Beautiful Thing (1996)

Beautiful Thing (1996)

7.6

Movie

UK, United Kingdom
English
Comedy, Drama, Romance
1996
FEMALE DIRECTOR, HETTIE MACDONALD
Andrew Fraser, Anna Karen, Ben Daniels
92 min

7.6

Jean

What it's about

Set during a long, hot summer on the Thamesmead Estate in Southeast London, three teenagers edge towards adulthood.

The take

A sweet and wholesome tale of two boys falling in love against the backdrop of 90s homophobia and social issues. Jamie is a heavily bullied high schooler whose only sanctuary is his family's low-income apartment. His mom Sandra decides to also make that apartment a sanctuary for Ste, another highschooler suffering from an abusive father and older brother. They share Jamie's bed and their prospect of friendship quickly turns into something else.

Beautiful Thing is beautifully scripted and never too emotional. In fact, whenever the story moves towards the emotional, a funny scene is introduced to ease the tension. Many of these scenes feature Sandra's boyfriend, a well-spoken hippie by the name of Tony. Features heavy British accents, subtitles may be necessary!

Comments

This is an excellent love story. While at university in 1996, it gave me hope that I would find love – and I did. It’s a timeless story – as relevant today as it was 23 years ago. Unfortunately, it is not available for digital rental at Amazon as agoodmovetowatch reports. One may purchase a DVD, however.

This is possibly the most beautiful gay love story out there. I loved it from beginning to end. The story is not only beautiful but believable from start to finish.

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (2023)

A cynical, but terribly honest portrait of the indignity of modern life

7.9

Unfrosted (2024)

A fun but ultimately too-childish romp about the discovery of the Pop-Tart

6.8

Turtles All the Way Down (2024)

A sweet and relatable coming-of-age drama that brings mental health and economic realities to the fore

7.1

Testament of Youth (2014)

A lovely, though fairly standard, memoir adaptation of the famous British pacifist

6.9

Lust, Caution (2007)

A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama

7.3

Prom Dates (2024)

A cute but ultimately cliched take at the “night before prom” teen film

6.7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

The Idea of You (2024)

A smart albeit dry romantic comedy that unwittingly contradicts its empowering message

6.9

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.