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Get Real (1998)

tomatometer

78

Average Rating: 6.4/10
Reviews Counted: 46
Fresh: 36 | Rotten: 10

An authentic portrayal of homosexuality in high school, Get Real is an engaging dramedy that doesn't sermonize its audience nor trivialize its characters.

79

Average Rating: 6.5/10
Critic Reviews: 14
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 3

An authentic portrayal of homosexuality in high school, Get Real is an engaging dramedy that doesn't sermonize its audience nor trivialize its characters.

audience

79

liked it
Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 7,464

My Rating

Movie Info

This gay coming-of-age drama from Britain was screened at many film festivals including Toronto, Edinburgh, and the 1999 Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema section). It tells the story of 16-year-old Steven (Ben Silverstone), a boy who can't tell anyone of his sexual preference except an overweight girl named Linda, who is also unlucky in love. Steven (and most of his school's female student body) have a crush on John, the school hunk, who dates a model. Before long, John and Steven finally

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Drama, Gay & Lesbian, Comedy

Patrick Wilde

Feb 22, 2000

Paramount Pictures

Cast

All Critics (46) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (10) | DVD (2)

The strength of this agreeable comedy, directed by Simon Shore from a screenplay by Patrick Wilde, is that it makes even the tiniest sexual encounters seem emotionally momentous.

July 24, 2007 Full Review Source: Slate | Comment
Slate
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Fresh, funny and thoroughly engaging.

July 24, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

An issue movie, a comedy, and a love story, this is pretty good at being all three.

July 24, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
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The movie bravely goes where too many other films have gone before.

February 21, 2004 Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Comment
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Yes, we've heard the tale before, but somehow it just never gets stale: Welcome to another instalment of Romeo and Romeo.

March 19, 2002 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | Comment
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Shore and Wilde have done an admirable job in re-imagining Wilde's play as a movie, and they've created a wrenching, thoughtful entertainment that incorporates considerable comic relief.

February 14, 2001 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | Comment
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Simon Shore's feature directing debut displays considerable confidence and aplomb. But his fairly hackneyed sense of storytelling seems to value accessibility above complexity, so don't expect any surprises.

July 24, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The film is grounded in genuine emotions and its knowing humour serves it well. I laughed like a drain.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Charming and romantic enough to get by.

June 3, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

The performances are solid throughout, and the writing is straightforward and tight.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comment
Film Threat

The rather unoriginal script, co-written by Shore and Patrick Wilde (who wrote the stage play upon which the film is based), has roughly an equal number of clever lines and embarrassing clunkers.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comment
Film Threat

succeeds in conveying the misery that always results when people try to hide their true selves to impress others.

September 28, 2005 Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | Comment
Kalamazoo Gazette

It does a fair job and director Shore elicits a solid performance by Silverstone.

April 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | Comment
Reeling Reviews

Anchored by a touching lead performance by Silverstone.

January 13, 2004 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
TheMovieReport.com

above the usual mundane coming of age genre films

July 19, 2003 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | Comment

Get Real is essentially a conventional tale of forbidden young love that derives its emotional appeal from heartfelt performances by its young cast, particularly the charming Mr. Silverstone.

October 15, 2002 Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | Comment
Cincinnati Enquirer

When the film's poised tone and occasional staginess threaten to intrude on the moving, sincere, recognizably true drama, the fact that the source material comes from a recent work, not some 400-year-old play, keeps it real.

June 18, 2002 Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | Comment
San Francisco Examiner
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Get Real

This is a coming of age and coming out story, even though it is set in the U.K., is still close to something I relate to. Well written and acted. There is no drama for drama sake. Very accurate for real life gay teen experience - even down to the chubby friend-girl! I even thing from the point of the parents is

November 18, 2008
Tomassgringo

Super Reviewer

Loved this film! It's hilarious. This is on my sis's favorite movies list. Right, Wan!?

April 11, 2007
ileo
Leo L

Super Reviewer

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