In fact, many of us are drawn to films like this because reliving some of those common experiences, distressing as they may have been when we were young, now contribute to a comforting feeling of connection to others. There is, after all, a fair amount of shared common experience in the coming-of-age saga of most young gay men. Some of what takes place was a bit formulaic and stereotypical, but the events were still integral to the story development and it felt totally realistic if not ground-breaking. Yes, the plot may have been overly ambitious in all that it attempted to include. The timid, brittle interactions, however, were very true to the decidedly dysfunctional family of the main character rather than tentative acting.
Unfortunately, just before I watched this movie, I read a review here stating that the story was based on a 'thin-as-paper, muddled plot.' With that in mind and the somewhat awkward, uncomfortable interactions between the actors at the start, I almost gave it up.
