Wonderful character development!

Excellent, a Must See

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

It is pretty random for me to encounter this movie. There are many movies, particularly gay movies, trying to be too "different".I suppose that is art but I then forgot about the movie. Yet this movie just simply told an story of two boys, who later became two men. I don't know any of these actors and the movie happened in an age that was too old for me. At the beginning I thought the movie was shot 30 years ago with such blurred sky and everything. Nevertheless soon I realized the movie is rich of all elements that made me both laugh and sad. The story moved in a very nice pace, and left me a unforgotten night. First time for me to write a review on IMDb, and in fact I registered IMDb for this movie.

Although earnest and well meaning, "The Trip" eventually falls victim to a series of preposterous plot turns and derivative rip-offs of other movies. Set in the 1970's and early 1980's, a romance develops between gay activist Tommy and closeted Republican writer Alan. Opposites do attract, and the appealing leads, which are played by Larry Sullivan and Steve Braun, have chemistry and try hard to make the absurd seem convincing. When Alan's book, which is critical of gay rights, is published without his consent, the work undercuts Tommy's political activism. However, the two men, who have been together several years at this point, never discuss the matter or work toward a solution. Evidently, their relationship takes a back seat to everything else, which, in this film, includes even the proverbial kitchen sink. Without revealing too much of the convoluted plot, a "Thelma and Louise" spree unexpectedly develops in Mexico, Alan's mother breaks in on a dinner party and takes to looting the silverware, and an airline ticket clerk turns into a Medusa when Tommy coughs during check-in. Do not even ask how these segments fit together.Director-writer Miles Swain had too many ideas swirling around simultaneously. Instead of focusing on the evolving relationship between Tommy and Alan, Swain wanders all over the gay landscape. Fortunately, he does find some amusing characters, especially a spacey Valley Girl, wonderfully played by Sirena Irwin; her initial encounter with Tommy is one of the film's best scenes. Jill St. John also has a great time as Alan's free-spirited mother, and she enlivens every scene she steals. Unfortunately, Alexis Arquette fills the requisite dizzy-queen stereotype, and his over-the-top performance eventually grates.Swain evidently never decided if "The Trip" was to be a comedy, a romance, or a political discourse, because the film rambles into each genre without developing any focus. While the movie is generally entertaining, especially for undemanding fans of PG-rated gay-romances, Swain's work is less than the sum of its parts. Although actresses St. John and Irwin walk off with the honors in a boy-boy romance, Sullivan and Braun hold their own when on their own. If viewers can suspend disbelief for 90 minutes, they may be modestly entertained. However, whatever their feelings about the film, everyone will keep "The Trip" near the TV just to replay the priceless scene when Anita Bryant received a pie in the face.

I put this DVD in as I was going to bed one night, thinking it was one of those lame indie films that try too hard and bore me to sleep. (a safe alternative to sleeping pills). My plan for catching some zzz's backfired, as I was up until 2am watching this entertaining and memorable "trip"! This movie has it all - an epic love story, light-hearted humor, and a great human rights message. It takes us on a journey that spans 11 years and evokes the whole range of human emotions. The cast was well-selected, the acting is mostly great, the dialogue is witty... and Jill St. John is just a hoot in this movie! Put this at the top of your list of must-see movies!

Actually, there could have been a lot of things to like, and I could ignore some pretty big plot holes, but the rest was undermined by the incredibly wooden line delivery of some incredibly cheesy/clichéd dialogue.Jill St. John's character was funny and engaging, if a little overdone; Alexis Arquette's Michael looked like Steven Tyler in drag, and the performance was just as awful; Ray Baker's Peter Baxter was completely unconvincing.I have to say, though, I love the soundtrack CD that came with the DVD. Full versions of the 70s and 80s hit singles that backed the music score. Good stuff.