Partnered gay dads screenwriter Daniel and actor Steven are about to give a very over-the-top birthday party for their one year old daughter Sam in their Hollywood Hills home. If their indulgent plans are not enough, they have allowed a camera crew into film the whole event right from the build up a few days ahead. With a ‘supporting cast’ of quirky and eccentric friends who don’t possess an ounce of normality between them, events soon get out of hand and the proceedings range from silly to downright ridiculous at times, but strangely all in a very good way.
This mockumentary that is essentially one very camp comic caper/farce has its serious moments too when both men have confrontations with their mothers that turn out entirely different than they had expected. (The one with Daniel and his mother was particularly moving) The message here and throughout this wee film that so many gay men will relate too is the importance of the family we create rather than we are born into.
Written and directed by Chad Darnell who also starred as Daniel too, this is essentially a sequel to the award-winning short ‘Groom’s Cake’ which he was also responsible for. He does have great chemistry with hunky co-star Rib Hillis (‘All My Children’) and they are a very convincing couple. Darnell was a Casting Director in his previous life but on this occasion it seems that he has written parts for a lot of his actor pals of varying talents. And a juicy vampy role for Australian soap opera star Jane Badler who plays an exaggerated version of herself.
Despite its occasional patchy wince-making moments (a good actor can do wonders with a poor script but a bad actor just dies) it is a ludicrously funny movie with some delicious one-liners and some gloriously hilarious moments. This wee crowd-pleaser has proved a real festival favorite picking up awards along the way, and is a great date movie. Preferably BEFORE you get to meet his mother.
