BEAUTIFUL THING
1996

May 30, 2001
Showtime

Two teenage schoolboys on a South London housing estate fall in love with each other.

Stars a bunch of people I've never seen before using very strong accents. But as I watched, I could not imagine anyone in America making a film quite this sweet. The two boys come out at their own pace, playing sports at school, watching musicals at home. One has a mostly understanding crass mother, the other an abusive drunk father. It just seemed so real. There was no saxaphone-enhanced first kiss scene or montage of their relationship. It was an enjoyable little gem.

8.30 Critical Consensus
7.50 Ebert
7.50 Maltin