Pop this pill

If drugs could make you straight, would you be tempted to take them? Don't miss the thought-provoking and clever Hard Pill

One of the most difficult, unexpected challenges about coming out is that once you do, there’s no looking back. And if you expect to find romance, or at least feel part of a community, you may end up feeling more isolated than you were before.

Would life be easier if you could be straight?

John Baumgartner’s clever and poignant Hard Pill tells the story of chronically single, average, unhappy Tim.

Working at a dead-end job, Tim’s most romantic relationship is with a doting overweight Ugly Betty. The closest thing he has to a sex life is begging a manic- depressive straight friend to graciously accept a blow job.

Despite his best efforts, Tim can’t break his lack of self-confidence, and a harsh, unfriendly gay scene further fuels his depression. Desperate for change, he volunteers for a controversial pharmaceutical study designed to make gay men straight.

While the gays and the church go head-to-head (which is brought to life through a brilliant documentary approach), Tim slips through the cracks and begins treatment – despite objections from close friends. The treatment works, and although he tries to enjoy his new life, he's faced with unexpected consequences of his decision.

Filmmaker Baumgartner’s novel idea and direction make for a thought-provoking and suspenseful drama. Conversion treatment isn’t new, and the introduction of sexuality conversion – in pill form - doesn’t seem an unlikely reality. Just last week Christian leader Albert Mohler suggested that if being gay is biologically determined – people should be “fixed” to be straight, prompting backlash from gay rights groups.

Besides the impressively provocative premise, the casting of Hard Pill is also noteworthy. There’s a very distinct ‘kitchen sink’ aspect to the characters, each imperfect and vulnerable, reflecting Tim’s troubled state of mind. The supporting cast – made up of Tim’s straight crush, a hard-partying queen, and a doting female companion - each have very precise character traits and motivations, later instrumental in Tim’s unravelling.

Susan Slome stands out in her performance of Sally, Tim’s fag hag …literally. Overweight and homely, Sally is devoted to Tim – and would “marry him if he was straight”. While she is upset by Tim’s decision to dismiss his gayness, she secretly warms to the prospect of Tim being a hot-blooded hetero.

With the exception of some briefly excessive melodrama, Hard Pill is definitely worth a watch. Refreshing and sweet, similar to the amazing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Hard Pill is another rare example of a quality gay drama.

My rating? 4.5/5 stars

Hard Pill is available on DVD.