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1996's It's My Party is a smart, funny, and emotionally charged film that combines hot button issues with flawed, but richly drawn characters and had me riveted to the screen as well as fighting tears.
This is the story of Nick (Eric Roberts), an architectural designer who is in a committed relationship with a film director named Brandon (Gregory Harrison), a relationship that ends shortly after Nick learns he has AIDS. A year later, Nick learns he has contracted an AIDS-related disease that will soon be turning him into a vegetable and not wanting to live that way, decides to commit suicide by swallowing a bottle of pills and having a huge party the night before to say goodbye to his friends and family.
This film sucked me in right from the beginning by establishing that this was first and foremost a love story...the relationship between Nick and Brandon rings true from the beginning and we are so happy when Brandon drops everything to be at the party when he learns about it, despite the initial tension his arrival causes, tension you can cut with a knife.
Director and writer Randal Kleiser, who also directed Grease and The Blue Lagoon almost effortlessly ties together the tension of this situation with the bitchy gay sensibilities that would always be prevalent with these kind of characters, evidenced in the constant movie quotes offered by several characters, not to mention the handful guests at the party who are inevitably going to make what's going on all about them. Yes, there are laughs to be found here, but some of them are very nervous ones. The scenes surrounding Brandon's initial arrival at the party and the scenes near the ends where Nick poses for final pictures with his family and friends perfectly display this fusion of humor and tension.
Eric Roberts delivers a rich and layered performance as Nick and Harrison gives the performance of his career as Brandon, but what's more important here is the relationship that the two actors create onscreen...it's completely believable and has us rooting for them from the beginning. It's why we want to cheer when it is revealed that Brandon broke up with the guy he left Nick for and came to the party because he wants him back.
Kleiser has assembled a superb ensemble cast behind the leads that delivers the goods, especially Bronson Pinchot as a fast talking agent, Margaret Cho as Nick's favorite "hag", Marlee Maitlin as Nick's sister, Paul Regina as Nick's new lover, and especially Lee Grant, in an Oscar-worthy performance as Nick's mother, who walks the delicate line between blaming herself for what's happening to Nick and making it all about her.
Yes, it does play like a photographed stage play, but a really good one and though not for all tastes, a very special experience for those who are game, and yes, I did shed a few tears along the way. 8/10
1996's It's My Party is a smart, funny, and emotionally charged film that combines hot button issues with flawed, but richly drawn characters and had me riveted to the screen as well as fighting tears.
This is the story of Nick (Eric Roberts), an architectural designer who is in a committed relationship with a film director named Brandon (Gregory Harrison), a relationship that ends shortly after Nick learns he has AIDS. A year later, Nick learns he has contracted an AIDS-related disease that will soon be turning him into a vegetable and not wanting to live that way, decides to commit suicide by swallowing a bottle of pills and having a huge party the night before to say goodbye to his friends and family.
This film sucked me in right from the beginning by establishing that this was first and foremost a love story...the relationship between Nick and Brandon rings true from the beginning and we are so happy when Brandon drops everything to be at the party when he learns about it, despite the initial tension his arrival causes, tension you can cut with a knife.
Director and writer Randal Kleiser, who also directed Grease and The Blue Lagoon almost effortlessly ties together the tension of this situation with the bitchy gay sensibilities that would always be prevalent with these kind of characters, evidenced in the constant movie quotes offered by several characters, not to mention the handful guests at the party who are inevitably going to make what's going on all about them. Yes, there are laughs to be found here, but some of them are very nervous ones. The scenes surrounding Brandon's initial arrival at the party and the scenes near the ends where Nick poses for final pictures with his family and friends perfectly display this fusion of humor and tension.
Eric Roberts delivers a rich and layered performance as Nick and Harrison gives the performance of his career as Brandon, but what's more important here is the relationship that the two actors create onscreen...it's completely believable and has us rooting for them from the beginning. It's why we want to cheer when it is revealed that Brandon broke up with the guy he left Nick for and came to the party because he wants him back.
Kleiser has assembled a superb ensemble cast behind the leads that delivers the goods, especially Bronson Pinchot as a fast talking agent, Margaret Cho as Nick's favorite "hag", Marlee Maitlin as Nick's sister, Paul Regina as Nick's new lover, and especially Lee Grant, in an Oscar-worthy performance as Nick's mother, who walks the delicate line between blaming herself for what's happening to Nick and making it all about her.
Yes, it does play like a photographed stage play, but a really good one and though not for all tastes, a very special experience for those who are game, and yes, I did shed a few tears along the way. 8/10