney World.)

I chose to do it on the phenomenon of how a simple thing as a small movie

had generated - mainly through the internet - a whole community of people,

people who not only shared with each other online about the impact of BT

on

their lives, but who made pilgrimages to Thamesmead and such. I called

the

paper (remember that "scholarly" papers have to have pretentious titles -

and a semicolon <G>) "A 'Beautiful Thing' on the internet: Building gay

community in cyberspace." Yeah, I know, not every BT fan is gay, but the

internet has used shared media, such as BT (as well as the Broadway

musical,

"Rent,") to bring together a lot of gay folks who otherwise would not have

known each other nor had a chance to share such personal feelings about a

movie.

Of course, I love BT for its romance, for its humor, for its wonderful

actors and especially for its happy, "fairy tale" ending. It's so much

that

I _knew_ gay life was about, but never saw dramatized.

By the way, if any of you would like to write me about some of your

personal reflections on the film and especially how having this list and

the

web sites and such have meant things to you, I'd be happy to have it for

preparing my final paper. Because of BT and you guys, I'm in the

interesting position of having a church-related college send me to deliver

a

gay-themed paper at a conference at Walt Disney World! <G>

Gary

**************************************************************

From: Warwick

Date: 18 Nov 97 21:46:19 +0000

Subject: bt jpegs

All you beautiful things

I feel we are starting to get to know each other which is great !

(I did copy" the who are you all" idea from another mail list and we

found out lots about each other ( they found out(Itold them) I was

Gay) and made a I few(closeted) friends along the way)

In reply to a few ?s I am happy to send jpegs of the autographed

cover of the video (Glen, Tameka,Jonathon Hervey and Hettie

McDonald) 85k and the cover of the program from the play Duke of Yorks

theater1994 177k. I will email them direct as I feel that the mailing

list might not handle attachments so drop me a line and I will get

them out asap. ( I may be away from home a lot during the week so I

may not get to you untill the weekend.

Warwick

ps Aussies! You never noticed I was gone but I still love you (

sometimes)

**************************************************************

From: verdun

Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 16:48:32 -0800

Subject: RE: Who we all are

My name is Alan. I'm an former Canadian now living in Los Angeles.

I missed the film when it was first released. I couldn't wait for video.

I haunted my local shop and I was there the day it went on the shelf. I

loved the film and now own a copy of Beautiful Thing. I hope there are

more of this genre released to show we are warm and loving with positive

goals and dreams in life. This will do so much to offset the negative

picture of the loose living Gay painted by the Straights. We can show

that Gay can mean Happy.

Alan

**************************************************************

From: C U

Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 12:10:04 -0500

Subject: RE: Who we all are

My name is Carl. I am from Akron Ohio. I haven't seen BT yet but really

look forward to it. I remember coming across the page a few months ago

and what a beautiful story.....I can't wait. I know a few of you in

here...Hi!!!

Glad to meet everyone else.

Carl

**************************************************************

From: Chris

Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:18:23 +0000

Subject: Re: Who Are you All

I guess as this is my mailing list I ought to introduce myself. ;-)

My name (if you hadn't guessed) is Chris ; cj or

chris to my friends. I'm 19 years old, and I live in Margate; which

is a seaside town in Kent, England. I am currently "employed" as a

Service Engineer for a computer company call ADM in Canterbury. I

first saw BT in an Arts Cinema in Plymouth, and then went to see it

again a few days later (at a charity event for AIDS Day (December

1st)) in Oxford, with some friends.

Since then I've "helped" to organise some of the meets (well I tried

to help honestly...), and when Davie started having problems with his

mailing list I offered my machine to host a temporay list. Little

did I know I'd end up hosting the whole thing.

Anyway I better be off, as I'ce babbled enough as it is, and my

supper has just arrived.

Oh BTW, if any one is having problems with the mailing list my email

address is cj@highstreet.demon.co.uk or cj@clues.com

--

Chris

**************************************************************

Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 23:47:26 +0100

From: jmcs

Subject: A few questions to shake you up!!!

