A gawky teen pursues the angsty director of his terrible high school musical. Lead actor Jeremy Hollingworth gives a droll, deadpan performance. Julie Kavner (aka the voice of Marge Simpson) is allowed more nuance as the boys’ savvy mother. Story of a Bad Boy was written and directed by playwright Tom Donaghy. The tone veers between vulgar and bittersweet. He stuffs so many ideas into the 85-minute film that there’s no time to develop them. That suits the protagonist’s endless hunger for experience. Not everything works but I was never bored.
Let’s have a look in this spoiler filled recap
Act One: Trying New Things
Scene One: New Jersey, 1982
MOM (Marge Simpson): Why do you want to go to Catholic School?
PAULY (17 and horny): No reason. (Watches a teen altar boy change.)
MOM: Why do you have to transfer back to Public School?
PAULY: No reason. (Kisses a nun and gets kicked out.)
MOM: Why did you quit sports to conduct the marching band?
PAULY: No reason. (Makes out with a girl in marching band.)
MOM: Why are you auditioning for the school musical?
PAULY: None of your goddamn business. (Gazes lustfully at Noel, the 20-year-old theatre director.)
MOM: Pauly what is it you want?
PAULY: I want… everything!
Act Two: Hot for Teacher
Scene Two: After play rehearsal
NOEL (an angsty college sophomore.): I have written a musical adaptation of The Scarlett Letter.
PAULY: I understand your vision like no one else. Let me show you my set design. Is that a pool?
NOEL: Whoa. You don’t have to swim naked.
PAULY: My bathing suit’s too big. Come join me.
NOEL: I really like girls but… (They kiss. Fade to black.)
Scene Three: School auditorium
(The Scarlett Letter opens. It’s terrible. Most of the audience walks out.)
NOEL: They didn’t understand it.
PAULY: Screw them. What do they know?
NOEL: I want my ring back. What did you do with it?
PAULY: Have you seen Pulp Fiction?
NOEL: Gross. I can’t sleep with a teenage boy anymore. (Drives off with a teenage girl.)
Act Three: Breaking Free
Scene Four: Coming Out
NOEL’s EX-BOYFRIENDS: Welcome to the club.
PAULY: Show me how to be gay.
(Montage: The ex-boyfriends give Pauly a makeover, take him clubbing, do cocaine then have an orgy.)
PAULY: I love this. But I hate this. But I love this. But I hate this. (Passes out. Wakes up in a hospital.)
Scene Five: Graduation
MOM: That boy was just a one-off, right? I want grandchildren.
PAULY: I plead the fifth.
MOM: Your grandfather has invited you to a resort in the Poconos. Here’s money and a bus ticket.
PAULY: Thanks.
(Pauly lets the bus to the Poconos pass by. He hops on a bus to New York.)
THE END
Bad to the Bone
I don’t wanna miss anything ever. There’s so much. I want everything. All at once, I don’t care.
Story of a Bad Boy
The opening act suggests a vulgar farce in the vein of John Waters. There are giant erections, sloppy jerk off sessions and even a fourth wall breaking grin at the audience. The second act is calmer but finds room for proctology jokes and campy musical numbers. At times Story of a Bad Boy can feel like an inspiration for raunchy works like Another Gay Movie.
Pauly is a quiet lad. His motivations can seem mysterious, even to himself. Where has this sheltered boy found his sexual confidence? Does he consider himself gay? Bi? Does he have a genuine interest in theater or was it just to attract his crush? What does he plan to do in New York? He won’t tell his mother… or the audience. He tries opening up to Noel. But Noel is too narcissistic to listen.
Pauly is surrounded by teens who are as weird as he is. We skip the standard jock, nerd and cheerleader archetypes of teen films. Instead, we get a mix of neurotic artists, anxious people pleasers and cynical philosophers. Many want to be Pauly’s friend (or more.) But he becomes too hyper-focused on Noel to notice them. By the time the relationship ends, high school has as well. He must seek a community elsewhere.
Story of a Bad Boy was relegated to LGBT film festivals in 1999. You can now find it on services like TUBI. It’s a swift watch and an interesting contrast to today’s queer teen fare.
You can find more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.