Watercolors (film)
Encyclopedia
Watercolors is the 2008 award-winning debut feature film by American
director
David Oliveras
and starring Tye Olson
, Kyle Clare. The script of the film is written
by David Oliveras himself and features diving Olympic diving
champion Greg Louganis
and two time Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee, Karen Black
.
and as the poster of the movie reminds us: Only art can turn pain into beauty.
Shy and closeted
and nerdy young artist Danny (Tye Olson) is befriended by golden boy swimming champion Carter (Kyle Clare) when family circumstances bring them together for a night. Danny helps the troubled Carter in school, while the brash and sexy yet troubled Carter works hard to hide his drug problems, history of seizures and the painful relationship he has with his unsympathetic, recovering alcoholic father. Their blossoming relationship brings Danny out of his shell, awakening both his passion for art and burgeoning gay
sexuality.
Watercolors is framed by scenes of Danny as an adult. He's a successful artist, but his boyfriend is bothered that he can't seem to get over his high school crush. He argues that a live person can't compete with a glorified memory, showing that the lasting memory of a first love is potentially toxic.
Audience Award - "Outstanding First Dramatic Feature" for "Watercolors"
Jury Award - "Best Actor" for Tye Olson
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
David Oliveras
David Oliveras
David Oliveras is an award-winning American director who won "Best Director" award at the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and "Outstanding First Dramatic Feature" at the Los Angeles Outfest for his 2008 debut feature film Watercolors...
and starring Tye Olson
Tye Olson
Tye Olson is an American actor and model.Tye Olson was born to Allen and Rebecca Olson. The family moved to Hines, Minnesota near Bemidji where he attended Bemidji High School. He was an avid sportsman playing hockey for 6 years and practiced track and fields, cross country and tennis...
, Kyle Clare. The script of the film is written
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
by David Oliveras himself and features diving Olympic diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
champion Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis
Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States....
and two time Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee, Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
.
Plot
One never forgets his first love as we are reminded by the film opening sentence 'Love is so short and forgetting is so long' quotation from a poem by Pablo NerudaPablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
and as the poster of the movie reminds us: Only art can turn pain into beauty.
Shy and closeted
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
and nerdy young artist Danny (Tye Olson) is befriended by golden boy swimming champion Carter (Kyle Clare) when family circumstances bring them together for a night. Danny helps the troubled Carter in school, while the brash and sexy yet troubled Carter works hard to hide his drug problems, history of seizures and the painful relationship he has with his unsympathetic, recovering alcoholic father. Their blossoming relationship brings Danny out of his shell, awakening both his passion for art and burgeoning gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
sexuality.
Watercolors is framed by scenes of Danny as an adult. He's a successful artist, but his boyfriend is bothered that he can't seem to get over his high school crush. He argues that a live person can't compete with a glorified memory, showing that the lasting memory of a first love is potentially toxic.
Cast
- Tye OlsonTye OlsonTye Olson is an American actor and model.Tye Olson was born to Allen and Rebecca Olson. The family moved to Hines, Minnesota near Bemidji where he attended Bemidji High School. He was an avid sportsman playing hockey for 6 years and practiced track and fields, cross country and tennis...
as Danny Wheeler - Kyle Clare as Carter Melman
- Ellie Araiza as Andy
- Greg LouganisGreg LouganisGregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States....
as Coach Brown - Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
as Mrs. Martin - Casey Kramer as Miriam
- William Charles Mitchell as Mr. Frank
- Ian Rhodes as Older Danny
- Edward Finlay as Allan
- David Schroeder as High School Principal
- Bobby Quinn Rice as Donnert
Screenings and Awards
- 2008 OutfestOutfestOutfest 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:...
in Los Angeles winning Audience Award winning:
Audience Award - "Outstanding First Dramatic Feature" for "Watercolors"
Jury Award - "Best Actor" for Tye Olson
- 2008 Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film FestivalTampa International Gay and Lesbian Film FestivalThe Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is a movie screening event that takes place each October in Tampa, Florida. The primary venue is the Tampa Theatre, but several other cinemas in or near the downtown area and in St. Petersburg simultaneously host the event as well...
winning:- Jury Award - "Best Actor" for Tye Olson
- Audience Award - "Best Supporting Actor" for Kyle Clare
- Audience Award - "Best Director" for David Oliveras
- The film is showing in the 2008 San Francisco Frameline Film FestivalFrameline Film FestivalFrameline is a nonprofit media arts organization that produces the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, the oldest film festival devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender programming currently in existence...