Beach Rats

Last updated

Beach Rats
Beach Rats 2017 Teaser Poster.jpg
Teaser poster
Directed by Eliza Hittman
Written byEliza Hittman
Produced by
  • Drew Houpt
  • Brad Becker-Parton
  • Paul Mezey
  • Andrew Goldman
Starring
Cinematography Hélène Louvart
Edited by
  • Scott Cummings
  • Joe Murphy
Music byNicholas Leone
Production
companies
Distributed by Neon
Release dates
  • January 23, 2017 (2017-01-23)(Sundance)
  • August 25, 2017 (2017-08-25)(United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$576,316 [1]

Beach Rats is a 2017 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Eliza Hittman. It stars Harris Dickinson in his feature film debut, with Madeline Weinstein and Kate Hodge in supporting roles. It follows an aimless Brooklyn teenager who struggles to reconcile his competing sexual desires, leaving him hurtling towards irreparable consequences.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2017, where Hittman won the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic. [2] It was theatrically released in the United States on August 25, 2017, by Neon. It received positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Hittman's direction, Dickinson's performance, and the cinematography. At the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards, it garnered two nominations: Best Male Lead (for Dickinson) and Best Cinematography (for Louvart).

Plot

Frankie is an aimless 19-year-old Brooklynite who spends his days hanging out and getting high with his macho friends as an escape from his troubled home life. His family includes his little sister and a mother who is mostly occupied with caring for his terminally ill father. At night, Frankie cruises Brooklyn Boys, a webcam site for gay men, but partially obscures his face with a hat.

When Frankie and his friends are at the Coney Island boardwalk watching fireworks, he catches the attentions of local girl Simone. Simone accompanies Frankie back to his place and tries to initiate sex with him, asking, "Am I pretty?" Frankie cannot perform and tries to make small talk instead, mocking and imitating her question. Insulted, Simone leaves. A few days later, Frankie and his friends are at the beach when they spot Simone with another guy. Frankie goes to apologize to Simone for his behavior the other night, and she tentatively forgives him. Meanwhile, Frankie uses the chat site to arrange hookups, particularly with older men as they are less likely to run into his friends and give away his double life. When a male partner asks about his penchant for older men, Frankie replies, "I don’t really know what I like."

Frankie suffers a loss when his father succumbs to his terminal cancer. Frankie takes his dad’s pills, which he and his friends have been abusing. On a day out with Simone, Frankie casually asks her if she’s ever made out with a girl. Simone replies she has, and makes an offhand comment that it’s hot when girls make out, but when guys make out, it’s gay. That night, Frankie forces himself to have sex with her. Later, after a hookup with a gay man at a motel, Frankie is asked about his orientation. Frankie says he is not gay and reasons he has a girlfriend.

Frankie’s secret life becomes increasingly at risk of being discovered when he happens to run into his male partners in public. Simone breaks things off with him when he becomes erratic while high on drugs. When Frankie and his friends are running out on their drug supply, Frankie proposes using the gay chat site, claiming that he uses it to find guys with weed. His friends show discomfort with the idea, but Frankie says all they need to do is pretend to be gay to get the drugs. Frankie lets the guys know he is meeting up with Jeremy, an out gay man closer to his age. Frankie invites Jeremy to come smoke with him and his friends, but Jeremy becomes wary when he catches sight of Frankie’s crew and leaves.

Later, Jeremy messages Frankie and says he wants to meet up and smoke with him, but alone. His friends see the message and insist on tagging along so they can steal Jeremy’s weed. When Frankie hesitates at the idea, his friends question why he even uses the chat site to begin with. Frankie again claims it’s just for drugs and says he will meet Jeremy at the beach. Jeremy arrives to pick up Frankie and during the car ride, Jeremy deduces Frankie is closeted, which Frankie resists with the belief that he does not think he is gay, and, in Jeremy's words, just "has sex with men".

On the beach, Frankie starts feeling remorse for bringing Jeremy there and suggests going back to his place. Just as Jeremy questions what’s going on, Frankie’s friends ambush Jeremy and demand the weed. When Jeremy refuses, Frankie’s friends beat him. Though Frankie retrieves the drug, his friends insist on continuing to beat Jeremy, whom they ultimately leave for dead in the waves.  

At home, Frankie gets rid of all traces of the gay chat site on his computer, including shirtless selfies he’s taken. The film ends with him watching the fireworks again at the boardwalk, but with a look of anguish and uncertainty.