Hi everybody!!

This is another of my crazy ideas. Well, not the craziest, but anyway...

In you opinion, which is...?

1.- The saddest moment in BT?

2.- The most poignant moment in BT?

3.- The tenderest moment in BT?

4.- The happiest moment in BT?

5.- The sexiest moment in BT?

6.- "THE" moment in BT?

 

Take care.

 

Sandra.

**************************************************************

From: bjw

Subject: Re: Who Are you All

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 00:10:45 +0000 (GMT)

 

On Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:18:23 +0000 Chris  wrote:

> I guess as this is my mailing list I ought to introduce myself. ;-)

>

> My name (if you hadn't guessed) is Chris; cj or

> chris to my friends. I'm 19 years old, and I live in Margate; which

> is a seaside town in Kent, England.

Hi I'm Ben  and I'm a student at the university of Kent at

Canterbury. I've been out for 6 weeks and I feel so lonely. :(

I have lots of friends who are nice but what I really want is a special

friend to share with. I think that's why I've joined this list, so I

have some close friends to talk to.

Speak to you all soon!

Ben. xx

**************************************************************

From: Jeff

Subject: Shaken up

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 01:14:28 -0600

IMHO:

1.- The saddest moment in BT? When Sandra puts Tony out with the trash

2.- The most poignant moment in BT? When Ste accepts after Jamie says,

"Dance wif me."

3.- The tenderest moment in BT? When Jamie takes Ste's hand after Ste's

talk

with Sandra

4.- The happiest moment in BT? The look Ste gives Jamie after a few

seconds of snogging during the kiss scene, as if to say, "Ohhhh, yeah, I

*like* this."

5.- The sexiest moment in BT? The whole kissing scene (I don't

care how innocent people think it is!)

6.- "THE" moment in BT? The whole dance scene.

Jeff

**************************************************************

From: bjw

Subject: Ben is a Beautiful Thing.

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 09:41:33 +0000 (GMT)

Hello,

I've never seen BT but only read the play. I'm directing it at

university and am really nrevous about having to cast the roles. I have

specific ideas about what Jay and Ste should look like, I don't know if

anyone will look how I want them to look.

I'd really like to play Jamie as I feel alot like he does. I've only

been out 6 weeks (I had a little party last night!) :) and I am still

finding my feet.

 

Take care and I'll speak to you all soon!

Ben. xx

 

**************************************************************

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 06:52:51 -0500

From: Eric

Subject: Re: A few questions to shake you up!!!

I'll have a go:

>

>In you opinion, which is...?

>

>1.- The saddest moment in BT?

When Sandra forces Jamie out of the closet.

>2.- The most poignant moment in BT?

When Ste tells Jamie about stepping over his Dad in the gutter.

>3.- The tenderest moment in BT?

Right after Jamie says "Can I touch you?"

>4.- The happiest moment in BT?

The boys running thru the woods

>5.- The sexiest moment in BT?

When Ste snogs the golly off of Jamie.

>6.- "THE" moment in BT?

For me, there's two "THE" moments. 1. When Jamie gives Ste a backrub, as

it's a turning point in both their lives. 2. The last two seconds of the

film when Ste squeeeze Jamie's shoulder.

-Eric

**************************************************************

From: matthew

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 09:59:50 -0500

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautiful Thing.

Hi, Ben. Welcome to the lavender world. Don't worry -- you are

definitely not alone and we've been there too. Ask any questions you

might want to ask. The BT mail list has to do with the film, the play,

and everything the story represents -- including the frightful,

wonderful, terrible, lovely experience of learning that I AM GAY!!! As

far as the play you are directing goes, go with your instincts in

casting the parts. Jamie and Ste are every gay or lesbian or bi or

transgendered person in the world. They don't have to have a "special"

look. Love, MATT

**************************************************************

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 13:53:11 -0600

From: Gary

Subject: Re: A few questions to shake you up!!!

jmcs wrote:

> Hi everybody!!

