“THE TWO OF US”–better late than never

 

“The Two of Us”

Better Late than Never

Amos Lassen

Finally out on DVD is “The Two of Us”, one of the most controversial film ever screened on British TV. It was well worth the wait. “The Two of Us” is the story of two school boys from Brighton Beach who fall in love and then openly confess their feelings for each other. When it was produced two versions were made of the film—one gay and one straight. Both deal with young love and its ramifications. Considering it was made in 1987, it is quite graphic and has a gay kiss—something rarely seen at that time.

The movie is beautiful in its sensitivity. The two boys are young and innocent and good looking. Matthew is a recent graduate and Phil, his best friend is a bubbly senior. Phil knows he has strong feelings for Matthew but he also has feelings for his girlfriend. He is taunted at school and both boys are harassed and tormented by families, friends and authorities. The two finally defiantly proclaim their love but Phil’s indecision as well as his bisexual bent cause indecision and their relationship takes a while to develop. But develop it does and the two young men  give us an uplifting look at love and romance and a glimpse into the world of young men we rarely get to see.

This is far from the movie it could have been but we have been tempered by what we see on the screen today. After “Queer as Folk” almost everything else looks mild but “The Two of Us” is to be applauded for what it does portray. Above all it shows us to remain true to oneself.

Jason Rush and Lee Whitlock are perfect as the boys. Not only are they convincing as actors it is easy to see how they fell in love. As a piece of our past this is a film that must be seen and to see it is to understand how little movies like this pave the way for what we have today.