Beautiful Thing | 
| Director: Hettie Macdonald
Actors: Meera Syal, Linda Henry, Glen Berry, Martin Walsh (iii), Scott Neal
Studio: Sony Pictures
List Price: $21.96
Buy Used: $2.50
You Save: $19.46 (89%)
New (2) Used (22) Collectible (2) from $2.50
Rating:  309 reviews
Sales Rank: 13782
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Ntsc
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6304410832
UPC: 043396949737
EAN: 9786304410837
ASIN: 6304410832
Theatrical Release Date: October 9, 1996
Release Date: June 30, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Case lightly shelf worn. Vhs in good condition.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
This absolute winner, based on a stage play by Jonathan Harvey and adapted by him, is a kind of enchanted, urban slice-of-life tale about a gay teen, Jamie (Glen Berry), who is in love with the boy next door, Ste (Scott Neal). Hampering Jamie's progress on the romantic front is his fear that his mother (Linda Henry) will find out, as well as concern over complicating Ste's existing problems. Beautiful Thing is a relationship movie, to be sure, but that description doesn't really describe the buoyant tone of this British television production. Democratic in its inclusive regard for each character (whether camera-pretty or not), the film--well-directed by Hettie Macdonald--is full of surprises. Chief among them is the terrific personality of Jamie's mum, a strong and independent woman who truly worries over and adores her son. But this is a movie involved in a kind of happy dialogue with itself: the tunes of Mama Cass, for instance, play a part in both the story and overall ambience, while a strategic placement of the Rodgers and Hammerstein chestnut "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" during an act of love is fun and exciting. --Tom Keogh
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| Customer Reviews: Read 304 more reviews...
 Beautiful Thing July 16, 2008
J. Osborn (Missouri)
This is a tender coming of age movie about first love between two working-class boys. I love this movie! I would recommend this movie, and have, to anyone who wants to see a sweet tender movie about the confusion that is growing up and trying to figure out what love is.
Great edition of one of my all-time favorite films June 13, 2008
Pedro Corbett (Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL)
This is the best non-European edition of one of my all-time favorite films, and an absolute classic. Beautiful and essential - just buy it!
Beautiful Thing: Beautiful Film June 7, 2008
Robert D. Shull (Fairfield, OH)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Beautiful Thing captures so many of the emotions of growing up gay. The anxiety of others finding out, the fears of rejection, the expression of internalized homophobia and ultimately acceptance. There are so many ways to relate to this film that, LGBT or heterosexual, most people will find themselves drawn into the story. The acting is fantastic and the directing is done such that the film moves right along. I highly recommend this film to all mature audiences.
And What A Beautiful Thing It Is May 16, 2008
Alan Walmsley (Australia)
This is a movie I have always wanted to own and finally I have gotten around to doing so. It is very sad and heartfelt in some scenes and in other scenes you'll be cracking up with laughter. Tameka Empson as Leah who is totally obsessed with Mama Cass Elliott is a highlight for me, she is hilarious. If like me you love the music of The Mamas and The Papas then the soundtrack is an added bonus. The blossoming romance between the two boys is handled wonderfully and is totally convincing. Linda Henry who plays Jamie's mum also gives a fantastic performance. She handles Jamie's "coming out" very well and accepts his relationship with Ste,the next door neighbour who suffers physical abuse from both his father and older brother. All in all, this is just one of the best movies of its type. A movie worth owning.
Extremely Sweet... AND Realistic April 1, 2008
Steven R. Hixson (hell, kansas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Problem is, naysayers to this movie didnt grow up in a situation like that. Obviously, anyone who has an imagination can understand what's going on. This film was way ahead of its time in the fact that they didn't need to show every little bit of what was going on. Now you see that in movies constantly.
I think I have a rather good idea of what a fantastic movie is, and I'm not just saying that about this movie because I am a homosexual. I relate to these characters like I know them. Its almost as if my story was being told on that screen. Of course, Im not from England and it wasnt an apartment complex, but its pretty much the same exact thing.
Jamie and Ste didn't exactly have a close relationship before hooking up, no. But they'd obviously known each other a long time. Nobody noticed how, at school, they might not have been the best of friends, but outside of school they got along just fine. THAT HAPPENS. That's the way high school is. Especially if you're in a rural or condensed area.
The love scene was not, either, "all of a sudden", like some paint it out to be. The scenes leading up to it show their growing admiration of each other, especially when they were trying to suss out each others' take on girls and sexuality the first night Ste came to stay at Jamie's. Then came the simple task of Ste retrieving Jamie's soccer ball when the other jerks just threw him in the river. In a film it may not seem like much, but in reality, real life, it means a lot. And RELATION to that is where you understand these characters.
The only problem I had with this movie was with Leah's "trip" scene in which she actually though she was someone else. A little far-fetched, yeah. Only people on drugs coinciding with mental problems believe they're someone else. And I had a problem with the DVD having no English subtitles. I had to turn the closed-caption on my TV on. Those big black boxes are distracting. But now I know the movie by heart, so I don't really need them.
I thought this was a fantastic and REALISTIC movie. In order to understand and believe in it, you have to RELATE to it, which I did. I remember going through the exact same motions Jamie went through in his coming out. And I remember my first boyfriend's motions related a ton to Ste's.... so its really not that far away, is it?
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