Painfully honest film about sexuality

Covers no new ground; but the naturalistic acting and the down to earth approach to the material are, in the end, quite affecting.

In a small town in Ohio in the early 80s, high school student Eric, Chris Stafford, is going through growing pains. His best friend , Maggie, (Tina Holmes), is his sweetheart, sort of - but when they`re both working at a fast food establishment during the summer, he finds himself attracted to Rod, (Andersen Gabrych). Eric can`t confide in anyone, least of all his parents; Maggie obviously expects more of him than he`s willing to give; his life`s in a turmoil. He starts visiting a gay bar... The most refreshing aspect of this modest but very likable film is that it rings so true. Eric is really confused about his sexuality; the inexperienced Maggie, who helps her friend change his hair and his clothes, is equally confused about her feelings. His basically supportive mother is troubled and anxious - but no-one can really come out and talk about what`s troubling them. There`s a painful, evidently autobiographical, honesty here. The film, written by Todd Stephens and directed by David Moreton, covers no new ground; but the naturalistic acting and the down to earth approach to the material are, in the end, quite affecting.Margaret`s comments: The agonies of being young and gay and confused in small town Ohio in the 1980`s has been really well realised, there is a truth to it. And a real affection for family and friends. Producer/writer Todd Stephens acknowledges his own experiences as being the basis of the screenplay. Debut feature director David Moreton elicits tremendously convincing performances from his cast, especially from Chris Stafford as the lead and Stephanie McVay as Mom. If there are longeurs in the telling, there are enough poignant and funny moments to make this an enjoyable, but not significant, film experience.