Cast

Production

In April 2016, it was announced Eliza Hittman would direct the film, based upon a screenplay she had written. [3] Hittman said her inspiration for the film was a Facebook selfie of a young man from Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, a member of a group known as "beach rats." The selfie was shot "in a basement with ugly fluorescent lights and a dirty mirror and he was shirtless with a hat on that was covering his eyes...There was this tension in the image between something that was hypermasculine and simultaneously homoerotic, a feeling that he was hiding something because his eyes were in the shadow of this visor. He was about 19 years old and he looked dangerous and fragile at the same time, and I try to use images like that as character introductions. What we shot is almost a direct reframing of the image." [4]

Hittman said the film was also inspired by real-life incidents, commenting, "I’ve had friends who have been attacked walking around certain areas of Brooklyn, and been totally knocked out. I’ve had people who have had Grindr experiences. I’m aware of all the types of violence that exist, and I’ve read about them and processed them. I think [the victim in the film] represents many types of victims." [5]

Cinereach and Animal Kingdom produced the film, alongside Secret Engine. [6]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 23. [7] Shortly after, Neon acquired distribution rights to the film. [8] It was released theatrically on August 25, 2017. [9]

Reception

Critical reception

Hittman receiving The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Eliza Hittman and Jody Hill (32545913790).jpg
Hittman receiving The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival

Beach Rats received positive reviews from film critics. It holds an 85% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 106 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Empathetic and powerfully acted, Beach Rats takes a clear-eyed yet dreamlike look at a young man's adolescent turmoil." [10] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 78 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11]

K. Austin Collins of The Ringer wrote the film strongly gives "the prevailing sense that masculinity is something learned—put-on and performed for the sake of fitting in with others. Frankie’s other life throws that into question. It’s a Gender Studies 101 trope, to be sure, but rarely has a movie made us understand this so naturally, as truth rather than theory". [12] Victor Rocha of Out Write said, "The movie doesn’t make us feel good; it doesn’t pat us on the back and tell us the world will be okay. Instead, it shows us the internal struggle of someone who can’t come to terms with who they are. The moments of silence represent how we feel, the emptiness inside as we stare into the world unsure of where we fit in. Beach Rats is not a happy movie, but it is a movie that captures emotion on film – genuine, inexplicable emotion." [13]

TheNew York Times ' Ben Kenigsberg said, "Frankie’s drug intake, his ailing father, his relationships with his mother (Kate Hodge) and younger sister (Nicole Flyus) and perhaps even his reluctance to leave familiar surroundings all contribute to a powerful sense of limbo. The back-and-forths of the character’s decisions feel real, and Mr. Dickinson’s laconic blankness...helps to give Frankie’s existential crisis a charge." [14] Jay Kuehner, reporting from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival for the Canadian film magazine Cinema Scope , praised the 16 mm photography by Hélène Louvart, invoking a comparison to the visual aesthetic of Moonlight and Beau Travail , as well as the films of Robert Bresson and Philippe Grandrieux. [15]

Though Dickinson's performance was praised, the film also sparked criticism and debate, with some critics saying the ending felt unearned and that its violence perpetuates the "bury your gays" trope, [5] [16] [17] and others saying the film "risks reducing gay coming-of-age to seediness and shame." [18] Some also pointed out the ending calls to mind real-life incidents of users on gay dating apps being targeted for violence. [5] At the Sundance screening, Hittman was questioned by an audience member about whether she, a white heterosexual woman, should be allowed to tell gay stories. [5] [19] Hittman said she welcomed the dialogue and added, "I think it’s interesting...who gets to tell what story. I think it’s slightly complicated at this moment. I think that the conversation should be more about how we create more opportunity for people who don’t get to tell their story, to tell their story." [19]

Of the ending, Collins wrote, "Like Beach Rats overall, the ending is a reminder of what can happen when a director trusts us enough not to offer easy takeaways and psychological absolutes. What happens when a character who doesn’t know what he wants loses control over what little understanding he already has? It’s a crisis, and a risk, and Beach Rats navigates both with the best of them." [12]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s) and nominee(s)ResultRef.
Chéries-Chéris November 21, 2017Grand PrizeBeach RatsNominated [20]
Deauville Film Festival September 10, 2017Grand Special PrizeNominated [21]
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 27, 2017 Breakthrough Actor Harris Dickinson Nominated [22]
Independent Spirit Awards March 3, 2018 Best Male Lead Nominated [23]
Best Cinematography Hélène Louvart Nominated
Hamburg Film Festival October 14, 2017NDR Young Talent Award Eliza Hittman Nominated [24]
Independent Film Festival of Boston April 29, 2017Grand Jury PrizeBeach RatsWon [25] [26]
L.A. Outfest July 16, 2017Best Screenwriting in a U.S. FeatureWon [27]
Locarno International Film Festival August 12, 2017Golden LeopardNominated [28]
London Film Critics Circle Awards January 28, 2018 Young British/Irish PerformerHarris DickinsonWon [29]
Montclair Film Festival May 6, 2017Future/Now PrizeBeach RatsWon [30]
Sarasota Film Festival April 9, 2017Jury PrizeNominated [31]
Seattle International Film Festival June 11, 2017Grand Jury PrizeNominated [32]
Stockholm International Film Festival November 20, 2017Bronze HorseNominated [33]
Sundance Film Festival January 28, 2017 Directing Award Eliza Hittman Won [34] [35]
Grand Jury PrizeBeach RatsNominated

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Longtime Companion</i> 1989 American film

Longtime Companion is a 1989 American romantic drama film directed by Norman René and starring Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy, and Mary-Louise Parker. The first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS, the film takes its title from the euphemism The New York Times used during the 1980s to describe the surviving same-sex partner of someone who had died of AIDS.

