| Dorian Blues | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Tennyson Bardwell |
| Written by | Tennyson Bardwell |
| Produced by | Tennyson Bardwell Mary-Beth Taylor Portia Kamons Frank D'Andrea |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Taylor Morrison |
| Edited by | Ann Marie Lizzi |
| Music by | Will Severin |
Production company | DayDreamer Films |
| Distributed by | TLA Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $185,000[1] |
| Box office | $72,234[2] |
Dorian Blues is a 2004comedy-drama film about agayteenager coming to terms with his identity inupstate New York. The film was written and directed byTennyson Bardwell and is loosely based on Bardwell'scollege roommate.[3]
High school senior Dorian Lagatos realizes he is gay and meets another gay youth locally, but remains confused, and finally comes out to his brother, Nicky. Nicky is a scholarship-winning quarterback and favorite son to their hetero-normative and argumentative father. Dorian starts therapy, then resorts to confession in the Church. When his therapist and the church politely avoid offering any real help, Dorian has his first intimate encounter with a local gay youth. Dorian goes back to Nick, who was at first reluctant to accept his brother's sexuality. Nick attempts to teach Dorian how to fight and arranges to have him spend a night with a prostitute in order to make him become straight; from these efforts Dorian gains only a concussion and lesson in dancing, respectively.
After much soul-searching, Dorian comes out to his father (while wearing a fuchsia shirt) for which he is kicked out of the house after a very surreal argument over whether or not Dorian is gay. His father is very preoccupied with who else may know of Dorian's defective nature although Nick confesses that he knows and an anticlimactic scene resolves with Dorian packing his bags. Dorian moves toNew York City, a city he adores. Dorian expresses all kinds of angst over his life style, defending his true nature to his father over the Christmas holidays. Returning to New York, Dorian experiences a series of encounters with the darker side of life. Dorian finds a boyfriend, but he gets dumped after two months with no given reason. Dorian develops a deep depression and finally, in despair gives in to it, coincidental to Nicky visiting Dorian in the city.
Nicky reluctantly joins Dorian with friends at Dorian's favorite localgay bar. Just as Dorian pleads with a friend to flaunt his newly found popularity, Nicky reunites with obsequious football friends—stealing Dorian's thunder. Dorian then learns his ex-boyfriend dumped him for another. The after-discussion of the evening revolves around Nick defending his sexuality to Dorian in the face of Nick's football friends being gay and Dorian defending his own sexuality to his brother. Later that night, Dorian awakes to Nicky crying and learn that Nick was cut from the football team and was stripped of his scholarship. In the middle of the discussion, they both learn their father has died of aheart attack. At the funeral, Dorian's mother, finally freed of the overbearing influence of Dorian's father, tells Dorian she regrets not stopping his father from being angry with him.
Some of the film took place inDelmar, New York andGlenmont, New York. Including scenes ofEmpire State Building,New York Public Library,Metropolitan Museum of Art andCentral Park.[4]
The New York Times said that "Bardwell’s writing remains acridly clever".[5]
Richard Mellor of eyeforfilm.co.uk stated it is "an indie slow-burn" and "understated coming-out drama".[6]Dennis Harvey ofVariety said "nothing special in outline, but sharp performances and writing lend it a fresh appeal" and "assured debut for writer-director".[7]
OnRotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 65% based on reviews from 23 critics.[8] Onmetacritic it has a score of 52% based on reviews from 16 critics.[9]
Dorian Blues won eight awards at the first ninefilm festivals it screened at and has won its fourteenth award, including theBest First Feature Award atOutfest inLos Angeles.[5]
Dorian Blues won the audience award and the Emerging Maverick Director's Award at theCinequest Film Festival inSan Jose where it had its world premiere.[10] The film won a special jury award at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, the audience award at theLake Placid Film Festival[10] and best screenplay award at theNew York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, which was sponsored by theWriters Guild East. The film won the audience award for best first feature atOutfest,[5] which included a $5,000 cash award sponsored byHBO. The film also won the audience award for best feature film at the Long Island International Film Forum and the audience award at thePhiladelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. At theBahamas International Film Festival, The film won the Torchlight Best Feature award sponsored byNew York University.[11]Dorian Blues won the audience award the 2005 Out Far! Lesbian & Gay Film Festival inPhoenix, Arizona. InTorino, Italy, it got the audience and best film awards. It also received the audience award at film festival inCopenhagen.[citation needed]
Dorian Blues was released on Region 1 DVD (US and Canada),[12] and on Region 2 DVD on 26 January 2009 (Europe).[13]