FAQs (film)
Encyclopedia
FAQs is a 2005
LGBT
-themed independent film
. It was written and directed by Everett Lewis
. The film tells the story of a group of young queer
kids who have been discarded by straight
society. They come together to form a de facto family under the wing of an African American vigilante drag queen named Destiny.
FAQs premiered at the 2005 Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
and had a limited theatrical release in 2006. While mainstream critics praised a number of the performances and certain aspects of the film, generally critical response was negative.
video and being ripped off by the producer (Arthur Roberts), India (Joe Lia) meets a street hustler
. Moments later they are attacked by a pair of gay bashers
. They split up and run and the bashers pursue India in their Jeep. They stop short at the sight of India standing next to Destiny (Allan Louis) a vigilante
African American
drag queen
pointing a gun at them. Destiny vandalizes the Jeep and takes the coat from one of the bashers. Destiny invites the homeless India to live with her. There he meets Lester (Minerva Vier), a young lesbian and another of Destiny's "orphans."
The next morning, upon learning that Destiny is a porn director India panics and plans to leave. He tells Destiny about being ripped off and she asks if he wants to kill the producer. He says yes, and that he wants to kill all straight people. India goes to the producer's home with a gun. He finds the producer and pulls the trigger, but the gun is not loaded.
A few days later, as they discuss plans to foment the collapse of the straight world, Destiny, India and Lester meet Spencer (Lance Lee Davis), a graffiti
artist and self-proclaimed "bomber," They immediately "adopt" him. After spending the night together, Spencer and India discover the basher's address inside his coat and decide they want to go bash him.
As Destiny and her friend Matinee (Tara Nova) socialize in Destiny's car, Officer Vic Damone (Vince Parenti) comes to warn them that the police are on the lookout for roving bands of vigilante drag queens and to watch out for themselves. Destiny (realizing that Vic is attracted to her) advises him that they're already always watching out for themselves.
Spencer and India are approached on the street by a photographer. As the pair pose together nude on a bed, Spencer recites a litany of injuries he has received at the hands of his parents and other straights. India tries to comfort him but Spencer says he no longer has feelings and doesn't let anyone in. India vows to protect him from the straights.
The next morning, on the way to the basher's house, India discovers a detonator
in Spencer's backpack. Spencer tells him that he plans to blow up his parents. India tries to dissuade him but Spencer is not convinced that bombing straights isn't the way to go.
India and Spencer spot the basher in his neighborhood and argue over whether they should bash him as Spencer wants or try to "save" him as India wants. India has adopted Destiny's theory, that all gay bashers are themselves repressed gays who need to be saved.
India returns the basher's jacket. The basher, Guy (Adam Larson), admits that he's gay. He packs his things and tells the other basher, his roommate Quentin (Josh Paul) that he's gay, he loves him and believes Quentin loves him too.
Quentin has a gun to his head, contemplating suicide, but is interrupted by his brother. Quentin angrily acknowledges that he is gay and drives away.
Destiny tells Vic she's in love with him and Vic tells Destiny he's in love with her too. As Vic leaves for work, he passes India, Spencer and Guy with his gun pointed in their general direction. They confront Destiny about being involved with a cop, until Destiny realizes who Guy is and orders him out. India and Spencer threaten to leave with him, but Guy agrees to go. India appeals to Destiny and she relents. India and Spencer chase after him but can't find him. Meanwhile, Guy returnes to the apartment and apologizes for attacking them. Destiny accepts him and Lester nicknames him "Killer."
India wants to make plans for the evening with Spencer but Spencer already has plans, to blow up his parents. India begs him not to go, saying that he won't come back from it.
Destiny interrupts another gay bashing. The basher strikes her with a baseball bat and Destiny shoots him. Later, Vic comforts her and Destiny tells him he has to be careful around her kids. They all have "police stories."
Quentin, in response to a message from Guy, arrives at Destiny's apartment, where he finds Guy in bed with India and Spencer. Quentin orders him to come away with him, giving him the choice of "straight or dead." The boys argue that Quentin is in love with Guy and Quentin breaks down, admitting how much in love with Guy he is. Quentin again points the gun at his own head but Guy stops him and they kiss.