<i>Alpha Dog</i> 2006 crime drama film by Nick Cassavetes

Alpha Dog is a 2006 American crime drama film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes. It is based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Emile Hirsch, Christopher Marquette, Sharon Stone, Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Willis.

<i>TransGeneration</i> American documentary-style reality television series

TransGeneration is an American documentary-style reality television series that affords a view into the lives of four transgender college students during the 2004–2005 academic year. Two of the students are trans women, and two are trans men. Each of them attends a different school in the United States, and they are each at a different stage of their degree programs. The filmmakers document events in the students' academic careers, their social and family lives, and their transitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ira Sachs</span> American filmmaker (born 1965)

Ira Sachs is an American filmmaker. Sachs started his career directing short films such as Vaudeville (1991) and Lady (1993) before making his feature film debut with The Delta (1997). Sachs later won acclaim for his dramatic independent films Forty Shades of Blue (2005), Keep the Lights On (2012), Love Is Strange (2014), Little Men (2016), and Passages (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Ray Valdez</span> American actor and musician (born 1980)

Jeremy Ray Valdez is an American actor and musician. He won the 2010 Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film for his role in La Mission.

<i>My Brother the Devil</i> 2012 British film

My Brother the Devil is a 2012 British crime drama film written and directed by Sally El Hosaini. It stars James Floyd, Fady Elsayed and Saïd Taghmaoui. It tells the story of two sons of Egyptian immigrants coming of age in east London. It was released in the UK on 9 November 2012 and debuted in US cinemas on 22 March 2013. It was also released in Canada, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Don Jon</i> 2013 film by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Don Jon is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Julianne Moore, with Rob Brown, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, and Tony Danza in supporting roles. The film premiered under its original title Don Jon's Addiction at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013, and was released in the United States on September 27, 2013. The film grossed $41 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>It Felt Like Love</i> 2013 film by Eliza Hittman

It Felt Like Love is a 2013 independent drama film and the directorial debut of Eliza Hittman. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was later acquired by Variance Films, receiving a limited theatrical release in March 2014. The film follows the coming-of-age of teenager Lila as she riskily courts the attentions of an older boy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliza Hittman</span> American film director

Eliza Hittman is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer from New York City. She has won multiple awards for her film Never Rarely Sometimes Always, which include the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Award—both for best screenplay.

<i>Dope</i> (2015 film) Film by Rick Famuyiwa

Dope is a 2015 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa and produced by Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi. It stars Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise, Chanel Iman, Tyga, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, ASAP Rocky and Vince Staples. The film was also executive produced by Pharrell Williams and co-executive produced by Sean Combs.

<i>Disorder</i> (2015 film) 2015 film

Disorder is a 2015 French-Belgian co-production neo-noir thriller film directed by Alice Winocour about a home invasion, starring Matthias Schoenaerts as an ex-soldier with PTSD. It was screened in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Certain Women</i> (film) 2016 American drama film by Kelly Reichardt

Certain Women is a 2016 American drama film edited, written, and directed by Kelly Reichardt. Based on "Native Sandstone", "Travis, B." and "Tome"—three short stories from Maile Meloy's collections Half in Love and Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It—it stars Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone, James Le Gros, and Jared Harris.

<i>Wind River</i> (film) 2017 film by Taylor Sheridan

Wind River is a 2017 neo-Western crime film written and directed by Taylor Sheridan. It is the third film by Sheridan on the modern American West. The film stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker and an FBI agent, respectively, who try to solve a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, and Graham Greene also star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Sundance Film Festival</span>

The 2017 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to January 29, 2017. The first lineup of competition films was announced November 30, 2016.

<i>Dont Worry, He Wont Get Far on Foot</i> 2018 film directed by Gus Van Sant

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot is a 2018 American comedy-drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and based upon the memoir of the same name by John Callahan. The cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black, and follows a recently paralyzed alcoholic who finds a passion for drawing off-color newspaper cartoons.

<i>Gods Own Country</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Francis Lee

God's Own Country is a 2017 British romantic drama film written and directed by Francis Lee in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Josh O'Connor and Alec Secăreanu. The plot follows a young sheep farmer in Yorkshire whose life is transformed by a Romanian migrant worker.