>

> This is another of my crazy ideas. Well, not the craziest, but anyway...

>

> In you opinion, which is...?

>

> 1.- The saddest moment in BT?

When Ste says, "They made me ugly."

> 2.- The most poignant moment in BT?

Several choices. Probably when Jamie replies, "I don't think you're

ugly." That's about the closest Jamie can get at that moment to declaring

his

love for Ste.

> 3.- The tenderest moment in BT?

Jamie taking Ste's hand and rubbing it gently after the scene with

Sandra. I first saw the film in a theater and that was the scene I most

looked forward to seeing when the video came out.

> 4.- The happiest moment in BT?

Tie. The kiss in the woods and the dance on the plaza.

> 5.- The sexiest moment in BT?

The kiss in the woods _or_ the moment Ste comes down the steps, and

gestures to Jamie as if to say, "Here I am!"

> 6.- "THE" moment in BT?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's the moment Jamie impulsively

first kisses Ste.

Gary

**************************************************************

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 22:21:38 -0800

From: David

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautiful Thing.

Hi Ben,

Speaking for someone who had 14 years of keeping his feelings locked up,

I can certainly appreciate how difficult it may have been to finally

Come out. So well done!

Any probs, give us all a shout - I'm sure any probs you may have in the

future, or anything you want a natter about, there's someone here for

you!

It's never easy finding someone...well, not in all cases. I've been

burnt a few times (metaphorically!) but did eventually strike lucky.

Indeed, Michael and me are having our Blessing Ceremony in only 4 weeks

time.

I'm bloody nervous tho' :)

Wish you all the best!

David

**************************************************************

From: Jeff

Subject: BT merits a mention in mainstream media

Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 00:42:51 -0600

Greetings, all. This story appeared in the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegra

m

recently and was distributed to newspapers nationwide in the States. The

"Beautiful Thing" mention is the last paragraph. The whole article is

well

worth reading.

GAY STAGE-TO-SCREEN MAKEOVERS HAVE MIXED SUCCESS*

(For use by NYTimes News Service clients)*

c.1997 Fort Worth Star-Telegram*

 

Theater has always been a reliable source for gay independent films, but

whether it's a good one remains to be seen.

Dozens of stage productions have made, or are in the process of making,

the

leap to the big screen. But it seems that for every successful leap comes

a

rather clumsy stumble.

"Love! Valour! Compassion!,'' Joe Mantello's adaptation of Terrence

McNally's Tony Award-winning play, falls somewhere in the middle when it

comes to success: It's engaging in its own right, but not quite up to par

with the play's complex interweaving story lines.

This funny and moving portrait of eight gay men and their interactions

over

three holiday weekends plays well in both arenas, but viewing them

back-to-back sheds a little light on the benefits and weaknesses of both

mediums..

Anyone who has seen McNally's stage version * which recently had a brief

run at Houston's Alley Theater * will have a hard time imagining a film

version of this talky, adult-themed story loaded with asides to the

audience

(as well as ample nudity).

Yet while watching the film, it is hard to imagine a sparse stage version

of this airy character piece, set in a beautiful, sprawling mansion in

upstate New York.

McNally has made the transition from stage to screen before, with such

productions as "The Ritz'' and "Frankie and Johnny.'' He contributed the

screenplay this time out, with an almost total carry-over of talent from

the

play's Broadway incarnation. Joe Mantello once again directs, and the

entire

cast returns with the exception of Nathan Lane, who bowed out because of

scheduling conflicts. Jason Alexander, better known as George on NBC's

"Seinfeld,'' filled in, giving the film a celebrity shot-in-the-arm.

The most noticeable difference from play to picture is the elimination of

many monologues. McNally has said he didn't feel that the technique works

in

a movie * as anyone who has.MDNM/ seen Paul Rudnick's "Jeffrey'' would

probably agree.

