Adam & Steve

By: Lewis Tice
In-House Review - Jan 23 2006

Queer bon vivant Craig Chester makes his directorial debut with this raucous and candy-colored romantic comedy about the pitfalls of falling in love in New York City. Flashback to 1987 at the Limelight disco, where shoulder pads and acid-washed jeans reign supreme. Goth guy Adam (Chester) with his obese gal pal Rhonda (a hilarious Parker Posey) meet Steve (Malcolm Gets), a glam rock dancer. Instantly attracted to each other, Adam takes Steve home but after several bumps of coke laced with baby laxatives, their date comes to a comically explosive end. Fast forward to 2005 and as mischievous fate would have it, Adam and Steve encounter each other again, blissfully unaware that they had previously met. (The evolution of fashion can do wonders!) As the two men begin courting each other with the support of the newly svelte Rhonda and Steve's straight roommate (Chris Kattan of "Saturday Night Live") little clues begin to pop up that maybe Adam and Steve might have initially met under less than perfect circumstances. Chester and Gets, both openly gay actors, provide an authentic and appealing spin to the "boy meets boy" film genre in queer cinema. Supported by a strong cast (Posey and Kattan shine as opposites who could fall for each other), fantastic appearances from Julie Hagerty, Sally Kirkland and Jackie Beat, and a toe-tapping country western musical number, Adam & Steve delivers laugh-out-loud sight gags and witty one-liners - yet it also has just the right amount of heart to touch the romantic in all of us.

By: Buddhaman

Despite what the cynics have to say about this movie, I loved it and thought it would be an excellent addition to my video collection. I found the humor to be balanced and no insulting to its audience. Even the homophobe was funny as he eventually got his comeuppance!

By: Janorm

This is a situation film about love in gay proportions. It is both romantic, comical, endearing, and far sexier than what you will ever see in a straight movie. Total enjoyment from beginning to end. A must have for the serious collector of Gay Cinemtography!!

By: lovin' it

Well, I usually hate romances, but this was an exception. It's brutal honesty was evenly played out with humor, and the rendition of "Somthing Good" really made me smile. Adam, this worlds cutest dooface, is evened out by the sweet, if sometimes misplaced, "suaveness" of Steve. Always a good laugh, and a good cry with lots of cute "kissy" scenes and no hardcore sex (although there was nothing wrong with Brokeback Mountain ;) ). Who couldnt love it?

By: Essin' Em

Usually it takes me a while to get into movies, but in this one, I started loving it from the opening credits - how can you not love a movie that starts with a gay goth, and gold body painted Dazzle Dancers dancing to "Obsession." Then I wasn't sure, because they used a bit of body humor, which really isn't my thing (think Will Ferrell kind of stuff...and he's really not my type of comedian...or Jim Carey in comedy). However, they quickly got beyond that, and what a great film.

While it has it's moments of depth and human discovery of relationships, love, communication, etc, it's mostly just a lovely and enjoyable film about the amusing trials and tribulations that a couple goes through. They just so happen to be a gay couple...and so there are a few more issues, like super chrisitan and conservative partents on one side, and assholes from NJ that call them fags. In the end, they almost lose each other, but come back together just in time, realizing that love can eclipse many things, including a sorrid and soiled past, and a family curse.

This is a happy, feel good movie, that you might almost qualify it as a chick flick (though I'd call it a DICK flick to be honest), and I loved it. While not usually the sappy romantic comedy type (and this was less sappy than most, thank goodness!), this was just want I needed on a friday night in April.

By: Max-N-Cheese

I HATED HATED HATED this movie. I am always one to have a movie-night with friends at least once a week. Having had this movie on my Netflix que for some time, we were excited to see it finally arrive in the mail. About 9 of us gathered in front of the television to watch... to a huge surprise-- WE ALL HATED IT! In all honesty we stopped the film twice, wanting to move onto something more original... anything would be better, even Gigli! However, we pushed forward with our viewing. And, despite one or two giggles, mainly escaping in recognition of some of our own inside-jokes, the film was a complete disaster from beginning to end. Parker Posey is usually a favorite in everything she does. She couldn't even save this movie! BAD BAD BAD!!!! The movie, er DVD, in the end makes for a wonderful drink coaster or frisbee!!!

