Awesome Movie

As Good As It Gets

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It could just be me, but I failed to appreciate the way in which this movie was developed. It seems to me that it creates a very hollow idea that in the gay community we can only rely on other gay people, yet at the same time that they cannot be trusted. I first saw this movie when I was still well in the closet and its portrayal of coming out terrified me. I would say this movie focuses on all the wrong parts of coming out. Yes it is difficult, and yes many times those you care about won't react how you would like, but there is an inherent freedom that comes along with it. I would like to tell the creators how much coming out has changed since they did it. My straight guy friends were the most important aspect of my coming out, supportive and always ready to help protect me from the worse parts of gay life. Please stop instilling fear in the young masses!

First off I must admit, I was only 7 or 8 in 1984, the year this film takes place. However, that does not mean I do not understand the harsh reality of growing up and coming of age. It truly does not matter what year it is or what the subject matter is. In this film, the subject matter just happens to be a young man coming to terms with the fact he is homosexual.Big deal! All young men go through awkward and difficult times in their young adult life. So what! Puberty, sexuality, the size of their Johnson....All young men have at one point questioned themselves regarding their sexuality. I am not 100% gay, but that doesn't mean I don't understand what the lead character was going through.Unfortunately, the reality of this film is dead on. Most gay men are only after sex. Anyone reading this that denies that...read it again...I said MOST. Of the gay men I know and associate with, they will tell you the same thing. I felt this movie, as harsh and true to life as it was, did not, in my opinion, help foster any sense of pride for being gay or bisexual.This film, though full of reality and complex situations, does not deliver the goods, in my opinion. It only makes people look at gays, lesbians and bisexuals as freaks, drug addicts, partiers, etc. And in most cases, it is a sad true reality.

I bought the movie because of it's gay theme and because it was so much praised here on IMDb. Someone even called it 'The story of his live,' others mentioned the 'great' story, acting and directing. I must come from a whole different planet as I didn't find any of it in the movie. The story is about a boy discovering his feelings for other boys. Big deal. The rest of the movie you see the boy leading a very superficial life restrained from anything that is worth repeating here, leave alone going to see the movie for. No intellectual thoughts, no depth in feelings of love, nor those of friendship or fear or whatever. The boy hardly feels anything it seems. His feelings probably keep up with the very little he has in mind. Just as the one who wrote the story. It might have been a nice and spectacular thing if it would have been 1950. But it is not. If you like nice movies about coming of age and being gay, you better see 'Fucking Amal,' 'Beautiful thing' or 'But I'm a cheerleader.'

CHris Stafford makes an amazing screen debt as Eric, a young man on "The edge of Seventeen"(named after the Stevie Nicks song of the same name, yet not featured on the fabulous soundtrack of 1980's songs). Set in the summer of 1984, Eric must confront his true sexuality while dealing with the pains and fear of homosexuality. Stafford's acting is flawless, as are all the actors in this BEST GAY COMMING OUT FILM of all time, in my opinion.