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 

Falling in Love Like in Movies (2023)

A contemplative Indonesian romance film that rewrites and re-examines the genre’s conventions

8.4

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

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

8.1

River (2023)

A delightful and ultimately life-affirming Japanese time loop comedy clearly made with love

8.8

Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (2024)

WWE’s best effort to pay tribute to Windham “Bray Wyatt” Rotunda

8.5

Forgotten Love (2023)

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

7.7

The Guilty (2018)

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

9.0

Blind Date Book Club (2024)

A perfectly saccharine bookstore romance for light viewing

7.5

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Scoop (2024)

A gripping and illuminating dramatization of a landmark interview from the creator of The Crown

7.4

Pelle the Conqueror (1987)

A well-done, though lengthy, adaptation of the classic Danish immigrant novel

7.2

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.