Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Dramarama is about Gene, a closeted gay high school student who wants to come out to his conservative friends on the day before they leave for college.
The film takes place in 1994, in the highly conservative town of Escondido, California. Gene (Nick Pugliese) and his friends have graduated high school and are getting ready to begin college. To celebrate, Rose (Anna Grace Barlow) is hosting their final mystery dress up party.
Clair (Megan Suri), Oscar (Nico Greetham), and Ally (Danielle Kay) are all on time, while Gene is late. The group talks about how they haven’t heard from Gene and questions whether or not he will attend. What they don’t know is that Gene is planning on telling them that he’s gay and that he’s questioning his faith in God. And because his group of friends is devoutly religious, he’s not sure how well they’ll take the news.
Some Thoughts:
Dramarama takes place before electronics were everywhere. There are no cell phones, large screen televisions, or game consoles. Because of this, the only world Gene and his friends know is that of their own backyard, which they desperately want to escape.
Although they love the dramatic arts, they can’t see past their conservative Christians upbringing. In fact, the fear of God has kept this group of teens from experiencing life, and they see things as black and white. Only Ally and Gene have broken away from their religious dogma and have started to see the world as different shades of gray. They’re also the only two who seem to have friends outside of the small group.
The dynamics between the characters is established early on and done well. The film also does a good job keeping the adults off to the side and out of focus from the teenagers.
The drama between the characters feels genuine. Gene’s sexuality may be obvious to Ally, but the other characters are so lacking in experiences outside of their existence that they don’t see it. And because of this, Gene’s apprehension about coming out to them is realistic.
Since most of the friends are moving to large cities, I would be interested in a part two to catch up with them. How do they react when they step into the real world, find people unlike themselves, and discover that their perceived reality may not be all there is?
The Final Verdict:
Dramarama is a delightful coming out and coming of age film. The characters are well drawn, and their drama will pull you in.