A Night at LIGLFF: The 10 Year Plan

During the Q&A after Friday night's viewing of his film, The 10 Year Plan, writer/director/producer J.C. Calciano was asked if the two main characters in the movie were based on real people.  He said that they were indeed based on two friends from his real life, only they didn't have quite the same happy ending as Miles and Brody in the film.

A follow up question by another moviegoer asked Calciano why he decided to give the two main characters that happy ending and not the real life ending that his two friends were met with.  The director responded that he thought that in the movies oftentimes you need happy endings.  Isn't that what movies are for?  Maybe.  At least they are for some.

Throughout history, films have provided us with a means of escape from the realities of life and they've often brought to mind the pleasant notion of happily ever after.  Plenty of people go to the movies for precisely that reason, and if you're one of those types of people, then this is a movie for you.

Romantic comedies are the most common place for happy endings in film, and they're among the most popular types of movies, as well.  Though gay romantic comedies have only been around for the past 25 years or so, they now feel as mainstream as any other romantic comedy and Calciano's The 10 Year Plan definitely has a mainstream feel to it.  

The Premise

Miles and Brody are the best of friends, though their personalities are completely opposite.  Miles, a handsome, reserved lawyer, is the hopeless romantic sort who wants nothing more out of life than someone to love and take care of.  Brody, on the other hand, is a Grindr-loving playboy cop who simply enjoys all the fruits, and men, his life has provided for him.

One night, after being ditched by yet another potential partner during a romantic dinner for two, Brody comes to his buddy's rescue with a special gift and a loving ear.  During the consoling session, Miles suggests they make a pact that if neither one of them finds a love in the next ten years, they'd become a couple.  He quickly draws up a contract and they both sign their pact.

Flash forward to about nine years and ten months later and we find the boys in familiar situations, Miles doting overbearingly over another potential soul mate and Brody hooking up with a Grindr hottie, and just as before it's Brody to the rescue as some damage control is needed once again to soothe his friend's hurt feelings.

What happens from there on will be left to your imagination as the two and their circle of friends navigate their way through setups and love triangles, arguments and more hookups, go-go boys and even a few laughs along the way.

The 10 Year Plan

All in all, I enjoyed The 10 Year Plan.  It had all of the things that a romantic comedy should have, including characters with whom you really get to know and like and with a story-line that'll have you leaving the theater with a smile on your face.  It's not serious, and it's not exactly the kind of reality we necessarily live in, but it's not supposed to be.  So if you find yourself looking for a nice, light-hearted  gay romantic comedy, look for The 10 Year Plan on DVD coming this February or check it out at a local film festival.

LIGLFF

I had mentioned in a post on Friday that the director of the film, J.C. Calciano, had personally invited me to the screening at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, which was held on opening night of the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and I want to thank him publicly for the invite.  The entire evening, from the cocktail reception beforehand to the film and the Q&A afterwards, was thoroughly enjoyable, and between the few moments I spoke with J.C. and watching him speak and interact with his guests, I can attest that he is not only a talent, but a genuinely nice guy who is well-loved by everyone in his life.  So thank you again J.C. and I will definitely be checking out some of your other films.

For more on J.C.'s movies, check out Cinema 175...