Dorian Blues

Dorian is a smart teenager in high school, doing well in class and with a bright future ahead of him. There's just one complication: he's gay. Dorian Blues takes on his coming-of-age journey as he deals with his ultra-conservative family's reaction, that first kiss, guilt, and eventually becoming his own man and moving on in life. And it's actually not half bad. Where other movies may focus on the angst and have you reaching for the razor blades, Dorian Blues feels like a really good well produced episode of Six Feet Under and, while it has its moments, it's never anything other than bright, frothy, and actually quite funny. A big part of its success is Michael McMillan's Dorian, who is charming and likable and feels like a great new best friend. Confidently defying expectations on all fronts and punching way above its low budget, it's well worth looking at this refreshing reinvention of a typical coming-of-age tale. [Scott McKellar]