Most dialogue remains intact, and bits of the monologues are salvaged as

voice-overs. But the play's purposely limited props and sparse staging

have

been replaced with gorgeous natural settings. Oddly, neither seems to

distract from the real focus: the engaging characters. And it's to

Mantello's credit that their intimacy and interaction were not destroyed.

 

As for the rest of the pack, here's a curtain call of play pictures and

how

they fared in the conversion to celluloid.

"Boys in the Band'' (1970): Playwright Mart Crowley produced and adapted

his own 1968 off-Broadway play with "Exorcist'' director William Friedkin

at

the helm. The film remains one of the best adaptations to date, thanks

largely to the casting of the entire original stage ensemble. Despite its

bitter and often cynical look at a self-loathing, pre-Stonewall gay

community, "Boys'' remains one of the most important and openly honest gay

films ever made. Go figure why Friedkin would go on to direct "Cruising,''

the most despised and stereotypically offensive gay film to come down the

pike.

"Torch Song Trilogy'' (1988): Harvey Fierstein's adaptation of his

landmark

Broadway play about a lonely drag queen's search for love stands up pretty

well on its own, but pales in comparison with its original source

material.

Huge chunks of the play never made it to the screen, a sacrifice that

unfortunately diminishes the final product.

"Six Degrees of Separation'' (1993): One of the rare exceptions of

improvement on source material is this screen adaptation of John Gaure's

award-winning play. Will Smith is a charming con man who worms his way

into

New York society by pretending to be the son of Sidney Poitier. The often

claustrophobic stage production opens up beautifully on film with gorgeous

Big Apple backdrops providing the perfect setting for the secrets that

ensue.

"Jeffrey'' (1996): Even with playwright Paul Rudnick co-producing and

writing, this all-star comedy about a gay man's decision to give up sex in

the face of the AIDS crisis proved to be an entertaining disappointment.

Despite some clever writing and a delightful cast * "Wings''' Steven Weber

in the title role, Patrick Stewart as a gay interior designer and a host

of

celebrity cameos * "Jeffrey'' definitely suffers in the shift. Most of its

problems come from its frequent use of stage devices * audience asides and

sappy soliloquies * that never seem to fare well on film. You can judge

for

yourself when Fort Worth Theatre presents the play next year.

"Beautiful Thing'' (1997): It's hard to tell how well Jonathan Harvey's

moving love story about two working-class teens growing up in the projects

of London fared in its journey to film. Despite its success, the only

folks

who have had a chance to see the stage production live on another

continent.

But even if some meaning or message was lost in the process, "Thing''

certainly stands on its own and remains one of the best teen love stories

*

gay or straight * to hit theaters in years.

* (Visit the Star-Telegram's online services on the World Wide Web:

www.startext.net:www.arlington.net; and www.netarrant.net)*

Jeff

**************************************************************

From: bjw

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautiful Thing.

Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 10:37:25 +0000 (GMT)

Hello Matt,

> Welcome to the lavender world. Don't worry -- you are

> definitely not alone and we've been there too. Ask any questions you

> might want to ask.

Thanks for being so kind. I have a lot of straight friends and all my

gay friends are very close and don't seem to want to admit anyone new.

But that's life!

> As far as the play you are directing goes, go with your instincts in

> casting the parts. Jamie and Ste are every gay or lesbian or bi or

> transgendered person in the world. They don't have to have a "special"

> look.

Thanks for that advice, I'll take it on board for when I cast it.

Any other bits of advice on finding Jamie and Ste, I've not seen the

film.

Speak to you soon!

Ben. xx

**************************************************************

From: Warwick

Date: 21 Nov 97 20:13:18 +0000

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautifull Thing

Ben

Congratulations on Coming Out.

Life may become a lot easier now you have accepted who you are. What

others think is unimportant as you have now claimed your life as

your own!

As for friends you might like to call East Kent Friend one evening the

run a great helpline for people just like you and they may be able to

help find a social scene that you may like. Look them up in Gay times

or the local phone directory.

