BILLY’S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS

US, 1998, 93 minutes, Colour.
Sean P. Hayes, Brad Rowe, Richard Ganoung, Meredith Scott Lynn.
Directed by Tom O’ Haver.

Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss is set in the gay world of Los Angeles, the world of photography, modelling and the arts. It focuses on Billy, a young photographer, in a relationship but fascinated by a model he discovers and with whom he wants to recreate a photo series of Hollywood screen kisses. The film, according to commentators, is reminiscent of the romantic comedies of around 1960, specifically the Doris Day movies like Pillow Talk. The film pays homage to these as well as imitating them. The result is a romantic comedy of love, disappointment and frustration and happy endings in the gay world?

Sean P. Hayes has become better known because of his performance in Will and Grace as well as his voicing characters in films such as Cats and Dogs and The Cat in the Hat.

1.The audience for this film? The gay audience? Mainstream? Commercial? Art house?

2.The Los Angeles settings, the gay world that Billy lives in, the world of photography, modelling? Apartments, restaurants, photo shoots? The musical score and the range of songs?

3.The title, the focus on Billy, his desires? His project for recreating the Hollywood screen kisses in photographs?

4.Billy, his age, broke, photographer, his dependent partnership with Fernando, Fernando and his other relationships? His friendship with Georgiana, his project of the photo series? His friendship with Perry, Perry’s success, his being the financial support for the project? Billy seeking the male lead, seeing Gabriel at the restaurant? His relationship with Gabriel, Gabriel being straight? The exhibition, Rex Webster, his attitude towards Billy, inviting Gabriel for the test? Gabriel and his relationship with Billy, the beers, the phone call from Natalie?

5.The photo shoot, the detail, the homage to Hollywood? The sexual relationship? Gabriel and his being unwilling? Accepting the modelling job? Billy, in Catalina, the continued infatuation with Gabriel, Perry coming, persuading Billy not to make a fool of himself? Rex’s party, Brad, Brad and Gabriel going off together? Billy’s frustration, throwing his camera away, into the ocean? Perry’s confession, Perry and Billy? The success of the exhibition? Joshua and his admiring the photos? Billy’s future?

6.The gay world, identity, relationships, lifestyles? Casual relationships, long-term relationships?

7.Gabriel, the waiter, his claims, his girlfriend, with Billy, the phone call from Natalie? The relationship, his backing out? Modelling in Catalina, the party, Brad? His future?

8.Georgiana, friendship with Billy, support, ideas, his project? Billy’s relying on her?

9.Perry, his success, age, offering the financial backing? Going to Catalina, stopping Billy with his infatuation, his confession about his attitudes in the past? The kiss?

10.The world of photography, modelling, films? A real world? Audiences looking at this world from the outside?