By: From Dallas

(Continuation of my review) This movie had its surprises. Sure, I knew Adam and Steve would end up together, but how they got there. The two-step sequence was a delight and athletic (reminded me of the locker room scene in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) as was Steve's corny rendition of "Something Good." This is definitely worth buying and watching with friends or your lover. Sometimes happy endings are okay!

By: just a reviewer

((1)). Craig Chester and Malcolm Gets--particularly this latter hunk, who's just so winsomely huggable (he seems so right at home, so comfortable with himself) have some real warm moments, and that doesn't often happen in gay-themed films these days. Unfortunately the pluses of this are more than a few times imbalanced by some of the following minuses: ((a)). An overage of what other review sites have called "gross-out" humor. I really could have stood the diarrhea sight-gag, had its use not been overloaded by the sometimes diarrhetic mouth of a stand-up club's master of ceremonies (Michael Panes, was it?) and of Parker Posey's character, herself, upon occasion. Why are such remarks, like the female- cracks in "The 40 Year Old Virgin" considered such fair game in humor these days? !!((b)). Perhaps a little over-reliance on Jewish "sensibility-moments." ((c)). Guess, overall, I just feel that Chester has been around long enough to: know better, turn out something better, just plain old be better. It can't have been inexpensive to roll out this product, so it just seems he could'a gotten a lot more for his buck (and we for ours). ((2)). WHOA.....WHOA......WHOA.........STOPPpppp! You know what? I went back and "re-looked" this movie last night, and in the midst of my millionth laugh, it suddenly hit me that I hadn't really laughed any less the first night. Say, maybe I've been trying to make something too serious out of this little production, and that's not what it's about at all. It really doesn't have to be another "Brokeback Mountain" (as great as that was). Isn't it nice, instead, to have something that keeps our spirits up? Well, you bet. ((3)). And we can have all the "sensibility-moments" they can throw at us.....cause isn't there a good, old Hebrew word that just perfectly describes Adam? Isn't it something like........Klutz (and a lovable one at that)? And being "sad-sacky," that can be funny too, can't it? Right on! ((4)). Finally, on an even more positive note (especially for someone like me who's always placing gay kissing scenes*** under the old microscope), I'd have to judge that this production has not been afraid to give us a goodly number of 'osculating-lips-in-action' shots. Don't you agree? They weren't all perfectly aimed, but there were some really good ones. ((5)). PS--So, congratulations Adam & Steve, on your wedding, and for being able to live in a world far removed from that of Jack & Ennis.--------- ***And for scenes in which "lip-locks" were done as well or better, try these: "Just A Question Of Love" / "Latter Days" / "All Over The Guy" / "Brokeback Mountain" / "Maurice" / sorry, gotta stop somewhere)

By: SFOExPat

From the same people who brought you the great Latter Days, comes this train wreck. I kept waiting for this movie to get better or even funny, but it just never happened. While I've never cared for Chris Kattan, I do like Parker Posey...except in this. Adam is just a whiney poor me sho, while Steve, who is shrink, can't see to pick on little things that Adams mentions, that should clue him into the fact they know each other...Save your money and your time...pick something else...this film doesn't even deserve one star

By: Still Smiling

If Disgusted Viewer liked "Sleepless in Seattle" it's not wonder he didn't like this movie, because this really IS a funny, romantic comedy with a ton of heart. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this movie and would watch this a hundred times before dropping a dime to see another stupipd, boring Meg Ryan piece of crap. The acting in this is earnest and genuine. Parker Posey as always, is great. I usually HATE Chris Katan and thought he was wonderful in this. And the leads are perfect. You never doubt their love for each other. AND I laughed my ass off through the whole thing. That is until the end when, despite myself, I balled when Malcom sang at the end. SEE THIS MOVIE!