As for directing the play don't intentionally chose any one

who is gay for either part because the uncertainty of their

sexuallity makes the relationship work, it is very important that the

two are slightly tense in each others company. After all they are a

couple of working class teenagers in Thamesmeade. But ultimatly draw

on you own experience and gut instinct. Let us know when its on, I

will try to make it down fron London.

And Dont see the film untill after you have done the play, It will

influence you too much.

--

Warwick

**************************************************************

From: matthew

Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 16:05:45 -0500

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautiful Thing.

If you want advice on casting along the lines of the film, I'm sure we

can help. I see Ste as a more muscular type -- the jock who is moody

because of his secret as well as all the abuse he gets from his father

and brother. His mother is missing so he has not had a woman's touch in

his upbringing and so is struggling with the "feminine" in himself.

Jamie is slightly taller and therefore a bit gawky -- he is either not

athletic or just afraid to be because he knows he is gay and is harassed

by the other students as a "sissy." Neither is a pretty boy --

intentionally so, in order to look ordinary. Ste has dark hair with a

buzz cut style while Jamie is lighter in complection and has lighter

hair. Hope that helps. Love, MATT

**************************************************************

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 04:33:26 +0100

From: jmcs

Subject: Re: A few questions to shake you up!!!

Hi everybody!!

Well, I think I should answer my own post; it wouldn't be fair if I

didn't,

don't you think?

But before that, I must say I agree with EVERYTHING you all said. The film

has many sad/poignant/happy/sexy/tender/special moments. It's impossible

to

choose one above the others. At least, for me it's very difficult.

>> 1.- The saddest moment in BT?

Ste by the lake after being beaten by Trevor, hugging his knees, alone.

>> 2.- The most poignant moment in BT?

I have many here, I can't help it:

1.- Jamie's bullying at school.

2.-Ste's "They think I'm a piece of shit", "Looking like this?" and

"They've

made me ugly".

3.- Jamie's "How am I weird?"

>> 3.- The tenderest moment in BT?

Millions!! One of them, 'THE Look' between Ste and Jamie after Jamie's

seen

Ste's bruises in the bathroom.

In fact, ALL of the looks between them.

>> 4.- The happiest moment in BT?

Ste chasing Jamie/Jamie chasing Ste in the woods.

>> 5.- The sexiest moment in BT?

I have two:

1.- The kissing in the woods (of course!!!)

2.- Ste whispering something in Jamie's ear at the Gloucester. (I

don't know

why, I find it incredibly sexy!)

>> 6.- "THE" moment in BT?

The dance.

 

Take care.

 

Sandra.

**************************************************************

From: bjw

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautifull Thing

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 09:48:06 +0000 (GMT)

Hello everyone,

 

Thanks for all being so supportive. Being at university has made it

easier to accecpt who I am. I am worried about going home at Christmas,

I don't really want to spoil things with a confession about being Gay.

My parents run a church (that's how homophobic they are) but I think

my brother and sister may be a little more supportive.

How would I go about telling them???

Thanks for the advice!

I look forward to hearing your replies.

So not to clog up the mailing list with my problems you can reply

directly to me at

Thanks!

Ben. xxx

**************************************************************

From: matthew

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 06:27:37 -0500

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautifull Thing

Tell them in a non-confrontive way -- or not at all. Many young gay

people make the mistake of making the statement a combination of

confession and accusation. It should be done in a loving fashion if at

all. Tell them you love them and tell them you want to share some very

personal information because you do love them. Keep us posted and we can

give more advice as needed. Love, MATT

**************************************************************

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 14:05:05 -0800

From: painter

Subject: Re: A few questions to shake you up!!!

Howdy,

I'd like to try this, too. I have to confess, it's been a couple months

since I last watched the video (with my new beau, Thomas -- his first

time), but here goes

 

>> 1.- The saddest moment in BT?

