Romancefest 2016: All Over the Guy

Enough with these straight people and lesbians! Bring on the gay dudes! Dan Bucatinsky stars in ALL OVER THE GUY, a 2001 indie flick that he wrote, directed by Julie Davis.

The film opens with Bucatinsky unloading the details of his previous relationship on the receptionist (Doris Roberts) at an HIV clinic. The other half of the relationship (Richard Ruccolo) is simultaneously unloading his tale on an acquaintance from an AA meeting. So, we see the first half of the movie as flashbacks from both dudes' points of view.

Bucatinsky is a more straight laced type, raised by a couple of psychiatrists (including Andrea Martin). Ruccolo is more into one night stands and comes from a couple of alcoholic parents (including Joanna Kerns). Bucatinsky's Jewish, Ruccolo is Protestant. Etc., etc. Anyway, these opposites eventually end up hooked up on a date by their friends, who are also dating each other (Adam Goldberg and Sasha Alexander).

At first they don't like each other, then they end up in love, and then they end up out again. You know how it goes with these things. Aside from the unique perspective on relationship specifics by Bucatinsky, the basic plot is well-worn. But, the unique perspective is enough to make this a fun and engaging flick worth checking out.

One thing I like is that it allows differing points of view among people sometimes sidelined as one monolithic culture in other more mainstream flicks. For instance, on their first date, Bucatinsky says he caught the Kevin Kline "gay guy coming out of the closet" flick IN & OUT on cable and enjoyed it. Ruccolo freaks out about what an insult that flick is to the true gay experience. Later, Bucatinsky's own parents express outrage at the Hollywood fakeness of IN & OUT as Bucatinsky looks on in bewilderment. This is just one example, but there are many of these in this well observed screenplay.

The movie also deals seriously with the implications of the characters' actions and lifestyles. Specifically, Ruccolo's character doesn't just get a pass as a magical movie alcoholic who drinks when the screenplay wants him to and is sober when the plot demands it. Instead, he actually has to deal with his own alcoholism, and his parents. It is something that effects his life, even though he's a character in a screenplay. He just happens to be a character in a good screenplay.