Beautiful Thing (1996)

Director:

Hettie Macdonald

Writers:

Jonathan Harvey (written by)
Jonathan Harvey (play)

Release Date:

9 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

An urban fairytale.

Plot:

In a suburb of London, young Jamie is escaping sport hours, to avoid being the victim of his comrades. Young Ste, his neighbor, is beaten by his father, and comes to sleep overnight. They discover new feelings, sleeping in the same bed.

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Neighbor | Cooking | Gay Teenager | Teenage Boy

Awards:

4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Meera Syal	...	Miss Chauhan
Martin Walsh	...	Mr. Bennett
Steven M. Martin	...	Ryan McBride (as Steven Martin)
Andrew Fraser	...	Jayson
John Savage	...	Lenny
Scott Neal	...	Ste Pearce
Glen Berry	...	Jamie Gangel
Julie Smith	...	Gina
Linda Henry	...	Sandra Gangel
Jeillo Edwards	...	Rose
Tameka Empson	...	Leah Russell
Anna Karen	...	Marlene
Garry Cooper	...	Ronnie Pearce
Ben Daniels	...	Tony
Daniel Bowers	...	Trevor Pearce
Terry Duggan	...	Kevin
Sophie Stanton	...	Louise
Ozdemir Mamodeally	...	Slasher
John Benfield	...	Rodney Barr
Davyd Harries	...	Brewery Official
Beth Goddard	...	Brewery Official
Marlene Sidaway	...	Betty
Liane Ware	...	Claire
Catherine Sanderson	...	Kelly
Dave Lynn	...	Drag Performer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jonathan Harvey	...	Wheelchair Queen (uncredited)

Directed by
Hettie Macdonald

Writing credits
Jonathan Harvey		(written by)
Jonathan Harvey		(play)

Produced by
Tony Garnett	....	producer
Bill Shapter	....	producer

Original Music by
John Altman		(original music composed, conducted and arranged by)

Cinematography by
Chris Seager		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Don Fairservice

Casting by
Andy Pryor
Gail Stevens

Production Design by
Mark Stevenson

Art Direction by
Chrysoula Sofitsi

Costume Design by
Pam Tait

Makeup Department
Gilly Fiford	....	assistant makeup artist
Elisa Johnson	....	makeup designer
Pebbles	....	chief hairdresser

Production Management
Nick O'Hagan	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Victoria Goodall	....	third assistant director
Jim Imber	....	second assistant director (as James Imber)
Ben Johnson	....	third assistant director
Susie Liggat	....	first assistant director
Jim Wilkinson	....	third assistant director

Art Department
David Fitzjohn	....	stand-by painter (as Dave Fitzjohns)
Jane Henwood	....	assistant art director
Guy Hunt	....	construction manager
Andy Marr	....	dressing props
Andy Marr	....	stand-by props
Tom Pleydell-Pearce	....	dressing props
Tom Pleydell-Pearce	....	stand-by props
Mike Power	....	property master
Guy Rutter	....	scenic artist
Nigel Salter	....	prop hand
Sara Wan	....	production buyer
Dave Williams	....	stand-by carpenter
Ken Marples	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Greg Mason	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kevin Brazier	....	sound editor
Wayne Brooks	....	sound editor
John Chandler	....	boom operator: second unit
Piers Lawrance	....	sound trainee: FT2
Paul Le Mare	....	sound recordist: second unit
John Midgley	....	sound mixer
David Old	....	dubbing mixer
June Prinz	....	boom operator
Julie Ankerson	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Stunts
David Cronnelly	....	stunt coordinator
Gabe Cronnelly	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Beeby	....	gaffer
Billy Brooks	....	best boy
Paul Chedlow	....	still photographer
John Haylen	....	gaffer
Jeremy Hiles	....	operator: second unit
Peter Howard	....	clapper loader: second unit (as Skip Howard)
Alex Howe	....	focus puller: second unit
Dean Kennedy	....	best boy
Drew Meldon	....	rigger
Oona Menges	....	clapper loader
Duncan Scott	....	camera trainee: FT2
Kim Seber	....	focus puller
Adrian Smith	....	Steadicam operator
Colin Strachan	....	grip
Alf Tramontin	....	Steadicam operator
John Whickman	....	electrician
Gary Parnham	....	additional electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eleanor Appleby	....	wardrobe assistant
Charlotte Couchman	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Kimaathi Spence	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Bob O'Brien	....	genny driver
Len O'Brien	....	genny driver