<i>The Hero</i> (2017 film) 2017 American film

The Hero is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed and edited by Brett Haley and written by Haley and Marc Basch. It stars Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman and Katharine Ross and follows an aging movie star who deals with his terminal illness.

<i>American Animals</i> 2018 UK/US heist film

American Animals is a 2018 docudrama heist film written and directed by Bart Layton. Starring Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, and Ann Dowd, it is an account of the Transylvania University book heist which took place at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky in 2004. The film cuts between interview segments of the real-life people involved in the heist and actors playing out the same events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Dickinson</span> English actor

Harris Dickinson is an English actor. He began his career in British television and had his first starring role in the drama film Beach Rats (2017), for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He played John Paul Getty III in the FX drama series Trust (2018).

<i>Never Goin Back</i> 2018 American stoner comedy film

Never Goin' Back is a 2018 American stoner comedy written, directed, and edited by Augustine Frizzell.

References

  1. ↑ "Beach Rats". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Beach Rats". Sundance Institute . Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  3. ↑ Nordine, Michael (April 25, 2016). "A Sophomore Sundance Star Goes to the Next Level". Ozy.com . Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  4. ↑ Buchanan, Kyle (August 24, 2017). "With Beach Rats, Director Eliza Hittman Shows Male Sexuality Her Way". Vulture . Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Donnelly, Matt (August 25, 2017). "Indie Movie 'Beach Rats' Has a #BuryYourGays Problem - But It's Not Backing Down". TheWrap . Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (January 23, 2017). "Trio Launches Secret Engine Production Shingle With 'Beach Rats' – Sundance". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Beach Rats". Sundance Film Festival . The Sundance Institute. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  8. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (January 28, 2017). "'Beach Rats' Lands Deal With Neon At Sundance". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  9. ↑ "40 Films to See This Summer". The Film Stage. April 18, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Beach Rats (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Beach Rats Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Collins, K. Austin (August 25, 2017). "'Beach Rats' Is a Sexual Coming-of-Age Story That Crackles With the Unknown". The Ringer . Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ Rocha, Victor (March 1, 2018). "Review: Beach Rats". Out Write. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ Kenigsberg, Ben (August 24, 2017). "Review: In 'Beach Rats,' Life and Sexuality in Limbo". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  15. ↑ Kuehner, Jay (March 24, 2017). "Sundance (II): A Few Useful Details". Cinema Scope. CS70. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  16. ↑ Madison III, Ira (September 1, 2017). "A Heartless Gay Coming-of-Age Story Plagued by Violence". The Daily Beast . Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  17. ↑ Brayton, Tim (September 20, 2017). "Beach Rats (2017) - Movie Review". Alternate Ending. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  18. ↑ Collins, K. Austin (January 31, 2017). "The Future of Queer Cinema". The Ringer. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Bloomer, Jeffrey (September 18, 2017). "Who Gets to Make Movies About Gay Sexuality?". Slate . ISSN   1091-2339 . Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Films en compétition" (in French). Chéries-Chéris. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Compétition 2017". Deauville Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  22. ↑ Luers, Erik (November 27, 2017). "Nominations Announced for 27th Annual IFP Gotham Awards" (Press release). Independent Filmmaker Project. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  23. ↑ Sharf, Zack (October 10, 2017). "2018 Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 'Get Out' and 'Call Me by Your Name' Dominate". Indiewire . Penske Business Media . Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Awards Ceremony And Closing" (Press release). Hamburg Film Festival. October 14, 2017. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  25. ↑ "IFFBoston 2017". Independent Film Festival of Boston . Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  26. ↑ Burns, Sean (May 2, 2017). "IFFBoston Announces 2017 Jury Awards". Boston Reel. Medium. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  27. ↑ Ellsworth, Robert (July 21, 2017). "In Like Outfest 2017". The University Times. California State University. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  28. ↑ "Beach Rats". Locarno International Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  29. ↑ Lodge, Guy (January 28, 2018). "'Three Billboards' Leads London Critics' Awards". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  30. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (May 9, 2017). "Montclair Film Festival: 'Lady Macbeth,' 'Strong Island' Among Award Winners". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  31. ↑ "2017 Film Guide" (PDF). Sarasota Film Festival. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 15, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  32. ↑ "Beach Rats". Seattle International Film Festival. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Competition". Stockholm International Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  34. ↑ De La Rosa, Casey; Alcorn, Spencer (November 29, 2016). "2017 Sundance Film Festival: Competition And Next Lineup Announced" (PDF). Sundance Film Festival (Press release). The Sundance Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  35. ↑ "'17 Sundance Film Festival: Award Winners". Sundance Film Festival . The Sundance Institute. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.