You won't be disappointed!

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Blistering performances.

I'm writing this review for people who want to see queer films and who check reviews to see if a film is worth their time. 29th and Gay feels at best like an unfunny version of the occasionally funny TV show How I Met Your Mother. The main character James, like the Ted character on Mother, talks directly to the viewer and spends the whole film whining about his life. There's a male friend whose life is a string of one night stands and a female friend who can't find a guy. But mostly 29th and Gay feels like an amateur movie made for cable access. It's meandering and plot less and takes itself way too seriously.The acting is fine, and 28th and Gay shows LA in a realistic non- glamorous way. But everything else about the film is lousy. The characters are really annoying, the film starts off as an attempt at comedy then turns more serious, there's a reoccurring dream sequence that is goofy (and when meaning is applied to the dream it's just stupid), and in the end the OK looking James* takes risks and is rewarded with a cute boyfriend. Definitely not worth watching unless you need to see how not to put a movie together. *Actually I find the actor who played James to be far more attractive that the cute boyfriend. But rather than addressing any issues at all, such as how a short stocky guy with thinning hair rates in the gay scene, 29th and Gay plays another cliché card of looks over personality.

I could understand it if this film had been made in 1975, or 1985, or even 1995. To think someone would actually make this in 2005 is not to be believed. It is the story of a 29-year-old gay unemployed actor looking for love and meaning in his life. James, the actor character, can only be described as a shlub so lacking in any positive attributes that we not only have no empathy for him, we start to wish he would just shut the F up.This movie consists primary of James whining about his life. Whining and whining and whining. He has a fag hag who's nearly as shrill as he is, and the cause she's involved in was so poorly described as to be unintelligible to me. His best friend is the stereotype of a stereotype. There is nothing in the relationship between the best friends that reveals any reason for them liking each other.The dialog is meant to be witty, clearly, but nothing struck me even remotely funny, or even original for that matter. I can usually find something to admire in a gay-themed movie. But I can't think of a single thing I liked about this movie. It has absolutely NO redeeming qualities.Unless you are a gay filmmaker who needs to see what NOT to do, 29th and Gay is a complete and utter waste of time.

Having heard good things about this small independent labor of love, I drove down from Los Angeles to see it at the Temecula International Film Festival. I'm glad to report that 29th and Gay absolutely lived up to my expectations. Writer/star James Vasquez has fashioned what must be at least a semi-autobiographical comedy about a gay Everyman (also named James) who can't seem to get either an acting job or a boyfriend.Luckily James has two very loving and supportive best friends: straight female Roxy, winningly played by Nicole Marcks, and gayer than gay Brandon, portrayed by handsome and adorable David McBean. Both keep pushing James to get out more; unfortunately Brandon doesn't realize that while he may arrive at a club with buddy James, ditching him to go home with tonight's trick is not the kindest way to treat a best friend. (Luckily Brandon (and McBean) get to show a deeper and more sensitive side in one of the film's later scenes.) James also has very (a bit overly?) supportive parents, especially an uberPFLAG mom, brought to three dimensional life by the delightful Annie Hinton. (You have to be VERY gay supportive to buy your son a sling for his birthday!) As he searches for an acting break and Mr. Right, James discovers the Internet and has a perfect first date with Michael, all the while longing for coffee bar server Andy (the oh so cute and talented Mike Doyle, whom I had never heard of before but turns out to be quite a deservingly busy actor with Hollywood leading man potential). James can't seem to avoid becoming a superklutz whenever he's around Andy, leading him to feel there is no hope for Mr. Average to win the heart of Mr. Perfect. 29th and Gay is filled with funny scenes and superb supporting performances. Gorgeous Adam Greer, who wasn't quite believable enough for me as a gay man in Straight Jacket, is spot on perfect in a funny/poignant scene as an old school friend of James who's been with Mr. Right for five years already, all the time James has been Mr. Eversingle. Another superlative Straight Jacket alum, Michael Emerson, once again steals scenes as an "acting" colleague of James. Finally, there's funny girl Kali Rocha, hilarious as the blood-drawing nurse from hell (with a heart). Carrie Preston (the adorable star of the wonderful aforementioned Straight Jacket and one of the two slutty cousins in My Best Friend's Wedding) is 29th and Gay's director, and it's an auspicious debut for her. Out actor/singer Malcolm Gets sings the lovely end title song. Finally Vasquez' real life boyfriend Mark Holmes not only co-produced but assumed perhaps a dozen other hats behind the scenes, judging from the number of times his name popped up in the end titles. There are those who will say we don't need yet another story about a gay man's dating woes. I'm not one of them. For me, there can never be enough ways to tell and retell our stories, and the uniqueness of James Vasquez' point of view and the talent of his cast and crew make this film an absolute winner for me. As a writer, James Vasquez has fashioned a film for those who may not often see themselves represented in "queer cinema." As an actor, he has not a false moment, and like many a star, can look absolutely average in one scene and take home to mother handsome in another. Hopefully we'll see a lot more of Vasquez' work in the future.I laughed. I cried. I loved it!

i know James Vasquez through his partner mark. when he told me they had a movie about to come out i had to see it . i went to a special viewing in San Diego where it was filmed, i must say it is wonderful. it shows the struggles of a gay man and the joy of realization about yourself. but i won't say anymore then that or i will give it away anyway it is a must see for anyone. and to james and mark i hope that you go far with your movie career. there are some really cute bar scenes in the movie that where filmed at a local san diego bar named kickers it is truly the friendliest bar in town and if you are ever there say hi to mark. he is a lil shy about the movie lol.