Flying an F18 fighter aircraft for the US Navy is a tough assignment and requires very close cooperation between both pilots who must depend on each other with their own lives. Stationed in confined quarters on Aircraft Carriers for months at a time, its inevitable the men establish a strong bond between each other and often become closer than the family and their wives/girlfriends they have left behind. This story is about one such pair of serviceman who developed feelings for each other way beyond camaraderie. but as it is set in a time long before ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ they chose not to act on their desires.That is until one night on leave in New York the pair end up in a Gay Bar although apart from them getting sweaty and going shirtless as they dance together with two female hookers, very little happens. However they are spotted there by a colleague who reports them to an Agent who had been on board ship to investigate two recent fatal crashes, but he now turns his attention to trying to establish the presence of some sort of gay clique amongst the pilots.
Even though its all supposition and with scant circumstantial evidence it all ends very badly and ruins the men’s lives.
Directed by DMW Greer from his much acclaimed stage play of the same name which was based on experiences from his own life, it is a well-meaning but rather laborious melodrama which was far too dated for its own good. Since the play’s success on both sides of the Atlantic back in 1995 the political agenda has changed so much regarding gay acceptance that it felt that this particular story had lost all its potency. Also gay themed films have also changed enormously and it’s hard to believe that an audience will rally to a movie that show its intimacy between two men in love purely with a hand ruffling through hair or a chaste kiss. With all those ‘novela’ like long drawn out glances at each other all the time, its enough to not want to shout out ‘get a room already!’
The cast of handsome young men that included Trent Ford, Morgan Spector and Rob Mayes did well just smouldering and looking hot and trying not appear to be too embarrassed by having to keep to the script. As did the actresses playing their poor wives and girlfriends, who included the talented Tammy Blanchard.
I am the first to admit that when President Obama finally approved the dissolution of the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy that it made it easy for gay men and women in the Armed Services to come out. I’m sure that there are a lot of stories of their experiences that would make really good movies. This sadly is not one of them.