By: Disgusted Viewer

Pass on this movie unless you like ripped-off comedy bits tied together with digusting bathroom humor (bowel movements on the living room floor), animal cruelty (dogs being stabbed with knives), and more insensitive topics that seem very out of place. What were the writers and actors thinking?! By far one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. A lot of advertisements are calling this the gay "Sleepless in Seattle". Please-- in all honesty there is no connection whatsoever. "Sleepless in Seattle" will always be a classic romance as far as I am concerned... this, on the other hand just wishes that it could come within 1/4 of a mile to the caliber of "Sleepless..."I was looking forward to seeing the film very much. I havent been this let-down for a very long time. Grade: F

By: Dan the Pasta Man

This is the type of Gay film best viewed with an audience, preferably at a film festival with an alcohol buzz that allows you to have more fun than you really should be having. I was initially optimistic as I welcomed, for once, a gay film with production values. However, despite an occasional mediocre scene here or there, this film is for the most part totally unbelievably dull. I call this a "gay film for straight audiences" as it features nothing offensive or explicit and doesnt refuse to take on every sterotype and predictable turn possible. This truly is a safe little film that straight people would like to believe gay people are like. I really did want to like this film and in the first 45 minutes or so I was thinking a two-star review. However, the ending was what brought the film down to 1 1/2- and that song and the dance belonged in another movie! The one funny scene features cameos by Julie Hagerty of "Airplane!" fame and Paul Sands as the mother and father of a cursed family where they smile above the fray of things going wrong all around them. Parker Posey and Chris Kattan add an occasional laugh but not much beyond that. Try not to fall . Want funny gross-out humor, stick with "American Pie"!

By: SlyDawgMovieNut

I wanted to see this film, I NEEDED to see this film, I seen this film...,
.......i'm over it now.
I was going along fine, even laughing at some of the predictable comedy..., getting some of the goofy jokes, & trying not to throw up at the close-ups of Chris Kattan, or thinking Craig Chester has that "Karen Black smile from Trilogy Of Terror"...., when Malcolm sang at the end.
Whut may have been at least a good diversion on a Thursday afternoon cleaning house got drowned in one tired, awful off key cliche'.
I still give it at LEAST three stars for it's dancing, goofy energy & wanting to TWY WREEELY HAWRD to be something!!! Oh! and the drag queen singing "S**t happens was funny/cool too. I wish at the end credits they'd made a music video with HER!!!
Oh, well..,
Craig, I liked you in "Kiss Me Guido" & that gay serial killer movie where you got stabbed & ripped to pieces. You got the acting thing down pat & you were obviously taking notes & watching other film directors at work. Good effort here, but try again!!

By: Eric Joseph

For a higher budget gay film with actual stars and a theatrical release, you would think going into this movie that it would be one to leave bragging about. Not the case with this dud. Although it has some funny moments, as the other reviewers have pointed it, it all seems very cliche in terms of "gross out" comedy and doesnt leave much room for orginality. Parker Posey is always great and was the saving point of the movie for me. Adam and Steve is a mediocre movie that can easily get lost in the swarms of other funny movies available out there. I am still deciding if i liked it or not... Ehh!

By: nerobear

By: Spaghetti Man

Not very original in ways of comedy, but still enough to bring a smile to just about anyone's face. I found myself, although having seen similiar jokes in other films, laughing quite a bit. Not a great movie, but a fun one. Goes along the lines of what I like to call "generic entertainment"-- films that are nothing to brag about or recommend, but find their place in your dvd collection and are fun to watch every now and then.

By: ShaneHoskins

Truly funny movie but not too original when compared to other gross out comedies such as There's Something About Mary, Sweetest Thing, etc. But the film still stands out on its own as being the first truly GAY "gross out comedy". I enjoyed it a lot despite comedy not being my prime choice!!!

By: PaulSanderson274

This movie had a great cast and some truly funny moments, but I didn't see much, overall, to be that original with it. It seems to fall into "gross out comedy" genre but this time for the gay crowd. It is easy to make an okay film when there is a strong budget and well-known actors involved. It can all be good fun. But, for me it is starting to get a bit redundant. Toss the cutesy act that we have seen over and over again and give us something new! Overall Grade: C