I agree with Sandra on this one, the scene with Ste sitting by the water

crying by himself.

>> 2.- The most poignant moment in BT?

It's difficult to decide. The look Ste gives Jamie when he looks up in the

mirror and sees him looking at his back is very powerful for me. Another

powerful scene is where Jamie confronts Ste at the party for having

avoided

him. There's so much going on in that scene, I love to watch it over and

over. Ste's bravado and denial, Jamie's insistent tentativeness. His

admission that he's 'happy when I'm with you' and anger, expecting Ste to

reticule him after his confession. The fact that Ste doesn't ridicule him

but, on the contrary, says 'it's not funny; it's not funny to me.' Ste's

uncomfortableness with the idea of 'coming round' to Jamie's flat...but

then suggesting that they go get a drink. I love this scene!

>> 3.- The tenderest moment in BT?

I have two: The first is when Sandra is comforting Jamie after he's come

out to her. I feel this is another very important scene. Sandra, although

she doesn't handle it 'ideally' finally *does* get him to open up to her.

That's what she wanted. This news isn't *easy* for her to hear but at the

same time she's clear that she loves her son and is supportive of him. I

don't get any sense of her being 'judgmental' about his admitted

homosexuality; some concern, perhaps, but that's understandable. We should

all be so fortunate as to have a supportive family. The second is when

Jamie takes Ste's hand after his talk with Sandra. I wish that scene had

been a little longer and had gone a bit further in showing Jamie's love

for

Ste.

>> 4.- The happiest moment in BT?

Watching the two of them romp through the woods made me feel happy all

over.

>> 5.- The sexiest moment in BT?

The kissing scene in the woods for sure. Then that moment when Ste comes

down the steps and holds out his arms to be admired. He's so cute!!

>> 6.- "THE" moment in BT?

Finally, "the" moment in BT for me is the dance at the end. That scene

says

so many things on so many levels that I could write an essay about it.

 

Thanks, Sandra, for suggesting this!

Love to you all,

MW>

**************************************************************

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 14:40:28 -0800

From: painter

Subject: Re: Ben is a Beautifull Thing

Hi Ben,

I think it is fine to use this list to talk about personal stuff. It was

my

hope for the list from the beginning. This is my opinion only, I don't

know

how others feel about it. But what I do know is that sometimes what is

said

to one person can be valuable to another for whom it was not intended.

Giving advice is always a touchy thing. The big question I have is what do

*you* want to do -- and what are your expectations? I'll be 50 years old

next year and I *never* came out to my parents (my mom is still alive, 91;

dad died last year at 92). For years I struggled with the decision --

should I or shouldn't I -- and finally decided to not 'come out' so much

as

just work at being myself around them. Now I'm not suggesting you are or

should be like me -- far from it. The point is, every situation is

different so it's difficult to make generalizations.

One thing I know for sure, you don't *have* to come out to them until

*you*

feel ready! I think Matthew's suggestion to do it in a loving way is a

very

good one -- but only you can know when the best time for that will be.

Maybe, because this is an intense time of year for families in general,

often loaded with emotional expectations on everyone's part, this isn't

the

best time. Maybe it is. You're going to have to trust your own sensitivity

and instincts. The worst thing (IMO) you could do is come out to them

simply because you have this idea in your head that that is what you

*ought* to do. Perhaps you need to give yourself a break -- coming out to

one's self and a few friends is a GIGANTIC step. Maybe you need to settle

into that for yourself, get a deeper sense of who *you* are before risking

whatever reaction your parents may have. Then again, if it feels right,

maybe you can talk about it with one of your siblings. Be prepaired if you

do that, though, that they *may* out you to your parents -- not out of

meanness or anything, but because it may be to big a thing for them to

hold

confidential.

In the end, I decided not to tell my parents (who are fundamentalist

Christians) because, put simply, my sexuality really isn't any of their

business. (I did come out to my two sisters.) The couple times I tried to

tell my mom it became quite clear to me that *she did not want* to know!

