Beautiful Thing

Just wanted everyone to know that it's finally coming to DVD. The official version is being released May 20, 2003 from Columbia TriStar. So if any of you have been waiting for it and have been leary of getting the above-mentioned poor quality knock-off, your wait is finally over!


Great Story - DVD is POS   November 12, 2002
13 out of 17 found this review helpful

This is a great movie and I have the VHS which I will be keeping because the DVD is a POS. (Its the main reason I've given it a rating of one.) The quality of the DVD is ... and the color (especially on red) is so over driven it bleeds and is almost unwatchable. I've seen better quality on VHS! Then there is the issue of Chinese subtitles **BURNED** into the picture. How bush league!!

Unfortuately, I bought this some time ago and just decided to watch it again. Needless to say I went balistic when I saw the burned in subtitles. This little "feature" was NOT noted in any of the details. Amazon.com should offer to buy all thiese back.


I Believed All OF It   April 28, 2006
Elton T. Elliott
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

Movies, plays, and books are all subjective endeavors. The idea is to suspend your disbelief while reading or watching the piece. In the case of BEAUTIFUL THING, that is not hard to do.

From the opening frame you want Jamey to thrive. He hates PE because the macho guys pick on him as they start a game of soccer (the English call it football). He jumps the fence and heads home skipping PE for the umpteenth time. Who can blame him and when a school chum's, Ste's, homelife with his brother and father takes an abusive turn, Jamey's mother rescues him on those nights and the two teens form a bond that goes well beyond friendship.

As the two guys struggle to deal with their love and erotic feelings for each other, the music of Mama Cass Elliott plays in the background. The story and the music is an enchanting combination that intensifies your urge to see them make it as a couple. You know they are young but not too young. You wish that had happened to you when you were their age.

Earlier reviews have already mentioned the terrific supporting cast as well as the two leads in this story, so I won't go into that here. Instead, I want you to see the DVD so you can experience the feeling I felt at the end of the movie when Jamey and Ste begin a slow dance in the street in full view of their neighbors. Unlike a few of my friends who dismissed this scene as unrealistic in a poor working class neighborhood, I chose to suspend my disbelief and each time I watch it, I mouth the word "yes".


Required viewing   February 7, 2000
Graeme (New Zealand)
11 out of 15 found this review helpful

This film should be required viewing for all teenagers gay or straight and a lot of adults as well. It shows that love is universal and life is worth living. A feel good movie that will have u crying tears of joy by the end. A brilliant cast that makes you believe what you are watching. I only wish i could have found a Jamie or Ste when I was younger. Oh! By the way! In the scene where the boys go to their first gay pub there is a guy with a broken leg. That man should be given the Oscar for best screenplay and WE should all give Jonathan Harvey the credit he so richly deserves In other words "Beautiful Thing" is BRILLIENT. 5 stars are not enough for this movie. 10..15..20 or more you decide


A wonderful movie, especially for gay teens   April 9, 2001
gameplayuh@hotmail.com (Westport, CT United States)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

As a gay teen myself, I had a bit of trouble finding an opportuniyu to watch this movie without my parents finding out. I ended up watching it alone in my basement with sound turned low and one ear open for the door leading down the stairs. And despite the cold hands and nerve racking tension, it was absolutely worth it. The movie follows the life of a young gay teen Jaime who live in an apartment complex with his single mother. His neighbor Steve (nicknamed Ste) is Jaime's romantic interest. Ste is a victim of domestic violence from both his older brother and drunkard father. The plot of the movie centers around the relationship that develops between Ste and Jaime, and the exploration of their sexualities.

The story is told with brilliant realism, and each character has a palpable feel and aura. Each character's actions are realistic and believable. Jaime's mother very obviously cares deeply for her son, and their relationship is believable as well. The soundtrack is superb as well; the tone and words of each song fit beautifully with each scene. This does not mean that the movie is without flaws. There are few confusing loose ends (Ste's involvement with drugs, Jaime's mother's boyfriend) that feel incomplete. The British dialogue and slang can be difficult to understand, and the film as a whole may be a tad on the optimistic side. However, a closer, more careful viewing may make some of these clear. And the fact that I am willing to sneak another viewing of this film despite the anxiety that goes along with it should speak volumes for the film. This movie was extremely uplifting. When I finished it, I felt like I was walking on air.

Bottom line: A great great romantic film. Not to be missed.