Other crew
Jim Allan	....	location manager
Jedd Aukin	....	floor assistant
Danielle Brandon	....	production coordinator
Sam Dundas	....	location assistant
Fleur Fontaine	....	assistant to producer
John Heald	....	location assistant
Susanna Lenton	....	script supervisor
Nigel Marchant	....	floor assistant
Richard McNeill	....	assistant accountant
Mark Sell	....	location assistant
Linda Sherwood-Page	....	titles
Barry Smith	....	location manager
Howard Sykes	....	location assistant
Harry Teacher	....	production runner
Paul Van Der Weele	....	production accountant
Anya Noakes	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films
• World Productions

Distributors

• Cinemania Films Group (1998) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Cult Filmes (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Homescreen (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Classics (199?) (USA) (DVD)
• Vértigo Films (Spain)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  light equipment
• MCA Records  music available on (The music of Mama Cass and the music of The Mamas and the Papas is available on)
• Ragdoll Productions  clip courtesy of
• ctm Radio  radio extracts courtesy of

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, pervasive strong language and some drug content

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Singapore:(Banned) | New Zealand:R16 | Chile:14 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Anchor Pub, Rotherhithe, London, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

When Sandra recalls that Cass Elliot died by choking on a sandwich she is repeating an urban legend. "Mama" Cass actually died of heart failure. Reports immediately after her death (before the autopsy) apparently quoted her doctor as saying she probably died by choking on a sandwich. Despite the results of the autopsy, the sandwich story has stuck.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The rainbow early in the movie is inaccurately depicted: the red band should be outside the curve, and the blue/violet band on the inside. A rainbow is composed of the entire spectrum of colors of visible light, from the longest wavelength, red, to the shortest wavelength, violet. The order of colors in a rainbow is easiest to remember by the following mnemonic (a formula that helps one remember something): Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. R=red, O=orange, Y=yellow, G=green, B=blue, I=indigo, and V=violet. Red is naturally at the top edge (longest, or hottest in the spectrum) of the rainbow and violet is at the bottom edge (shortest, or coolest in the spectrum), with the other colors, in order, in between.

Quotes:

Leah:Come on Slasher, let's go.
Sandra:Slasher? What do you slash, crepe paper?
Leah:He's incontinent.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Here's Looking at You, Boy (2007)

Soundtrack:

Move In A Little Closer Baby

The Brits do it again...

It seems when it comes to gay-themed movies, the Brits outdo us Americans hands down. This movie is another example of this fact. This movie rates as one of the best in this genre. Get Real comes a close second.

The young actors that play Jamie and Ste do an extraordinary job sometimes forgetting how well they pull off such complex characters throughout the movie. I think any gay man growing up can relate to Jamie. He doesn't excel in sports, and almost too smart for his own mother. He is comfortable with his sexuality, and he doesn't give a damn what the world thinks of him. Ste, on the other hand, fears his older brother, and his father made his life miserable. As he states in the film, "they made me ugly". Ste is not all ugly, and Jamie realizes this, and is attracted to his brash, manly demeanor. Unfortunately, Ste's own demons and his insecurities are present throughout the film. At one point, Ste ashamed of rumors of his questionable sexuality, denies it to a heartbroken Jamie.

Obviously, I enjoyed this movie. The scenes between Jamie and his mother and likewise, between Jamie and Ste, are perhaps the best parts of the movie. I understand having Leah in the movie to provide the supporting role of comic relief was a necessity in most film requirements, but in this one, it distracted the viewer to an extent. I was so glad when it came out on DVD, so I can put my last VHS tape to rest, but disappointed that there were no cast interviews or extras at the end. Granted, the movie was made six years or so after the DVD came out, but you might think the film makers would find something of interest.

So England what will be the next great gay movie ?