I’ve often cited 1995’s Jeffrey as the first gay romcom. Queer men have long been comic figures on film, but Jeffrey fit the classic “boy meets boy” template. This weekend Letterboxd steered me towards Summer Kiss; an obscure short film that aired on Connecticut Public Television in 1987.
Isaac, a socially awkward college student, spends the summer with his family in Provincetown. He runs into Beauford, his high school crush. A tentative romance begins. But Isaac will have to overcome his internalized homophobia before he can commit. The style is a mix of mumblecore and farce. It’s amateurish but full of heart.
Let’s have a look in this spoiler filled recap.
Summer Loving. Had Me a Blast
Scene One: A Ferry
ISAAC (Neurotic): Boy, I wish I wasn’t spending the summer with my parents in Provincetown. Uh-oh, who’s that? Beauford Teasdale from high school. I hate his stupid name and his winning smile and his muscular thighs. What a loser.
BEAUFORD (Extrovert): Isaac? Who are you talking to?
ISAAC: Nobody. It’s my inner monologue.
BEAUFORD: We should hang out. What’s your number?
ISAAC: Number? I don’t know my number. I don’t call myself. Gotta run. (Flees.)
Scene Two: Provincetown
ISAAC: Why did I do that? I need to see him again.
(Isaac stalks Beauford. He finds him moping on a pier.)
ISAAC: Beauford? You look sad. Are you okay?
(Beauford takes Isaac’s arms and stares at him intensely.)
BEAUFORD: Thanks for asking. (Leaves.)
ISAAC: Where’d he go? I’d better call every Teasdale in the phone book till I find him. And then wait by the highway with a huge sign for him to drive past.
BEAUFORD: Isaac this is ridiculous. What do you want?
ISAAC: NOTHING! I DON’T KNOW! DON’T LOOK AT ME! (Flees.)
Scene Three: Vacation Home
ISAAC: I’m in love with him. Why is that so scary?
(Beauford climbs through Isaac’s window.)
BEAUFORD: I promise this is romantic and not creepy. Let’s go on a date.
ISAAC: A friendship date.
Scene Four: The Beach
(Friendship date montage. They get drunk and swim fully clothed.)
BEAUFORD: I’m gay.
ISAAC: Me too. My parents know. We don’t talk about it.
BEAUFORD: I want to hold you.
ISAAC: I’m scared of physical touch.
BEAUFORD: Some guys don’t get the choice. I volunteer for an AIDS Buddy Program. I visit men who are dying. I try to help but I can’t save them.
ISAAC: Well, it’s a little emotionally manipulative to mention that now but… I love you too.
(They kiss.)
Scene Five: The Pier
ISAAC: I’m off to college. Will I see you at Thanksgiving?
BEAUFORD: I live an hour away. You’ll see me next weekend.
(Isaac smiles.)
THE END
Oh, Those Summer Nights
I think you gotta be a little sadistic to name your kid Beauford.
Life is too short, too precious, to bullshit with anybody. Especially yourself.
Isaac doesn’t realize that Provincetown hosted a large gay population by 1987. He and Beauford are the only characters in the film, except Isaac’s parents. Summer Kiss runs only 48 minutes. If the film had a wider distribution in 1987, it would have broken boundaries. The AIDS Buddy program appeared in the 1985 film Buddies but that had only screened at art house cinemas. The Real World in 1994 and Dawson’s Creek in 2000 have both been credited with the first romantic male kisses on U.S. television. The kisses here are chaste but central to the plot.
Summer Kiss is clumsy but worth a watch. Hidden gems like this make me grateful for the internet.
You can read more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.