Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a rewatch.
The Bitchy (in a good way): Jeffrey
So much has changed for queer people in just a few short years that we have a hard time remembering things weren’t always this great. For proof, look no further than the delightful romantic comedy Jeffrey from 1995. Penned by Paul Rudnick–a gay man known for his wicked humor–the film looks at dating in the age of AIDS.
That premise sounds far more depressing than it is. Steven Weber plays the title role, a man who has become terrified of sex and intimacy during the AIDS epidemic. For Jeffrey, the risk of HIV infection doesn’t scare him; falling in love with someone with the disease does. Naturally, then, things get complicated when he meets the hunky Steve (Michael T. Weiss), an HIV+ man for whom Jeffrey has an undeniable attraction.
We repeat: the premise sounds far more depressing than it is. Jeffrey benefits from the same searing humor that made Rudnick such a success with movies like The Addams Family and In & Out. Much of the levity also comes from Patrick Stewart as Jeffrey’s bitchy friend Sterling, who hems and haws over everything from sex to china patterns. It’s one of the actor’s best performances. With a supporting cast that includes Olympia Dukakis, Victor Garber, Nathan Lane, Camryn Manheim, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver and Christine Baranski, Jeffrey remains a chronicle of a bygone time, and something of a forgotten queer classic.
Streams on Amazon, VUDU and iTunes.
Chrisk
Yeah, with a cast like that how could the movie not be good.
Jim
I still have a crush on Michael T. Weiss.
But I loved what Steven Weber said about kissing another man. This was a rare occurrence and most actor’s said things which, were safe and heterosexual.
Steven said something to the effect that it was like kissing an actress, but that there was a beard coming back at you.
Such honest comments at the time were quite rare at the time.
yah_sure_youbetcha
A bygone time? Yikes
Wicked Dickie
I was in love with Michael T Weiss. He was/is so dreamy. Swoon.
Fname Optional Lname
Yes I remember renting this at the video store, over and over.
There were probably 10 gay movies available at the time and many “family” video stores would not carry them or take them off the shelf when they discovered a gay character. Jeffrey is a gay classic, just like “Trick” and “Where the Boys Are”. Jeffrey has that flair only Paul Rudnick can create and thank the rainbow gods that he was there to entertain us at a time when most of us weren’t laughing.
russellhm
I remember “Wings” as a never-miss TV romp and thought Weber an excellent actor. So when “Jeffrey” ads began, I thought, “Bully for him for taking on a role that could be harmful to his career!” But it proved not to be and, of course, is rather mild by today’s screenplays. But Nathan Lane was out–at least on Broadway–and Tony Shaloub is always a winner. Patrick Stewart had been in “Star Trek: The Next Generation for 6 or 7 seasons and it ended in 1994. “Jeffrey” is from ’95 and playing “a bitchy queen” didn’t hurt him at all. Alas, he took a new bride, a lady, in 2013. The “Cheers” (and later “Frazier” spinoff) team were superb.
The real Bruce
I enjoyed the movie very much and added it to my collection of gay-themed films the day it was released on video. Excellent cast and performances! If you don’t have it in your collection, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!! (Christmas?) Really kids, its a very fine movie and I’m so glad its getting a return mention here.
barryaksarben
I love this movie. I enjoyed the Christine Baranski part and Jeffery’s parents. One of my favorites in comedy.
starri
The difference between watching this as an 18 year-old college student in the 90s versus a middle-aged man in 2020: Holy crap, was young Steven Webber hot.
michel_banen
Oh, I have lived ! But it’s not just because I think I once saw that movie…..
WSnyder
For me, there are some things you just need to do to be culturally aware. Books you read, music you listen to, movies you need to see. In many cases, they might not be your ‘cup of tea’ yet you endure them [that might be a little harsh in some cases] because they have relevance and if you haven’t seen them, your outside the loop when they come up or get referenced. I’ve made a point of doing this to most classics [books, music and cinema] and have even endured [very relevant here] opera and theater.
This movie keep coming up and so I watched. And Loved. I watched this before I came out and like some other Gay Classics I’ve watched, I think they’ve helped ease me into that moment. Main stream actors who I already recognized acting Gay, talking Gay, being…Gay. In hindsight, it helped me come to terms and at the time, I never realized it, it’s just something you recognize looking back through the eyes of experience and wisdom. So, Thanks ‘Jeffery’ and all the people who brought this movie into being.
paulie188
Great movie esp. Patrick Stewart in pink.
Hillers
This movie came out the year I did, and for that reason, it will always be a cherished classic to me. So many fantastic performances and a storyline relevant for its time (and perhaps even now). Have to wonder what it was like to have seen the play, though.
Cam
::After Jeffrey has a vision of Mother Teresa cradling him after a gay bashing:::
(Patrick Stewart) Jeffrey, so you saw Mother Teresa??
(Steven Weber) Yes
(Patrick Stewart) Well how did she look??
(Steven Weber) “She looked good.”
(Patrick Stewart) “Oh Please, she’s had work done!”
He made that movie. lol