Dorian Blues
Encyclopedia
Dorian Blues is a 2004 comedy film
about a gay
teenager coming to terms with his identity in upstate New York
. The film was written and directed by Tennyson Bardwell
and is loosely based on Bardwell's college
roommate.
. He meets another gay youth locally, but remains confused, and finally comes out to his brother, Nicky. Nicky is a scholarship-winning quarterback and favorite son to their heteronormative and argumentative father. Dorian starts therapy, then resorts to confession in the Church. When his therapist and the church politely avoid offering any real help, Dorian has his first intimate encounter with a local gay youth. Dorian goes back to Nick, who was at first reluctant to accept his brother's sexuality. Nick attempts to teach Dorian how to fight and arranges to have him spend a night with a prostitute in order to make him become straight; from these efforts Dorian gains only a concussion and lesson in dancing, respectively. After much soul-searching, Dorian comes out to his father (while wearing a fuchsia shirt) for which he is kicked out of the house after a very surreal argument over whether or not Dorian is gay. Dad is very preoccupied with who else may know of Dorian's defective nature although Nick confesses that he knows and an anticlimatic scene resolves with Dorian packing his bags. Dorian moves to New York City
, a city he adores. Dorian expresses all kinds of angst over his life style, defending his true nature to his father over the Christmas holidays. Returning to New York, Dorian experiences a series of encounters with the darker side of homosexuality. Dorian finds a boyfriend, but he gets dumped after two months with no reason given. Dorian develops a deep depression and finally, in despair gives in to it, coincidental to Nicky visiting Dorian in the city. Nicky reluctantly joins Dorian with friends at Dorian's favorite local gay bar
. Just as Dorian pleads with a friend to flaunt his newly found popularity, Nicky reunites with obsequious football friends—stealing Dorian's thunder. Dorian then learns his exboyfriend dumped him for another close friend. The after-discussion of the evening revolves around Nick defending his sexuality to Dorian in the face of Nick's football friends being gay and Dorian defending his own sexuality to his brother. Later that night, Dorian awakes to Nicky crying and learn that Nick was cut from the football team and was stripped of his scholarship. In the middle of the discussion, they both learn their father has died of a heart attack. At the funeral, Dorian's mother, finally freed of the overbearing influence of Dorians father, tells Dorian she regrets not stopping his father from being angry with him.
Dorian Blues won the audience award and the Emerging Maverick Director's Award at the Cinequest Film Festival
in San Jose
where it had its world premiere. The film won a special jury award at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, the audience award at the Lake Placid Film Festival
and best screenplay award at the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival
, which was sponsored by the Writers Guild East
. The film won the audience award for best first feature at Outfest
which included a $5,000 cash award sponsored by HBO. The film also won the audience award for best feature film at the Long Island International Film Forum and the audience award at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
. At the Bahamas International Film Festival
, The film won the Torchlight Best Feature award sponsored by New York University
. Dorian Blues won the audience award the 2005 Out Far! Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in Phoenix, Arizona
. In Torino, Italy, it got the audience and best film awards. It also received the audience award at film festival in Copenhagen
.
and Glenmont, New York
. Some scenes were filmed in Bethlehem Central High School
.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
about a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
teenager coming to terms with his identity in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. The film was written and directed by Tennyson Bardwell
Tennyson Bardwell
Tennyson Bardwell is an American film and TV commercial director and screenwriter.-Biography:Tennyson Bardwell received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting and writing from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and is loosely based on Bardwell's college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
roommate.
