User reviews

It seems when it comes to gay-themed movies, the Brits outdo us Americans hands down. This movie is another example of this fact. This movie rates as one of the best in this genre. Get Real comes a close second.

The young actors that play Jamie and Ste do an extraordinary job sometimes forgetting how well they pull off such complex characters throughout the movie. I think any gay man growing up can relate to Jamie. He doesn't excel in sports, and almost too smart for his own mother. He is comfortable with his sexuality, and he doesn't give a damn what the world thinks of him. Ste, on the other hand, fears his older brother, and his father made his life miserable. As he states in the film, "they made me ugly". Ste is not all ugly, and Jamie realizes this, and is attracted to his brash, manly demeanor. Unfortunately, Ste's own demons and his insecurities are present throughout the film. At one point, Ste ashamed of rumors of his questionable sexuality, denies it to a heartbroken Jamie.

Obviously, I enjoyed this movie. The scenes between Jamie and his mother and likewise, between Jamie and Ste, are perhaps the best parts of the movie. I understand having Leah in the movie to provide the supporting role of comic relief was a necessity in most film requirements, but in this one, it distracted the viewer to an extent. I was so glad when it came out on DVD, so I can put my last VHS tape to rest, but disappointed that there were no cast interviews or extras at the end. Granted, the movie was made six years or so after the DVD came out, but you might think the film makers would find something of interest.

So England what will be the next great gay movie ?

A wonderful story of gay teenagers that is ideal for parents to show their children; so that they understand that gay people may be different, but not bad. Faithful to the play, great music score and gives a real feeling of English tenements.

BEAUTIFUL THING is a unique drama - presenting an adolescent gay couple as complex individuals, within a greater setting (an English housing project) that also captures a bit of a slice-of-life feel. I like the working-class setting, and wasn't bothered by the accents - as an American it required me to pay attention - a good thing as there are many subtle details that make this a very rich drama.

It does tug at the heartstrings a bit, and it lays on the cuteness a bit more than it should, but I loved the characters anyway, and the setting and context (very nicely detailed film-making) keeps those minor gripes minor.

There have been so many cynical or clichéd gay dramas released during the last decade or two, especially in the US (gay film from elsewhere in the world often seems so much more fresh and lifelike) - in many ways this film was (and remains) a real breath of fresh air.

This is one of those great British dramas set in a typically grim environment but shot with positivity throughout. Having grown up around the area in the film and being only a few years older than the featured boys, it was a joy to see life there depicted in the film.

I agree with all previous comments about the actors and how true-to-life it feels. Although slightly exaggerated in places, this film is a great comment on London working class life as well as being focused around a gay-based storyline.

However, I wanted to add that this film also comments on the complex class system in the UK which explains why Tony was dropped by Sandra. Many non-British viewers may not have picked up on this. Thoughout, Tony is shown as a middle class character who doesn't really fit into the working class environment. He uses different slang words to the others, has a 'posher' accent and has slightly different attitudes to all the other characters. He and Sandra come from different worlds. As Sandra says, she has been fighting all her life, whereas he has had evertyhing given to him on a plate. Ultimately, this relationship was never going to last. Life in London (and the UK) is still spilt into different social classes, although they do mix a little more than they used to. But you can often tell where someone is from by their accent and their choice of words. This was used to great affect in the film.

Overall, a light-hearted look at life on a London council Estate with some great performances... one of my favourite films.

Gay or straight, this is one of the finest movies ever made about self discovery and teenage love. Albeit the end is a little wishful and optimistic, the characters and situations are perfectly developed and realized, ringing true in almost every scene. This movie makes me smile on every level...from the way the two boys discover their affection for one another, the wonderful comedy relief from the next door neighbor Leah (and her relationship with the entire tenement population), and the perfect choice of soundtrack music from Mama Cass that, at times, seems written specifically for certain scenes and works on both a nostalgic and familiarity level. This movie gets better with every viewing...and I'd love to see what happened to each of the characters in a sequal.

This movie is, without a doubt, very personal to all gay men and women who came out during their youth and a favorite of all of my friends, both gay and straight.

Never have I seen such a simple film that was so satisfying. The screenwriter dealt with the issue of homosexuality among teenagers in a realistic and smart manner. Every time the film becomes a little too dramatic, the director has something funny happen to lighten the atmosphere, which makes for a sweet and touching film. Also, all the characters are complex, so that bad characters do good things and good characters do bad things. Nobody is perfect and nobody is all bad, which makes the film even more realistic. It's similar to the more recent Get Real, but Beautiful Thing is definitely better. This is without a doubt my favorite gay film. Only the British can make a film this good!

