Beautiful Thing
Beautiful Thing

Movie spotlight

Beautiful Thing

1996
Movie
92 min
English

During a long, hot summer on the Thamesmead Estate in Southeast London, three teenagers edge towards adulthood.

Insights

IMDb7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes92%
Metacritic76/100
Google Users91%
Director: Hettie MacdonaldGenres: Romance, Drama, Comedy

Plot Summary

Set on a South London housing estate, this coming-of-age story follows Jamie, a shy teenager struggling with his identity and his feelings for his athletic, more outgoing neighbor, Ste. After an incident leads to Jamie staying over at Ste's flat, their tentative friendship blossoms into a tentative romance, navigating newfound desires and the challenges of coming out in a working-class environment.

Critical Reception

Beautiful Thing was widely acclaimed for its sensitive and authentic portrayal of young gay love, its warmth, humor, and optimistic tone. Critics praised its grounded realism and the naturalistic performances of its young cast, calling it a refreshing and uplifting cinematic experience that resonated with audiences for its universal themes of love, acceptance, and self-discovery.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its tender and realistic depiction of adolescent romance.

  • Lauded for its authentic characters and uplifting, positive message.

  • Appreciated for its humor and honest exploration of young gay identity.

Google audience: Audiences overwhelmingly loved the film, highlighting its heartwarming story, genuine performances, and hopeful outlook on young love and self-acceptance. Many found it to be a relatable and moving depiction of coming-of-age.

Awards & Accolades

BAFTA Awards nomination for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer (Jonathan Harvey).

Fun Fact

The film is based on a play of the same name, also written by Jonathan Harvey, which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 1993.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

"Jamie" (Glen Berry) lives with his single-parent mum "Sandra" (Linda Henry) on a London housing estate. He's a slight lad who is prone to bullying at school which leads him to skive off now and again to go home and watch musicals on the te...

Filipe Manuel Neto

Filipe Manuel Ne...

**Yet another apologetic film about the assumption of homosexuality.** I've had other occasions to say that I'm not a fan of apologetic and contestatory films. I am not against their existence, there is room for them and cinema is a legi...