Romance Returns in Face of Aids

September 17, 1996

By KERRI BERNEY

Based on the off-Broadway play by Paul Rudnick, "Jeffrey" is set and filmed in New York City. This adds a certain atmosphere to the movie. Most of the extras and bit players were local talent from Broadway and off-Broadway productions, helping to add to the feeling of the city.

The movie opens with Jeffrey (Steven Webber), an actor/waiter, having a nightmare about his past several relationships. Those memories cause him to swear off sex for good, deciding that the threat of AIDS just made it too difficult. That day, while working off his "frustration" at the gym, he meets Steve (Michael T. Weiss), his "Mr. Right."

Immediately attracted to Steve, Jeffrey at first shies away from him. He is eventually persuaded to go on a date by his best friend, Sterling (Patrick Stewart) and Sterling's lover, Darius (Bryan Bratt), who has AIDS. All goes well until Steve tells Jeffrey that he is HIV positive. Unable to handle this, Jeffrey runs away again, saying he doesn't want to be in the position of loving someone he knows that, sooner or later, he is going to lose.

Sterling and Darius, who understand this situation well, try to tell Jeffrey that even the short time he has with Steve is better than not having any time at all. Jeffrey remains unconvinced, and he continues to say that starting a relationship is not worth it. But even he is not completely sure of his true feelings.

"Jeffrey" is a good movie that sometimes behaves like it has a split personality. On the one hand, it is a funny romantic comedy, but on the other hand, it is a film warning the audience about the perils of AIDS, homophobia and stereotypes. It is when the film serves as the latter, like when Jeffrey is attacked by thugs and saved by Mother Theresa, that the movie sometimes falls flat.

When it works "Jeffrey" is one of the best comedies of the past few years. This is due to the incredible acting in the film. The entire cast, from the leading actors to the smaller bit players, is always on target.

The two comedic stand-outs in the movie are Stewart and Nathan Lane. After watching Stewart, you will never see Jean Luc Picard (the role he played on "Star Trek, The Next Generation") in quite the same way again. A master of dry wit, he is able to make even the toughest talker walk away baffled at what just occurred. Lane's character, a priest, is only in one scene, but it is the scene that viewers will be talking about on the way home.

"Jeffrey," if the current trend on Broadway is any indication, is the first in a long line of comedies about homosexuality and AIDS, and if the rest of them are as good as this one is, then moviegoers for the next couple of years have a lot to look forward to.

This page last updated by Kerri Berney on December 19, 1996.