On the eve of his big Chelsea Gallery Opening, New York artist Henry Hart (Arye Gross) learns that his grandfather has had a stroke, and much to the chagrin of his Agent he immediately abandons the Show and jumps on the next plane home. Home is in the outbacks of Montana where his grandfather (George Coe) had raised him after the early deaths of both of his parents.
Henry however has always carried a torch for Dean (Tim DeKay) an all-American jock who was his best friend in High School. Dean’s marriage has ended and he is back in town and maybe in the mood to ‘experiment’ which has Henry in all of a flutter. Meanwhile whilst the two of them are playing maybe/maybe not, Henry has a very handsome silent admirer in Pike (Eric Schweig) an American Indian who runs the local General Store. Pike seizes on the idea of making rather scrumptious healthy meals for bachelor Henry and his Grandfather but asks the Widow to pass them off as her handiwork as he is painfully shy. The way to (a non-gym going) man’s heart, we all know is through his stomach!
In this idyllic setting amongst the snowy peaks of the mountain, with seemingly the whole town rooting for Henry and his love life as much as for Grandfather’s recovery, this fantasy romance is so very sweet and touching. What it lacks in-depth at times (e.g. it has Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher doing very little in a rather fickle cameo) it makes up for in glorious scenery and sentimentality. However, what’sprobably the most important aspect of this movie made back in 2000 is that it helped establish the fact that on the silver screen, gay people can also be hopeless romantics too.
And if you are one ….. not necessarily hopeless, but definitely romantic …. then there is much to enjoy in this multi Audience Award-Winning perfect date-night movie.
