Faqs

Newly arrived in West Hollywood from Colorado, homeless India (Joe Lia) first gets stiffed on his porn acting wages and then gets chased into a parking garage by two tire-iron-wielding rednecks. A drag queen porn director, Destiny (Allan Louis), shows up with a revolver to rescue India and confiscate for India the nice coat of one of the rednecks. Destiny allows India to move in under various conditions, including spending two daytime hours daily in the nude. Destiny already has a butch Lesbian, Lester (Minerva Vier), in the household. India has a chance to lead a more settled life.

India isn't fully trusting and wants to go after the director who didn't pay him. India and Destiny work something out.

India latches onto another homeless guy, Spencer (Lance Davis), who has an interest in blowing up his parents.

India has become a convert to non-violence and the reclamation of the lost. So when India notices a name and address on the redneck's (Guy's, played by Adam Larson) commandeered coat, he decides to return the coat and possibly find a latent gay person, under the theory that bashers have sexual orientation issues. After some turmoil, the film moves to its conclusion.

The skin and sex shots are generous and well photographed. All the younger male characters show something, and India shows all.

The strengths of the movie are the performances of Joe Lia and Allan Jones, the cinematography and the editing. The title sequences (including the portion of the 2004 platform of the Texas Republican Party dealing with homosexuality) are done well too. Lia is convincing as a relatively naive character who makes the effort to do well in a hostile world. Jones maintains a dignified flamboyance while barely suppressing hostile rage against the straight world. These strengths keep up interest in the movie.

There is a very good commentary by Producer/Director Everett Lewis and Joe Lia. The two also field questions at the 2005 Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

The script calls for the creation of friendships and bonding at a pace that would not happen in real life. For example, if you had attempted a bashing, been stopped and robbed of your coat at gunpoint, how would you act if later the bashee got out of a car, held out your coat, and said you could have it back? There are at least three cases of snap decisions to have someone as a roommate. How much disbelief must one suspend?

Characters and actions feel forced to conform to the writer's program and do not flow naturally. For example, one character starts out as a homophobic bully, gets suicidal after a same-sex friend moves away, comes out to a domineering brother, chases after the departed friend in a homophobic despiration, and then changes again, lots of acting range on a forced march.

There is scene after scene with pistols drawn or expressions of hostility to either the straight or gay worlds. The film does end up showing a path to a constructive, non-violent acceptance. India emerges into a higher state of being than his mentor, Destiny, who can't give up using fire or pistol shots to make points in a hostile world. The message is a gay kiss is like a bomb to the straight world. This is the key to the movie's redemption.

FAQs may not be entirely realistic, but that's not its point. It is a beautiful, well-crafted, touchingly acted, inventively directed independent film about disenfranchised, abused young gay people who protect and care for each other after being victimized by violent familial and societal fallout from our current (7/2006) government-endorsed homophobic culture. It is warm, loving, moving, angry, sexy, politically accurate, honest, triumphant. Straight people may not get its message nor be able to process its images--as with most of Everett Lewis' films, so they may want to buy something more accessible like "Latter Days" or "Brokeback Mountain" (both wonderful films, but more mainstream).

I just rented this and really loved it. Yes, the other reviewer on here is correct that it has some flaws. And yes, there are a few plot points that are rushed and require some suspension of disbelief. But why do we watch movies anyway? Isn't it to be entertained more than to see complete reality? Don't we want to see the world the way we wish it could be? The movie does succeed on these levels. India is new to the streets of L.A., ripped off by a porn producer and then bashers attempt to attack him. Enter the fierce drag queen Destiny, who brandishes her gun and chases them off. Destiny adopts him as part of her family, just as she has already adopted Lester, a butch lesbian. India decides that he, too, wants to save people. He starts with Spence, who has been abused, wants to bomb his parents and becomes India's boyfriend. He then rescues one of his bashers, who he has decided is a latent homosexual. Yes, it all wraps up pretty easily. But wouldn't it be great if we all formed our own wonderful rainbow families and rescued each other? The film has its heart in the right place and was very interesting and moving. For an indie film, I thought the acting was really good, with the exception of the actress playing Lester, who I thought was a bit weak and not very butch. This movie has a great message. So many gay people have felt the way these characters felt: betrayed by the straight world, betrayed by our families, unsafe and always having to sleep with one eye open. This movie is going to be one of my favorites for a long time.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 8 reviews  3.8 out of 5 stars