A film about the gay working class runs the risk of portraying two sets of stereotypes. But 'Beautiful Thing', Hettie MacDonald's sweet little movie, is lifted above mere cliché through the quirky humanity of its characters, and the atmospheric cinematography of the ugly-beautiful London overspill estate of Thamesmead. Unlike many "gay" films, it manages to display sympathy for its characters without becoming unduly celebratory (a tone that rarely makes for good cinema). In fact, it has something of the feel of a Mike Leigh film, although it's a lower key affair than most of Leigh's movies: a little less intense, a little less depressing, and a just little less funny. But that is, of course, to judge it against the highest of standards. In it's own right, it's a modest, but distinctive and highly likable film.

Once again, I am overwhelmed by the excellence of British film-making & acting. I truly bow to the British honing of the craft of acting, which is brilliantly presented in this film. Storyline aside, the acting of the mother "Sandra" is superb; you feel every emotion on her face as she struggles to make a better life for herself and her son, as well as accept her son's growing awareness of his own sexuality. Remarkably, she is my favourite character in this film, notwithstanding the performances of the 2 boys, who are superb. The boyfriend, Tony, is also wonderful as a supporting character. My favourite scenes are actually sequential: first, the shot of Sandra following the boys in a cab, as the shock & turmoil of her emotions is beautifully portrayed during this scene; second, the followup scene with the boys in the park, probably, for me, the most wonderfully innocent, beautiful and intimate scene in the film. I'm probably being silly; every scene in this beautiful film is a treasure and at triumph, for anyone who's ever been in love. I know I will treasure this film always.

A little coarse and vulgar but that's life. A story that's been played out ad infinitum with many presentations and in many languages - and continues to be told; which justifies its relevance in overcoming prejudice, bigotry and ignorance but not why those things continue to exist in an increasingly polarised world.

I just recently saw Beautiful Thing and thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't the best gay themed movie i've seen, for it wasn't terribly dark, moving, or funny. But, at moments, the film manages to have very moving scenes while at other moments, you're cracking up with laughter. It treats its subject matter very normally, which is a good thing. I think this film can be entertaining for anyone--gay or straight and everything in between, for it doesn't strictly concentrate on what it's like being young and gay. It shares a glimpse of two boys who discover their sexuality in the midst of other subplots---such as dealing with an abusive family situation and having a very eccentric mother....and having to share an apartment complex with some pretty goofy neighbors. Yet, if you are looking for a movie which makes a comment on homosexuality, this film indeed accomplishes that. I think the moral of the story is simple: these two boys find each other, fall for each other, and deal with the everyday problems of a relationship. Their only problem is having to deal the people who view their lifestyle as sick or twisted. But the movie never gets too dark and is actually very hopeful, especially at the somewhat moving close.

A Truly Beautiful Thing to watch. The whole film is fantastic, for all areas, the hard-working, loving, caring single mother, the shy, nervous, unsure child, the popular but insecure, frightened, abused boy, the crazy neighbours, everything!

The film has some amazing scenes in it, especially the scene in the woods with the music - makes me cry and smile every time, the two young lovers are just wrapped up in themselves with no care in the world and it really shows through the acting and reactions of the actors, who obviously have such chemistry about them - and the music as well was fabulous and so poignant.

This is probably my second ranking film of this genre (possible my second favourite in all) the first goes to Get Real that applied more to me than this film did, though the film affected me in a similar way to Get Real. Get Real changed my life, Beautiful Thing helped it along.

I give this film a very good 9/10 (I never give 10 it may prevent others from trying to match or better it!)

"Beautiful Thing" is a low-key but very satisfying piece of moviemaking. I could relate to the actions of the two young men as they established their friendship and then discovered their sexuality. The acting throughout is superb. Some interesting notes about the production: 60 teenagers tried out for the part. The two that eventually got the nod had to read for the part seven times before being chosen. It is estimated that about 25% of teenagers who are discovered by their parents as being gay are asked to leave home. "Beautiful Thing" shows the callousness of such parental action. After all, it is not sexual orientation that determines a fulfilling relationship, but love between partners whether gay or straight.

"Beautiful Thing" is one of those films I find hard to review. On one hand, it's a nice little low budget film about two young boys coming to grips with their sexuality amidst a colorful cast of characters living in the same apartment building. But on the other hand, I couldn't help but feel something was missing here.

Being a gay male myself, I haven't delved very much into the world of gay cinema, but I will say I was pleased that nothing in this film seemed intent on exploiting homosexuals, which is the very thing that has kept me away from the genre most of the time. The story unfolds in a very low-key manner, and for once I didn't feel as if the filmmakers were simply trying to cash in on the hordes of homosexuals out there that will pay to see anything they can relate to, not even realizing the filmmakers are just after their wallets.