India appeals again to Spencer not to blow up his parents. He says that if Spencer really wants to kill them, he will help, but if Spencer really wants to blow them away, he will stay with India. "All we have to do is kiss, because when two guys kiss it's like a bomb going off in the straight world. Our kisses are louder than bombs." Spencer admits that he has fallen in love with India but is terrified because he's losing control. But he also feels safe, like he's home. India tells him that wherever they are, as long as they are together they're home. They kiss, and with each kiss they call out a target that their kiss has destroyed like a bomb, finally declaring that they will blow up the whole straight world.
, while calling Louis' Destiny a "striking mix of Grace Jones
and Catwoman
," found that the "campier aspects are not enough to make up for its lapses into melodrama and just plain silliness." The Philadelphia CityPaper largely concurred, finding the film hard to take seriously with its premise that every gay basher is really a closet homosexual and the concept of Destiny's character completely unbelievable. While finding a "reasonable tale" in Lewis' story and praising the performances, particularly those of Louis and Lia, nonetheless the conclusion is that the film is "awash in aimless, campless hyperbole and hysteria." The L. A. Weekly offered kudos to Lewis for his "adept[ness] at modulating both tension and free-flowing interpersonal relationships" and praising cinematographer Kelly, but notes that the film "seems less comfortable in its own skin than his other work...the dialogue is blunter, and harder for his amateur cast to pull off, while Lewis’ stridency, however justified, ultimately jars against the film’s tender, all-is-love fantasia."
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
-themed independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
. It was written and directed by Everett Lewis
Everett Lewis
Everett Lewis is an American director, screenwriter and producer. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina State University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California...
. The film tells the story of a group of young queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
kids who have been discarded by straight
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
society. They come together to form a de facto family under the wing of an African American vigilante drag queen named Destiny.
FAQs premiered at the 2005 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....
and had a limited theatrical release in 2006. While mainstream critics praised a number of the performances and certain aspects of the film, generally critical response was negative.
Plot
After filming a pornPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
video and being ripped off by the producer (Arthur Roberts), India (Joe Lia) meets a street hustler
Male prostitution
Male prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual acts for money. Compared to female sex workers, male sex workers have been far less studied by researchers, and while studies suggest that there are differences between the ways these two groups look at their work, more research is needed.Male...
. Moments later they are attacked by a pair of gay bashers
Gay bashing
Gay bashing and gay bullying is verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender . Such abuse is used also to bully heterosexual persons and persons of non-specific or unknown sexual orientation.A "bashing" may be a specific incident, and one...
. They split up and run and the bashers pursue India in their Jeep. They stop short at the sight of India standing next to Destiny (Allan Louis) a vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
pointing a gun at them. Destiny vandalizes the Jeep and takes the coat from one of the bashers. Destiny invites the homeless India to live with her. There he meets Lester (Minerva Vier), a young lesbian and another of Destiny's "orphans."
The next morning, upon learning that Destiny is a porn director India panics and plans to leave. He tells Destiny about being ripped off and she asks if he wants to kill the producer. He says yes, and that he wants to kill all straight people. India goes to the producer's home with a gun. He finds the producer and pulls the trigger, but the gun is not loaded.
A few days later, as they discuss plans to foment the collapse of the straight world, Destiny, India and Lester meet Spencer (Lance Lee Davis), a graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artist and self-proclaimed "bomber," They immediately "adopt" him. After spending the night together, Spencer and India discover the basher's address inside his coat and decide they want to go bash him.
As Destiny and her friend Matinee (Tara Nova) socialize in Destiny's car, Officer Vic Damone (Vince Parenti) comes to warn them that the police are on the lookout for roving bands of vigilante drag queens and to watch out for themselves. Destiny (realizing that Vic is attracted to her) advises him that they're already always watching out for themselves.
