Once your ears adjust to the strong British accent, Hettie MacDonald's bittersweet comedy about a pair of high school lads who fall in love is...well...a beautiful thing. The story revolves around Jamie (Glen Berry), who lives with his loving, but tough, pub-managing mum (Linda Henry), and his next door neighbor Ste (Scott Neal), an abused kid who's regularly pummeled by his macho dad and older brother. Seeking refuge at Jamie's, Ste finds more tenderness than he's accustomed to at home and the boys friendship quickly blossoms into love. Based on a play by Jonathan Harvey, the film is upbeat, honest, well-written and powered by strong performances and a boogie-down Mamas and Papas soundtrack. Recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review--June 17, 2003--Columbia TriStar Home Video, 90 min., R, $29.95--Although the DVD transfer is occasionally soft and grainy, this 1997 entry was a rather low-budget looking affair to begin with--a labor of love rather than a glossy Hollywood blockbuster. Unfortunately, this is a bare bones release, with no real extras. Bottom line: If you don't already have the VHS version, then this heartfelt adolescent drama is well worth picking up on DVD.]
Beautiful Thing
(Columbia TriStar, 91 min., R, avail. May 20) Vol. 12, Issue 3
Beautiful Thing
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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