Every month, our partner Salzgeber's gay film night offers a gay film of the finest quality in numerous cities. A classic is on the programme in February: "Beautiful Thing". The gay love story in an English working-class neighbourhood still warms the heart even after 15 years.
Every 15-year-old who wonders whether they might be gay should have seen "Beautiful Thing". Most gays in their mid-30s should already know the film - although it really doesn't hurt to watch it every now and then.
A small masterpiece
When "Beautiful Thing" was released in German cinemas 15 years ago, it was a minor sensation. "Queer as Folk" was still a long way off, and it hadn't been long since Georg Uecker had given out Germany's first gay TV kiss in "Lindenstraße". "Beautiful Thing" tells a gay love story that had never been seen before and has only rarely been seen since. And last but not least, director Hattie McDonalds has created a small masterpiece with this film.
Jamie lives with his mum Sandra and her hippy boyfriend Tony in a run-down working-class estate in south London. He has a secret crush on his schoolmate Ste, who lives next door, along with his drug-dealing brother, who constantly beats him up.
And then there's Leah, the black neighbour. She is constantly loud and stoned and seems to spend her life trying out different drugs, rehearsing her Oscar acceptance speech in the hallway, pulling tights on her head and singing along loudly to the songs of Mama Cass, the lead singer of The Mamas and the Papas.
One evening, when Ste is beaten black and blue at the door of Sandra, Tony and Jamie's flat, Sandra takes pity and lets Ste stay at Jamie's from that day on. There is only one bed. On the first night, the boys sleep with their feet in each other's faces, but by the second night they are getting closer.
The next morning, Ste runs away and pretends that nothing has happened. Numerous violent entanglements follow, but in the end Jamie and Ste confess their love for each other and dance to "Dream a little dream of me" in the courtyard of their house under the partly enthusiastic, partly disgusted gaze of the neighbours. Sandra hesitantly accepts that her son is gay, and Leah is happy.
So touching, so heart-wrenching
The love story in the working-class neighbourhood is so touching, so heart-wrenching and so rooted in its precarious reality that the film quickly became a classic and Jamie and Ste are now among the most famous lovers in gay film history.
Perhaps the mid-30s should take the 15-year-olds by the hand (or vice versa) and everyone watches "Beautiful Thing" together. That would also be a nice thing to do.
(Paul Schulz)
"Beautiful Thing" (England 1996) will be shown on Monday 21 and Friday 25 February during the QUEER film night in many cinemas throughout Germany. Exact dates and further information: https://queerfilmnacht.de/