Spencer and India are approached on the street by a photographer. As the pair pose together nude on a bed, Spencer recites a litany of injuries he has received at the hands of his parents and other straights. India tries to comfort him but Spencer says he no longer has feelings and doesn't let anyone in. India vows to protect him from the straights.
The next morning, on the way to the basher's house, India discovers a detonator
Detonator
A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....
in Spencer's backpack. Spencer tells him that he plans to blow up his parents. India tries to dissuade him but Spencer is not convinced that bombing straights isn't the way to go.
India and Spencer spot the basher in his neighborhood and argue over whether they should bash him as Spencer wants or try to "save" him as India wants. India has adopted Destiny's theory, that all gay bashers are themselves repressed gays who need to be saved.
India returns the basher's jacket. The basher, Guy (Adam Larson), admits that he's gay. He packs his things and tells the other basher, his roommate Quentin (Josh Paul) that he's gay, he loves him and believes Quentin loves him too.
Quentin has a gun to his head, contemplating suicide, but is interrupted by his brother. Quentin angrily acknowledges that he is gay and drives away.
Destiny tells Vic she's in love with him and Vic tells Destiny he's in love with her too. As Vic leaves for work, he passes India, Spencer and Guy with his gun pointed in their general direction. They confront Destiny about being involved with a cop, until Destiny realizes who Guy is and orders him out. India and Spencer threaten to leave with him, but Guy agrees to go. India appeals to Destiny and she relents. India and Spencer chase after him but can't find him. Meanwhile, Guy returnes to the apartment and apologizes for attacking them. Destiny accepts him and Lester nicknames him "Killer."
India wants to make plans for the evening with Spencer but Spencer already has plans, to blow up his parents. India begs him not to go, saying that he won't come back from it.
Destiny interrupts another gay bashing. The basher strikes her with a baseball bat and Destiny shoots him. Later, Vic comforts her and Destiny tells him he has to be careful around her kids. They all have "police stories."
Quentin, in response to a message from Guy, arrives at Destiny's apartment, where he finds Guy in bed with India and Spencer. Quentin orders him to come away with him, giving him the choice of "straight or dead." The boys argue that Quentin is in love with Guy and Quentin breaks down, admitting how much in love with Guy he is. Quentin again points the gun at his own head but Guy stops him and they kiss.
India appeals again to Spencer not to blow up his parents. He says that if Spencer really wants to kill them, he will help, but if Spencer really wants to blow them away, he will stay with India. "All we have to do is kiss, because when two guys kiss it's like a bomb going off in the straight world. Our kisses are louder than bombs." Spencer admits that he has fallen in love with India but is terrified because he's losing control. But he also feels safe, like he's home. India tells him that wherever they are, as long as they are together they're home. They kiss, and with each kiss they call out a target that their kiss has destroyed like a bomb, finally declaring that they will blow up the whole straight world.
Cast
- India - Joe Lia
- Destiny - Allan Louis
- Spencer - Lance Lee Davis
- Guy - Adam Larson
- Quentin - Josh Paul
- Pornographer - Arthur Roberts
- Lester - Minerva Vier
- Officer Vic Damone - Vince Parenti
- Matinee - Tara Nova
Critical response
FAQs was generally poorly received by mainstream critics. The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, while calling Louis' Destiny a "striking mix of Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
and Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
," found that the "campier aspects are not enough to make up for its lapses into melodrama and just plain silliness." The Philadelphia CityPaper largely concurred, finding the film hard to take seriously with its premise that every gay basher is really a closet homosexual and the concept of Destiny's character completely unbelievable. While finding a "reasonable tale" in Lewis' story and praising the performances, particularly those of Louis and Lia, nonetheless the conclusion is that the film is "awash in aimless, campless hyperbole and hysteria." The L. A. Weekly offered kudos to Lewis for his "adept[ness] at modulating both tension and free-flowing interpersonal relationships" and praising cinematographer Kelly, but notes that the film "seems less comfortable in its own skin than his other work...the dialogue is blunter, and harder for his amateur cast to pull off, while Lewis’ stridency, however justified, ultimately jars against the film’s tender, all-is-love fantasia."