- Sweet, smart, and funny, Mulligans is more than a poignant family drama; more than a coming out movie. Straight college jock Tyler brings his best friend Chase to his family s lakeside home for summer vacation. The Davidson family welcomes Chase but as the summer blossoms, unexpected attractions flare. Tyler s Mom Stacey tries to keep it all together while Tyler s Dad Nathan valiantly struggles
Sweet, smart, and funny, Mulligans is more than a poignant family drama; more than a coming out movie.
Straight college jock Tyler brings his best friend Chase to his family s lakeside home for summer vacation. The Davidson family welcomes Chase but as the summer blossoms, unexpected attractions flare. Tyler s Mom Stacey tries to keep it all together while Tyler s Dad Nathan valiantly struggles with his long suppressed sexuality.
Exceptionally well-written and packed with great performances from a strong cast that includes Charlie David (Dante s Cove, A Four Letter Word), Thea Gill (Queer as Folk), Dan Payne (Watchmen), Derek James and newcomer Grace Vukovic.This well-meaning Canadian indie opens with the explanation that a “mulligan” in golf parlance means “a second chance to perform a certain move or action.” Golf enthusiast Nathan Davidson (Watchmen‘s Dan Payne) seems to have it all–good looks, a beautiful wife, a big house by the beach–until a chance encounter forces him to face the truth (oddly, the screenplay fails to identify the source of his financial largesse). When Nathan’s college-aged son, Tyler (Derek Baynham), arrives for a summer stay with his best friend, Chase (writer/producer Charlie David), an aspiring artist, Nathan bonds more easily with the friend than the son. From the start, it’s clear that Chase has no interest in girls, but the self-obsessed Tyler fails to notice. While he cavorts with his girlfriend, stay-at-home mom Stacy (Thea Gill, Queer as Folk) looks after his younger sister, and Chase and Nathan enter into a secret affair. Naturally, it won’t stay secret forever. Mulligans tackles a sensitive subject in a tasteful, if unadventurous manner, i.e. the actors have a certain chiseled soap-star look and convey inner turmoil by staring into space as piano music plays in the background. For those who find the omni-sexual films of, say, Todd Haynes unsettling (especially Far from Heaven), such unthreatening moves may help the medicine go down easier, but there’s no rule that a coming-out film can’t take a few chances. Even so, certain moments will surely hit home with anyone who’s ever tumbled into a family secret or two. –Kathleen C. Fennessy
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April 9, 2008
#1
This had to be one of the biggest pieces of garbage of “gay cinema” ever made. Boring, disgusting, amateur acting and just down right stupidity!!
April 9, 2008
#2
College student brings home his best buddy, who promptly comes out, causing the student’s dad to realize HE’S gay too and the two of them start fooling around. I hate when that happens. Earnest and uninvolving.
April 9, 2008
#3
I am not young, and I understand the ways of the world. But I think it is a sad story to tell of an older man going after his son’s friend–and yeah, then finding out that he is really gay.
I do not think this is a new story—it is just told in the context of ‘golf’—I would like to see stories that people could hold up as shining examples of good versus examples of bad behavior
and betrayal.
April 9, 2008
#4
I first saw this at a film festival in Los Angeles with a friend that had invited me. I was not expecting to enjoy the movie as much as I did. It was an excellent story with great actors and perfect direction. I recommend this film to all!
April 9, 2008
#5
After reading the book I decided to watch the movie and I did not like the movie at all, the movie did not live up to the book expectations. I hope the next time Charlie David decided to write another book and turn it into a movie please don’t. If you know of any other gay authors like Charlie David, that has written a book and turned it into a movie please feel free to recommend it to me.