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DVD
Wolfe
Publisher: Wolfe Video
Tom Gustafson
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Actors: Tanner Cohen, Wendy Robie, Judy McLane, Zelda Williams, Jill Larson
Studio: Wolfe Video Release Date: 06/09/2009 Run time: 95 minutes
In Were the World Mine, the lovelorn lunacy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream spreads through an all-boys school and the town beyond when the gay boy playing Puck discovers a love potion just like that of the play. Timothy (Tanner Cohen) resists being cast as the fairy, but the mystical drama teacher Ms. Tebbit (Wendy Robie, Twin Peaks) persists because of his lovely singing voice. The words of Shakespeare seize upon Timothy’s mind and lead him to create a love potion--which he uses to capture the heart of the school’s star rugby player, but also to make everyone see the world through his eyes. Soon the rugby coach is pursuing the school principal, the principal’s wife swoons for Timothy’s mother, and the school jocks are prancing around like ballerinas. Were the World Mine is punctuated here and there with techno ballads and languorous, glittery fantasies, but it’s not exactly a musical--the songs are only vaguely woven into the story, and just when the action should accelerate everything turns a bit ponderous. Nonetheless there’s a great deal of charm (and half-dressed young men) to be found in Were the World Mine. The contrast between the kitchen-sink realism of Timothy’s real life and his LaChapelle-esque daydreams gives the movie an engaging dynamic. The cast is attractive and likable, particularly Zelda Williams as a bohemian friend of Timothy’s and Judy McLane as his mother. --Bret Fetzer
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| Were the World Mine (2008) |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This is a very nice romantic comedy. It has a bit of fantasy and a bit of musical, but not too much of both to make it too strange or particular. Truth be told, I like musical, but I don't like when the "musical" part is all the story. Here there are some "performance", but there are also enough ordinary scenes to let you enjoy the story. Timothy is a very cute high school student, very pretty in his uniform school, just a bit too tighter than the other students. He is the "gay" guy, but he is not flamboyant or weak. He has a crush on THE jock, the usual perfect guy who is the dream of all the cheerleaders, but Timothy and Jonathon are not so different in body and will to make this crush unbelievable or unreachable. Actually I found Timothy more handsome than Jonathon.
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| Be as thou was wont to be! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I absolutely loved this movie! The premise, that if homophobic people could see the world through gay eyes for a day they would be more accepting, is refreshing, and the use of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to convey this idea was inspired. Yes, it's a low-budget, independent film, so if you think only polished, Hollywood movies are worth your attention, this is not a movie for you. But I think the quality that the director and producers were able to create in only a few weeks of filming on a shoe-string budget was wonderful. If you listen to the director's commentary, they basically rented a house and lived in it while they filmed there. One of the rooms in which most of the scenes take place was literally 12' x 12'! Amazing! A few reviewers have called the film stereotypical because of the way the characters begin to dance about when they are "turned gay" by Timothy's love potion, and to them I say, get a sense of humor! This is a farcical musical comedy for God's sake! The revelation of the film is Tanner Cohen, who has a magnificent voice, and I sincerely hope I will be able to see him in other musical films or broadway shows in the near future. The songs are delightful and catchy, especially the title song, which I can't stop hearing in my head I loved it so much!
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| Delightful Gay Takeoff on Midsummer's Night's Dream |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I bought this DVD based on a very good review in the New York Times, (of all places), and it didn't disappoint at all. Our hero is an openly gay boy in a resolutely hetero and homophobic prep school. Pushed to play the role of Puck in the school play because of his excellent singing voice, he initially resists playing a fairy although he has serious designs on one of the cast, who happens to be the school rugby star. But our hero is charmed into it when Shakespeare's language leads him to create a magic potion that allows him to turn straight people gay. Before long everyone in town seems to be mooning over someone of the same sex. Complications ensue but a happy ending is revealed, with the foolish mortals being restored to their original situations--including the hunky rugby player who, it turns out, was a closet case with the hots for our hero all along!
Although not a real musical, there are several delightful (if somewhat generic) songs which are woven into the narrative. The cast is uniformly attractive, capable and appealing, and our two leads are really quite good. The dialogue is not awkward or stilted, and the situation is remarkably literate, with a few inside jokes if you are familiar with the original. There are also some delightfully funny bits--although this is more of a "smile" rather than "laugh uproariously" movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this feel-good but not saccharine film and recommend it to anyone, gay or straight.
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| Thoroughly Charming Musical |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Were the World Mine is a thoroughly charming film. It's a musical with a great rock soundtrack with the lyrics based on William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Midsummer Night's Dream happens to be my favorite of all of Shakespeare's brilliant plays. I cross-dressed and played the workman-actor Peter Quince in my fifth grade school production of it. I took my husband to see it live on stage when we were first dating. I adore the 1999 film version, and not just because it has a young Christian Bale as Demetrius. Heck, I named my last book Midsummer Night, and in one scene the characters are watching the Shakespearean film.
Were the World Mine is not just a new adaptation of the play, though. Its central character is Timothy, a gay teen at an all-male private school. He has an unrequited crush on Jonathon, who happens to be an uber-jock rugby player. Enter Miss T, the English teacher. She insists on casting the macho rugby players in the school play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Everyone knows that English teachers possess magic, and in this case, it's literally true. She casts Timothy as the mischevious fairy Puck, prompting many "fairy" jokes but also teaching him the magic formula for making the play's love-inducing flower.
With the magic pansy that can make people fall in love with each other at first sight, Timothy gets Jonathon to fall in love with him. Unfortunately, he makes a mistake and accidentally also gets his heterosexual friend Max to fall in love with him. Then Timothy goes a little wild and turns most of the town gay. But this is a comedy, and like the Shakespearean version, all the star-crossed romances and rivalries will be straightened out (literally, in this case) by the end of the film. I don't think anyone will be surprised to learn that when all the magic is reversed, it turns out Jonathon's feelings for Timothy are genuine, and the two live happily ever after.
The music is great, the characters are adorable, and Miss T's glam production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is gorgeous. (Adam Lambert could easily star in this, if it were adapted as a stage musical.) Lovers of theater will appreciate the play within the play. In fact, only the crustiest homophobe could dislike this disarming production.
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| Better than expected. |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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I was curious to see how they'd handle MSND as a vehicle and not the main feature. It was far fetched, but so is MSND. I've passed this DVD along to friends who have concluded much as I did that it's quite OK without being exceptional or great. I enjoyed it but don't know I need to watch it again.
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