Buy Eban and Charley on DVD

Eban and Charley

DVD

More Info

ON ORDER
Ships when stock arrives

$9.99 (50% off)
List Price: ~~$19.99~~

When new special editions or price reductions are announced.

Synopsis

A bold and compelling film about a romance between a 29-year-old man and a 15-year-old teen. The film is ultra-low-budget using inexperienced actors, some of whom turn in excellent performances, some are wooden.

3 Reasons To buy this film

A controversial look at gay inter-generational romance.
The 15-year-old boy is kind of cute...but don't act on it: It's illegal!
Director James Bolton really comes into his own with his Southern twink romance, Dream Boy

Review

A contentious, yet understated and romantic, drama that centers on the forbidden love between a boyish 29-year-old and a 15-year-old teenager. In the cloudy, cool winter of the Pacific Northwest, Eban suddenly leaves his soccer-coaching job at a Seattle high school to return to his parents' seaside home. With his awkward demeanor, Eban does not fit in well. That is until he meets Charley, a youth who comes from a troubled home life. Their mutual love for music bonds a friendship (with immediate sexual tension) that leads uneasily to a physical relationship. The excellent score with all original music is by openly gay performer Stephin Merritt (Magnetic Fields) combining pop and electronica in a wholly original fashion.

But when their parents discover their clandestine affair, recriminations and threats ensue. Even when Eban is confronted by both his father who calls him a pedophile and Charley's stepfather who threatens the police, the two try to keep their love alive. With its deliberate pacing, realistic dialogue and humanistic performances from its leads, this uneasy drama succeeds.

While this is the third recent film (L.I.E., Our Lady of the Assassins) to delve into the controversial world of inter-generational romance, this is the first to do so with such defiance. The filmmaker presents what he feels should be an ordinary romance, the world (as represented by the men's fathers) sees their relationship as illegal and immoral. James Bolton has given us an understated, non-sexual, unabashed tribute to man-boy love. If this makes you uncomfortable, stay away, otherwise enjoy a rather different type of romance.

-- Scott Cranin

Product Format Information

DVD : $9.99

Availability: ON ORDER
Ships when stock arrives
Region Code: 1
UPC: 667443514145
Catalog #: DV1549832

Studio : Picture This! Home Video, Breaking Glass Pictures

Customer Reviews

Bold Movie

Wallflower wrote on 07/08/2002:

Most people will be prejudiced agains this movie because of the subject matter (a love story between a 29 yr old "man" and a 15 yr old "boy"), but I don't see how anyone can deny the basic message of the movie.. this relationship should NOT be forbiden! The movie is low budge, but I found the cinematography to be very good, the script may be a little sparse, but perhaps it is better to have less said, my only fault with the movie is the unrealistic ending.. in reality it would have a sadder ending I'm afraid.
The younger actor is very good.

0 (No Stars) Highly Overrated

Green Giant wrote on 06/24/2002:

Director James Bolton deserves
an A for effort in dealing with a very touchy subject in a non-judgemental non-sensational manner. unfortunately EBAN AND CHARLIE
is a Dogma95 film. when i saw
the film in a theater this past January i almost felt
like going to the manager and demanding my money back. i mean why should i have pay
$9.50 for a film which basically looks like someone shot it with a camcorder on their lunch break. i'm all for
low-budjet independent films that deal with subjects not
considered by the big studios
but i much prefer films with
production values better than
your average home video.