(Which says to me that she *does* know but doesn't want to acknowledge

it.)

For example, one time she said, "I realize that I really don't know very

much about your personal life." Thinking to myself, 'if she wants to know

I'm going to tell her everything', I asked, "Well, do you *want* to know?"

And she responded, "I'm not sure I do." So I said, "Well, then don't ask

because if you do, I'll tell you." She never did. For me, although there

was a definite 'down side' to this decision, it was the right decision

*for

me*. I was having a hard enough time accepting my sexuality *myself*

without having to put up with all their fears, projections, judgments and

misinformation about it. Had the situation been different, had my parents

been different (more educated, a bit more liberal, etc.) I probably would

have told them and would have felt closer to them as a result. That's just

not what happened in this case.

The most important advice I can give is to *trust yourself* and remember

that, in a way, you can't make a mistake no matter what you do. We do what

we do (or don't do) and have to live with whatever consequences result

from

our actions or inactions. The important thing is to learn as we grow. I'm

still learning more about life all the time and I hope that never changes!

Thanks for sharing this with the BT list and I hope that our good wishes

for you (no matter what decision you make) are supportive. I'm glad you're

on this list!!

Love,

MW>

>Hello everyone,

>

> Thanks for all being so supportive. Being at university has made it

>easier to accecpt who I am. I am worried about going home at Christmas,

>I don't really want to spoil things with a confession about being Gay.

> My parents run a church (that's how homophobic they are) but I think

>my brother and sister may be a little more supportive.

>How would I go about telling them???

>

>Thanks for the advice!

>

>I look forward to hearing your replies.

>So not to clog up the mailing list with my problems you can reply

>directly to me at

>

>bjw3@ukc.ac.uk

>

>Thanks!

>

>Ben. xxx

**************************************************************

From: "Kent ."

Subject: Our Growing Mail List (yay!)

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 16:49:48 PST

On Wednesday, Nov 19, 1997, Chris  wrote:

>I am currently "employed" as a Service Engineer for a computer company

>called ADM in Canterbury.

And on Thursday, Nov 20, 1997, Ben  wrote:

>I'm a student at the university of Kent in Canterbury. I've been out

>for 6 weeks and I feel so lonely. :(

Err, if you don't know each other already... Chris, meet Ben; Ben,

meet Chris! (Canterbury can't be all *that* big, right?)

I am glad for all the new and most welcome new names posting to the

list! BT is a catalyst for so many things in all of us-- a bulwark

against loneliness not least among them! (Someone get Ben a copy of

the movie, and *quick*! :-))

Re: Sandra's idea, I thought I could choose my "mosts", but now that

I've seen what has been suggested, I can't make up my mind; although

I

kinda favor "He's good to me" as most poignant line (if that can be

considered a "moment"), as it was said with such bald emotion.

Eric, please continue informing us of the updates to your excellent and

very well-done Web Site.

Mike, I agree with 'most everything you wrote to Ben. I am sure our

individual coming out experiences, while each unique in their own ways

(for one, they happened to us and us alone) had some parallels which

may

well apply to others. In my case, your statement regarding siblings

needing the opportunity to get the Big News off their chests (and not

necessarily revealing the Secret out of maliciousness or anger), and

*tell* the parents is exactly what happened to me. My elder brother

told my parents in person; he only informed me in a letter, which I

of

course received days after the event. Needless to say, I called home

right away! My mother, at least, *had* to have had suspicions; by

the time I was (very nervously, let me tell you) able to talk to them

about it, they had had the time for it to "sink in". In the case of

my

most wonderful parents, they were both totally accepting and supportive.

 

I distinctly remember my mother said, to the effect: "Why, did you

think we wouldn't love you any more?" And, more surprisingly to me at

the time, she said my father's only reaction had been: "As long as

he's

happy." Talk about having the best possible resolution imaginable--

was I ever Blessed!

Kent