Jeffrey [DVD] [1996]

Paul Rudnick's fabulous 1993 Broadway play now preserved as a cult classic on film: a story about AIDS, love, sex, and the gay community in New York in the 1990s. Hysterically funny, insightful, romantically sweet, and deeply moving. It's a love story to New York City, and Rudnick loves to poke snarky fun at the stereotypes of queer experience (and oh, nothing is sacred). The campy Patrick Stewart (who steals every scene with his bon mots) and the New Agey evangelist Sigourney Weaver are particularly brilliant, but really the cast is quite solid.To add a historical context: AIDS hit the USA hard in 1980 and the impact on the gay community was terrifying and tremendous. For the next twenty plus years, the papers were filled with stories of celebrities and community icons coming out and/or dropping dead from the disease. We didn't have AZT until 1987, and even then it wasn't particularly effective. There wasn't a real medical breakthrough until 1996 (and the film comes out in 1995). So please remember, it's not quite as simple in Jeffrey's world to "just wear a condom" (and please, condoms do break and there are technically other ways to transmit the disease). Please remember there was real fear and danger and stigma attached to the virus in the early 90's. The first case of someone being CURED was not until 2007, so it is only in recent years that being HIV-positive was not an automatic death sentence.This film is particularly important because it used comedy to broach what was a very difficult subject -- and at the time, the arts were producing brilliant stories about AIDS that were deeply depressing and full of mourning. "Jeffrey" belongs in the LGBTIQ canon: it uses personal stories to offer an important snapshot of a challenging time in our cultural history. It helps us celebrate and better appreciate the medical breakthroughs that now, thankfully, offer a different experience for those who are affected by the virus today.

Well, this film had me in stiches in a lot of places. The film centres around Jeffrey who, through fear of catching HIV decides to give up sex. Then he meets the man of his dreams called Steve. Jeffrey is relecutant to go out with HIV positive Steve but Jeffrey's best friend Sterling (Patrick Stewart) is determind to help, interfer and even set-up Jeffrey so that he will go out with Steve! With help from a horny priest, group therapy for "Sexual Compulsives" and even a pep-talk from Sigorny Weaver who gives him some long overdue though not entirely helpful advice, Jeffrey realises that love should win over anything! This all ends up being a riot! Though the story does centre around the very depressive and hard hitting issue of HIV and AIDS, it thankfully isn't dealt with as if though there is no hope. It does have a couple of depressive moments to show that HIV and AIDS is a real threat, but this isn't given centre stage. The film has fun, love and joy, with an extremly hopeful ending! Great acting all round, but Patrick Stewart as Jeffrey's gay friend Stering steals the show. He was absolutly fantastic! Worth watching just to see him in a pink beret camping it up with the best of them! A great orginal film that I absolutly adorded! A must see! But get ready for pains in your side and you fear that your sides may split! It is that funny!

Jeffrey is an attractive gay man who decides to give up sex and dating because of the AIDS situation, telling his friends that all the fun has gone out of it.They decide to show him differently - Cue lots of campy action and musical numbers as he goes on a journey to find out that love is not dead after all, even if the man of his dreams may well be HIV positive.A serious subject is given light-hearted treatment here but in such an exhuberant fashion that the movie is hard to dislike. It takes a lot of talent to pull something off like this, and the writer and cast are more than up to the task.The disc is very bare bones which is a shame, as I am sure there is a lot to tell about how this film came to be.

The film was just average

gift

Received in Excellent order and a very good DVD to watch and brighten up the day. Steven Weber showing how good he is no matter what roll he is playing.

this movie set in the pre Aids days,its full of fun and shows a different slant on how things were pre aids,people were more frightend back then

Very funny film. Highly recommend it.