Why do gay men love this film? It is because they are so starved to see decent representation of themselves on-screen that they'll settle for anything--even this mediocrity? Writer-director Richard Day, adapting his own stage material, was clearly inspired by Rock Hudson's real-life dilemma from the 1950s: what to do with a movie idol who is secretly homosexual? The answer: marry him off to an unsuspecting woman in order to quell the gossips (and to keep him working). Day's wispy-thin idea has been given a bit of energy by the good cast and retro production design (which amusingly resembles a greeting card by Shag); however, his dialogue isn't very clever, and there's some slapstick goofing around near the beginning which fails to work (spitting out food, etc.). That said, when a serious tone is called for (as it is in the third cat), Day handles it with great taste--and this is far more welcomed by the viewer than all the comic silliness. Matt Letscher is well-cast as the movie hero Guy Stone, but are his experiences here enough to strengthen his character? (I imagined him right back at the bar the next evening). The movie seems not to know how to answer this--or to care. Day wants to get off a few one-liners and a carefully written pro-gay speech--a plea for tolerance--but he has no other agenda. For audiences hoping for something substantial, this sentimental thing looks like nothing more than a stunt. *1/2 from ****