Hard Pill

Director John Baumgartner's Hard Pill starts out funny with its witty hetero/homo scale, a graphic that pops up on the screen to introduce each of the characters—so-and-so is 75% straight, while whatshisface is 51% gay—and then turns unexpectedly profound when lonely, emotionally damaged Tim (Jonathan Slavin) decides, against the objections of his many (platonic) friends, to become an experimental subject in a scientific trial testing a drug to turn gay men straight. The somewhat science-fiction-like premise becomes a powerfully philosophical metaphor with which to explore the cultural pressures that gay men—and those who love them—experience from all sides. From the sorta-straight, kinda-gay pal who has been taking sexual advantage of Tim and is annoyed to find his occasional partner no longer interested, to Tim's gal best friend who has unrealistic expectations once Tim's desires turn to the opposite sex, Hard Pill serves up a heartrending drama that deftly examines the biological, emotional, and social aspects of human sexuality. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette, outtakes, and an interview with star Slavin and writer/director John Baumgartner. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine indie film.] (M. Johanson)