For a movie whose central feature is the evolving love story between two teenage boys, Jamie and Ste, I felt it was void of the usual pitfalls that plague most movies in this vein--thankfully, the clichés are kept to a bare minimum, and there's very little of what I like to call "Hollywood"-isms in the film, which I was grateful for. The chemistry between the two male leads was what kept me watching the film, as I felt the writing and the casting were both spot on in this department.

If anything leaves me humbled and a little puzzled, however, it has to be the film's focus on the other inhabitants of the apartment complex, mainly a vivacious black girl who is friends with the two leads, Jamie's mother and her new boyfriend, as well as Ste's father. Jamie's mother is struggling to land a job managing her own pub, while her new boyfriend struggles with fitting in. Couple this with multiple scenes of the black female behaving oddly while singing oldies songs, and I have to honestly say I don't see what relevance any of these story threads add to the overall plot. I feel as if by writing this, someone more "educated" will step in and point it out to me, thereby making me feel stupid, but alas...as it stands right now, I felt most of these scenes were rather pointless. It also doesn't help that the end is a little anticlimactic, making me wonder why they spent so much time building up these little anecdotal vignettes of story lines if they were just going to leave them hanging in the end anyway.

By the time the end rolled around, I was a little puzzled. There are some good things here, yes, but then other things that make no sense to me as well. In any case, I recommend this to anyone looking for a nice, cute little film about young homosexuals, without all the Hollywood hoopla.

This is an "excellent" romantic love story concerning two coming of age boys in gay accepting England.

We found the movie to be both entertaining and moving.

We own the movie on both VHS & DVD, that's how much we enjoy it.

I would like to have seen a sequel to "Beautiful Thing", merely to have had the writer pick up the story after Sandra & Jamie moved to Sandra's Pub. The reason being, the movie ends giving the impression that Sandra took Ste along with her & Jamie, to live with them at Pub.

I feel a sequel would carry on further with this point, along with how the boys relationship grew with time. Gays need a positive light, as "Beautiful Thing" portrays.

I was wondering if anyone else feels the same way concerning Ste moving with Sandra & Jamie.

I can "HIGHLY" recommend this movie, as it is well done, and a touching story.

Lea, adds much to the movie also. We loved how at the end of the movie she becomes a friend to both Ste & Jamie. But than again, you could almost tell it would happen. Lea was a free spirit who did a she felt.

Heart-wrenching performances, a witty and sensitive (but never sappy) script, and characters so real they could walk off the screen: these aren't usually things to be found in gay-themed movies, but Beautiful Thing has all of them and more. Where Brokeback Mountain left me devastated and believing happiness couldn't ever last (I will never watch it again), and Latter Days is a prime example of style over substance, Beautiful Thing makes me feel like love is out there and it's really worth fighting for. It has stayed with me vividly and powerfully since I first saw it, and I continue to watch parts of it often.

I don't know if Glen Berry or Scott Neal could have realized what an impact this film would have on some viewers, but I wish I could thank them for bringing such humanity, realism, and likability to the roles of Jamie and Ste. Linda Henry, too, in the brilliant role of Sandra, gives a performance worthy of an Oscar, and Sandra's boyfriend Tony (played perfectly by Ben Daniels) is hilarious and surprisingly endearing. The script is not self-conscious or saccharine; it is uplifting without being preachy, and tender without being grating. If you're gay or just a human being with empathy and understanding (and a good sense of humor -- the script is terribly clever and the film really benefits from multiple viewings), Beautiful Thing is an experience you should not miss. It's a film I will cherish forever, enhanced by the music of Mama Cass Elliot (who was truly gifted and whose death was a great loss).

Favorite scenes (though almost every scene is really a favorite): the "Make Your Own Kind of Music" chase in the woods (I may love this scene more than anything else ever), the bedroom scenes with Jamie and Ste, and the final sequence, (featuring Mama Cass's beautiful "Dream a Little Dream of Me") which I will not spoil -- I envy the first-time viewer, who is in for a huge treat. I like to think that Jamie and Ste live on forever in the final shot, the future uncertain but the present a greater joy than they had ever known, their love a small but bright glimmer of hope in an otherwise gray world.

This film is about two teenagers in a deprived neighbourhood coming out and falling for each other.

Character development is excellent in the movie. The impoverished neighbourhood and the rough people are shown right from the beginning. Ste is an abused teenager, and the mere sight of him evokes sympathy. Jamie's courage and insistence on Ste is to be admired. This film tells the fear and confusion of coming out. A particularly memorable scene is when Ste cries in next to Sandra in her apartment. He cries with his face turned away from Sandra, with his hands covering one side of his face. To me, it is such a powerful scene, because it sums up all the confusion, shame, fear and hurt Ste must have felt in his premature involuntary coming out. The film is warm and affecting. I am glad about the happy ending, which is much needed to bring gay teenagers hope and comfort.

