The Curiosity of Chance (2007)

It's the 80s once again, and the John Hughes-styled high school comedy gets a fresh twist in this touching, coming-of-age tale. New wave angst and gender-bending fashion are all the rage, but the new kid at school, Chance Marquis (Tad Hilgenbrinck of American Pie Presents: Band Camp) is trying to find new ways to stand out. Being an odd and somewhat awkward teenager makes him the target of the school bully. To deal with this dilemma, Chance turns to the opposite ends of the high school spectrum for help. On one side is the flamboyant drag queen and on the other, the varsity jock, Levi Sparks (Brett Chukerman of Eating Out 2) with whom Chance develops a unique friendship. Chock-full of the comic conventions of the high school genre the idiot faculty, the good-hearted but delusional parents, the fairy tale reversal of popularity The Curiosity of Chance is a frothy bit of nostalgic filmmaking. But knowing the genre doesn t mean its story won t also touch your heart, as Chance battles the bigots to make high school the diverse utopia it should have always been. Product Description

a rare gem

I bought this film at a local store and wasn't to sure what to expect. I went in with a low expectation but I was really suprised by the overall quality of the movie. It had a good script,acting and excellent sound and picture quality. My boyfriend and I after watching it both thought that it was worth watching and will watch it again. a good one to keep on the shelf October 16, 2008

Better than average

I enjoyed this one...it will not blow you away but it will keep you interested in the same way "Juno" did (or did not). Not exactly original but it is clever and one of those movies you will likely watch again and want to share with friends. September 1, 2008

limps along with little style or class

Easily the best thing about "The Curiosity Of Chance" is that the Devo song "That's Good" accomnpanies the opening credits.

The rest of the film is really quite lame, barely entertaining, and highly forgettable.

The screenplay is far too apparently contrived and self-consciously striving to appear witty - and it is delivered with a distinct lack of passion or conviction.

I don't like that the main protaganist is a cruel smart-arsed vile little body fascistand yet he's presented as someone whom we ought to feel empathy for as he struggles for non-judgmental acceptance.

Chock full of tired gay movie cliches, there is particularly unforgivable opportunistic and abusive stereotyping in the portrayal of the school principal - who is targetted relentlessly for our supposed amusement as an overweight woman with no self-awareness of her body odour problem.

Noticeably placed eye candy in the form of actor Brett Chukermen is diminished by the fact that Brett doesn't move outside of the range of facial expressions which are almost trademarked "Jake Gyllenhaal".

I really can't see any reason to recommend this film to anyone - not even the Devo intro saves it.

August 14, 2008

HUGELY disappointing

With all the awrds this movie won, I expected it to be quite good, but it simply was not. Bad acting, bad dialogue, and completely unoriginal and banal plot and characters. Perhaps the dialogue was intended to be arch, but the actors just didn't have the talent to pull it off. Instead, everything seemed stilted and fake. Moreover, their lack of talent and/or charimsa diminshed any sympathy that a viewer might feel for them. While the characters are in "sympathetic" situations, we seen them all before -- and depicted in much more effective ways. In short, I was bored and unmoved. For a film that deals with many of the same themes, but does it in a more interesting, entertaining and accomplished manner, watch "Camp" instead. July 23, 2008

Delightfully funny "coming of age" story set in the 1980's

Chance Marquis (played by Tad Hilgenbrink, whom some may remember from the "American Pie ... Band Camp" movie) is 16 year old Army brat, living with his stern widower military father and his precocious younger sister in Belgium, where he starts his sophomore year at an "international" school. The school seems to have the typical US high school cliques, rendered a bit more ludicrous by the various accents of the students from various countries. Chance has a definite flair for the dramatic, coming to school his first day wearing a cape, top hat and walking with a cane, which immediately makes him the target of the bullying captain of the football team. Also on the football team, as well as living next door to Chance and his family, is the hunky Levi (Brett Chukerman from "Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds), who quickly becomes the focus of Chance's fantasies, and actually is open-minded enough to befriend Chance, until his buddies on the team tell him it is soooooo not cool to be "friends with a f**." Chance hangs out mostly with two other misfits, the tough and sarcastic Twyla and the nerdy school photographer Hank, who conspire with him to get even with the bully. A night out at a gay club leads to Chance's performing in drag, a fact that becomes widely known at the school, much to Chance's chagrin.

Spot-on writing, a great cast and attention to detail makes "The Curiosity of Chance" (2006) a delightful "coming of age" film about standing up for yourself and your dreams. The setting in the 1980's, complete with clothes, hair and lots of music from that era, can lead to a conclusion that this is really a gay version of a John Hughes-like high school comedy from that era, but with a current sense of activism and self-respect, a la "Napoleon Dynamite." It may have been low budget, but they made the most of every dollar on screen.

Winner of several "best ..." awards at recent stateside gay film festivals, this US production was filmed in Belgium. DVD includes trailer and brief "making of" featurette. Definitely a keeper. I give it five "dramatic pause" stars out of five!
July 17, 2008

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