May 27, 2006

vanloan@nyconstage.org


Boy gets boy; boy looses boy; boy gets great screenwriting career but never gets return of original (aka true love) boy. Robert Aguirre-Sacasa's autobiographical comedy is amusing enough yet never quite dramatically compelling for an evening's entertainment. Ethan (Mr. Aguirre-Sacasa's alter ego) is a comic book writer (as is the author in real life) and one of his action heroes is commissioned for motion picture treatment. At the same time, he meets Michael a nascent novelist in a Starbuck's and a budding romance begins. Soon after setting up house, the constantly requested rewrites for Ethan's screenplay begin to consume the fragile relationship. Michael chooses to stay committed while Ethan shuttles back and forth to Hollywood. While he is able to make all necessary changes for the movie; Ethan is unwilling to do the same for the relationship. Michael soon leaves to pursue his own ambitions and emotional fulfillment.

There's nothing new in this territory nor is there any attempt to find new insights. Yet, Aguirre-Sacasa's writing has a breezy, chatty quality and he is blessed with a committed cast. Carson Elrod lets us find some empathy for Ethan despite his essential self-absorbedness. Pedro Pascal is suitably pretty and perturbed as Michael. Kristine Nielson is very funny as Ethan's producer bringing a perky slightly caffeinated quality to an old laid-back L.A. cliché. Michael Tucker is quite touching in his few scenes as Ethan's father who is experiencing his own emotional turmoil with Ethan's mother. He brings a sense of balance to his son's navel-gazing. While there is certainly something to be said for the axiom, 'Write what you know'; a certain universality is needed to be present for us to care. While the story may be "True" its not enough for us to care.

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