I would like to thank Hettie MacDonald for making this very important film. This was the first time a movie has made me cry in many years. I cried for two reasons, 1) its bittersweet moments between Jamie and Ste were absolutely wonderful, they literally made me feel 16 again, experiencing all the same emotional turmoil, and 2) I regret not having been true to my own homosexuality as a teen. I wish I'd had Jamie's courage when I was 16. I knew I was gay, even before that, but was afriad to do anything about it. Now I'm 30 and I'm still not completely out of the proverbial closet. I know one thing for sure, if I'd had exposure to films like Beautiful Thing when I was a lad... I may have been able to draw the courage I needed from those characters. Thank you again! I love the Film!

Fine love it is. Funny and strong dialogues with average directions but the movie is entertaining. Nothing to say much overall a average movie not that bad.

Although I realize this was released back in 1996, and it is now 2006, 10 years after, I've never seen this flick until this weekend on the Logo channel. It's very refreshing to see gay themed movies that do not depict the main characters as effeminate and/or drag queens... just regular guys being regular guys. I would rate this movie right up with Brokeback Mountain in that respect, just in a different setting and a different time period. I've already bought a copy off E-Bay, and would recommend this movie highly to anyone. I would also recommend it to any parents who are struggling with gay issues with their children. The acting is top-notch, and I can certainly see why it was nominated and won so many awards. Scott Neal and Glen Berry held onto their characters like pros, and Linda Henry as the mom was just excellent! The characters of Ronnie and Trevor made my skin crawl, but from an acting perspective - wow - great job! Ric.

In a suburb of London, young Jamie is escaping sport hours, to avoid being the victim of his comrades. Young Ste, his neighbor, is beaten by his father, and comes to sleep overnight. They discover new feelings, sleeping in the same bed.

When you are making a gay romance, you run the risk of alienating the straight population. Far too many are just uncomfortable, and this was even more true in 1996 (I am writing this in 2015). But this film is keenly aware of that and focuses on friendship, bonding, and not so much on the sexual angle. That is wise, and actually a rule more films could follow (sex in cinema is almost never necessary).

We then populate the story with some interesting supporting characters, and we have a well-rounded look at growing up in a certain part of London. A teenage fan of Mama Cass in the 1990s? Unlikely, but not impossible.

This is the best movie i've ever seen. The acting, directing, and scenery, music, EVERYTHING is fantastic! Glen Berry and Scott Neal deliver great performances, and they are both so hot, and it makes you want to look for that special someone. It also tells you what living in urban england is really like. Its an amazing movie, and I recommend it to everything. It changed my life, it might change yours. "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "Believe or not" are 2 great Mama Cass songs which are played in the movie. Congratulations to everyone who was involved and I wish they had made a sequel! This movie deserves more awards than it got.

As an American with very little understanding of the conditions one must deal with when growing up as a British lower/middle class citizen, it was difficult for me to develop a real interest in the main plot because I was continually side-tracked by trying to figure out the significance of all of the interactions being shown. The fairly heavy British accent throws me badly as well, so it was lucky that captioning was provided, but having to read the dialog rather than listening to it makes it harder for me to get emotionally involved in the story.

The many glowing comments I've read on this site are, I think, very well deserved, but because of the difficulties mentioned above born of being a Middle-America Yankee made it hard to really enjoy the film. had it been filmed in the US, by an American director, I'd probably be giving the film a 9 or 10. My "6" reflects my overall enjoyment, though the actual movie quality is decidedly higher. I wish all gay romances could - in real life - end as shown in this film, but I have to wonder: What happened to them after they danced?

But I guess that's subject matter for another movie.

Would-be feel-good drama from the UK, adapted by Jonathan Harvey from his play, is an overly-familiar tale about sexual awakening. Two teenage boys in a lower-income London housing project struggle with their hesitant attraction for each other, but Harvey's script starts too soon in the story (a headier examination of these lives might begin about an hour into the proceedings). There's really no need for all this teary melodrama over the gay issue--haven't we've seen it all before? One of the boys is predictably less comfortable with his homosexual feelings than the other, and their awkward relationship is exacerbated by their families and mates (one of whom, a black neighbor into Cass Elliot's music, is having deep-seated troubles of her own). The film indeed has a touching finish, but Harvey is far too tentative with this subject matter. Let us see the beauty of what's been worked out, and not just the clichéd, interminable hardships of being a misfit. ** from ****