Happy Birthday (2002 film)
Happy Birthday is an American 2002 film directed by Yen Tan and starring Benjamin Patrick, Michelle E. Michael and John Frazier. It is Tan's debut long feature film.
| Happy Birthday | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Yen Tan |
| Produced by | Mark Buchanan |
| Written by | Yen Tan |
| Music by | Steve Whitehouse |
| Cinematography | Jack Burroughs |
| Edited by | Jay Wesson |
Release date |
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Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English (main), Urdu, Taiwanese, Spanish |
Synopsis
The film recounts two days in the lives of five very different characters all born on June 12, that are faced with problems as their birthday approaches: Jim (Benjamin Patrick), a gay, overweight telemarketer working for a weight loss program is facing self-esteem problems; Ron (John Frazier), a church minister, preaches about conversion but himself is addicted to watching gay porn; Javed (Devashish Saxena), a Pakistani who lives in the U.S. with a gay porn actor, is faced by the double dilemma of being condemned by his Muslim family and is in imminent danger of being deported from the States; Kelly (Michelle E. Michael), a lesbian executive, weathers a breakup with her lover and considers an earlier affair; and Tracy (Ethel Lung), a young Asian lesbian, goes back in the closet when her mother renders a visit.
Cast
- Benjamin Patrick as Jim
- Michelle E. Michael as Kelly
- John Frazier as Ron
- Devashish Saxena as Javed
- Ethel Lung as Tracy
- Denton Blane Everett as Greg
- Xiao Fei Zhao as Mom
- Lynn Chambers as Julie
- Derik Webb as Troy
- Chip Gilliam as Brian
- Natalie Thrash as Tricia
- Debbie Rey as Sophia
- Ryan Harper as Ricky
- James M. Johnston as Porn director
- David Lowery as Videographer
Awards
- In 2002, won the Jury Prize for "Best Feature - Gay Male" at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- In 2002, director Yen Tan won New Directors Showcase - Bets Feature award for Happy Birthday at the Portland LGBT Film Festival
- Also earned an honorable mention at Image+Nation in Montreal