Synopsis
Dorian realizes he is gay in his final year of high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. He meets another gay youth locally, but remains confused, and finally comes out to his brother, Nicky. Nicky is a scholarship-winning quarterback and favorite son to their heteronormative and argumentative father. Dorian starts therapy, then resorts to confession in the Church. When his therapist and the church politely avoid offering any real help, Dorian has his first intimate encounter with a local gay youth. Dorian goes back to Nick, who was at first reluctant to accept his brother's sexuality. Nick attempts to teach Dorian how to fight and arranges to have him spend a night with a prostitute in order to make him become straight; from these efforts Dorian gains only a concussion and lesson in dancing, respectively. After much soul-searching, Dorian comes out to his father (while wearing a fuchsia shirt) for which he is kicked out of the house after a very surreal argument over whether or not Dorian is gay. Dad is very preoccupied with who else may know of Dorian's defective nature although Nick confesses that he knows and an anticlimatic scene resolves with Dorian packing his bags. Dorian moves to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, a city he adores. Dorian expresses all kinds of angst over his life style, defending his true nature to his father over the Christmas holidays. Returning to New York, Dorian experiences a series of encounters with the darker side of homosexuality. Dorian finds a boyfriend, but he gets dumped after two months with no reason given. Dorian develops a deep depression and finally, in despair gives in to it, coincidental to Nicky visiting Dorian in the city. Nicky reluctantly joins Dorian with friends at Dorian's favorite local gay bar
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
. Just as Dorian pleads with a friend to flaunt his newly found popularity, Nicky reunites with obsequious football friends—stealing Dorian's thunder. Dorian then learns his exboyfriend dumped him for another close friend. The after-discussion of the evening revolves around Nick defending his sexuality to Dorian in the face of Nick's football friends being gay and Dorian defending his own sexuality to his brother. Later that night, Dorian awakes to Nicky crying and learn that Nick was cut from the football team and was stripped of his scholarship. In the middle of the discussion, they both learn their father has died of a heart attack. At the funeral, Dorian's mother, finally freed of the overbearing influence of Dorians father, tells Dorian she regrets not stopping his father from being angry with him.
Critical reception
Dorian Blues won eight awards at the first nine film festivals it screened at and has just won its fourteenth award.Dorian Blues won the audience award and the Emerging Maverick Director's Award at the Cinequest Film Festival
Cinequest Film Festival
The Cinequest Film Festival is an annual independent film festival held in San Jose, California. The festival highlights the work of new film makers....
in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
where it had its world premiere. The film won a special jury award at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, the audience award at the Lake Placid Film Festival
Lake Placid Film Festival
The Lake Placid Film Festival is an annual Film Festival held in Lake Placid, New York. The Festival, previously known as the Lake Placid Film Forum, has played host to famous film personalities such as directors Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese...
and best screenplay award at the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival
New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival
NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival put on by The New Festival, Inc., is one of the most comprehensive forums of international LGBT film/video in the world....
, which was sponsored by the Writers Guild East
Writers Guild of America, East
Writers Guild of America, East is a labor union representing writers of television and film and employees of television and radio news. The 2006 membership of the guild was 3,770....
. The film won the audience award for best first feature at Outfest
Outfest
Outfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
which included a $5,000 cash award sponsored by HBO. The film also won the audience award for best feature film at the Long Island International Film Forum and the audience award at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
The Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by TLA Entertainment Group in 1995. The event is the third largest of its kind in the US, and the largest on the East Coast....
. At the Bahamas International Film Festival
Bahamas International Film Festival
Bahamas International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in early December in the Bahamas, founded in 2004.The Bahamas International Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films...
, The film won the Torchlight Best Feature award sponsored by New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Dorian Blues won the audience award the 2005 Out Far! Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. In Torino, Italy, it got the audience and best film awards. It also received the audience award at film festival in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Filming locations
Some of the film took place in Delmar, New YorkDelmar, New York
Delmar is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York. A census-designated place has been established since 1980 by the US Bureau of Census for tabulating the population of what the census has defined as the boundaries of the urbanized area in and around Delmar. The population was...
and Glenmont, New York
Glenmont, New York
Glenmont is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York. Glenmont is in the northeastern corner of the town and is a suburb of the neighboring city of Albany...
. Some scenes were filmed in Bethlehem Central High School
Bethlehem Central High School
Bethlehem Central High School is a high school in Delmar, New York, just south of Albany. Located at 700 Delaware Avenue, the school serves students in grades 9-12 from the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland. The school was ranked 1048 on Newsweek's 2010 " Top US High Schools."The high school was...
.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Michael McMillian Michael McMillian Michael McMillian is an American actor and writer, known for his roles as Henry Gibson on What I Like About You and Steve Newlin on the HBO series True Blood... |
Dorian Lagatos |
| Lea Coco | Nicky Lagatos |
| Charles Fletcher | Tom Lagatos |
| Mo Quigley | Maria Lagatos |
| Austin Basis | Spooky |
| Ryan Kelly Berkowitz | Tiffany |
| Chris Dallman | Andrew |
| Carl Danna | priest |
| Leslie Elliard | therapist |
| Sian Heder | Ellie |
| Cody Nickell | Ben |
| Jeff Paul | social worker |