Jeffrey (1995 film)

Jeffrey is a 1995 American gay romantic comedy film directed by Christopher Ashley. It is based on a play depicting the life and times of Richard Jeffrey by Paul Rudnick, who also wrote the screenplay.

Jeffrey
Original theatrical poster
Directed byChristopher Ashley
Produced byMark Balsam
Victoria Maxwell
Mitchell Maxwell
Paul Rudnick
Written byPaul Rudnick (play and screenplay)
Starring
Music byStephen Endelman
CinematographyJeffrey J. Tufano
Edited byCara Silverman
Distributed byOrion Classics
Release date
August 18, 1995
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3,487,767

Starring Steven Weber as Jeffrey and Michael T. Weiss as Steve, the film features cameos by Olympia Dukakis, Victor Garber, Gregory Jbara, Robert Klein, Nathan Lane, Camryn Manheim, Kathy Najimy, Kevin Nealon, Ethan Phillips, and Sigourney Weaver. Christine Baranski has a small role as the socialite hostess of a fundraiser that (in Jeffrey's imagination) turns into a cater-waiter hoedown orgy. The film co-stars Patrick Stewart as Sterling, an older gay decorator whose partner, Darius (Bryan Batt), dies of AIDS complications.

Plot

The story takes place in Manhattan during the height of the AIDS epidemic and revolves around the title character (Steven Weber), a gay man who has sworn off sex because of it. Almost immediately thereafter he meets Steve (Michael T. Weiss), a hunky, charming HIV positive man. He then experiences an emotional conflict as he must face his fear in order to accept love, often breaking the fourth wall to do so.

It is not so much that Jeffrey is afraid of dying himself, but that he is afraid that he will fall in love with someone who is bound to die; thus, his celibacy is not only about sex, but also about relationships in general. Helping him through this period of his life and advising him is a cast of cameos including Patrick Stewart, Nathan Lane, and Sigourney Weaver.[1]

Cast

Critical reception

Reviews to Jeffrey were mixed to positive, as it holds a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews. Patrick Stewart got great acclaim for his supporting role, winning several critics awards, and even generated Oscars buzz, but failed to secure a nomination.

Caryn James from The New York Times wrote “For anyone who missed the play, the film offers a strong echo of its best qualities and a couple of truly hilarious moments.”[1]

Home media

Jeffrey was released on VHS after its initial theatrical run, and on DVD in 2003. Shout! Factory released the film on Blu-ray in 2019.[2]

References
  1. Alexander, Ryll (2014). "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, Jeffrey". Gay Essential. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  2. Jeffrey Blu-ray. Blu-ray.com.
References
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