Laikals
The greatest movie ever made..!
Chirphymium
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
Gideon24
1996's It's My Party is a smart, funny, and emotionally charged film that combines hot button issues with flawed, but richly drawn characters and had me riveted to the screen as well as fighting tears.This is the story of Nick (Eric Roberts), an architectural designer who is in a committed relationship with a film director named Brandon (Gregory Harrison), a relationship that ends shortly after Nick learns he has AIDS. A year later, Nick learns he has contracted an AIDS-related disease that will soon be turning him into a vegetable and not wanting to live that way, decides to commit suicide by swallowing a bottle of pills and having a huge party the night before to say goodbye to his friends and family.This film sucked me in right from the beginning by establishing that this was first and foremost a love story...the relationship between Nick and Brandon rings true from the beginning and we are so happy when Brandon drops everything to be at the party when he learns about it, despite the initial tension his arrival causes, tension you can cut with a knife.Director and writer Randal Kleiser, who also directed Grease and The Blue Lagoon almost effortlessly ties together the tension of this situation with the bitchy gay sensibilities that would always be prevalent with these kind of characters, evidenced in the constant movie quotes offered by several characters, not to mention the handful guests at the party who are inevitably going to make what's going on all about them. Yes, there are laughs to be found here, but some of them are very nervous ones. The scenes surrounding Brandon's initial arrival at the party and the scenes near the ends where Nick poses for final pictures with his family and friends perfectly display this fusion of humor and tension.Eric Roberts delivers a rich and layered performance as Nick and Harrison gives the performance of his career as Brandon, but what's more important here is the relationship that the two actors create on screen...it's completely believable and has us rooting for them from the beginning. It's why we want to cheer when it is revealed that Brandon broke up with the guy he left Nick for and came to the party because he wants him back.Kleiser has assembled a superb ensemble cast behind the leads that delivers the goods, especially Bronson Pinchot as a fast talking agent, Margaret Cho as Nick's favorite "hag", Marlee Maitlin as Nick's sister, Paul Regina as Nick's new lover, and especially Lee Grant, in an Oscar- worthy performance as Nick's mother, who walks the delicate line between blaming herself for what's happening to Nick and making it all about her.Yes, it does play like a photographed stage play, but a really good one and though not for all tastes, a very special experience for those who are game, and yes, I did shed a few tears along the way.
Irishchatter
Christ how will I explain this in words, it was just so heartbreaking to think that Nick organised a two day party just to say goodbye to his friends and family because of the fact he was dying of AIDS. It would really make you feel so sad and think that he was so brave once you get into this movie. I felt so mad to think that Brandon left Nick to die slowly, just because of a small argument. I mean of course if my partner had Aids, I certainly would not cope but I would support them as best I can. However Brandon ran off and not talking about this with Nick at all. No wonder, Nick's family was so peed off. I swear, I felt like shouting to Brandon!Anyway on the positive side, the good parts of this film were:*Margaret Cho and Olivia Newton-John: I was so excited to see these legends on this movie!Both looked stunning so they did!*Monty- guys, you better watch out for this guy cause he is hilarious! I think Bronson Pinchot was great at acting Monty, he really came out with stuff that would just make you laugh! I have to say, Randal Kleiser, you are a genius for writing this film!
Pepper Anne
I borrowed 'It's My Party' from the library this weekend; a coincidentally timely moment to see this film as this weekend marked milestones in the discovery of AIDs, with MSN's homepage having stories this week on both the 25 years of AIDs in America as well as the struggles in Africa with the disease.This is a particularly sad film (although which one isn't?) about Nick Stark (Eric Roberts), a young West Coast architect who was diagnosed with HIV some time ago and learns from his doctor that he has reached a particularly debilitating stage of the disease known as PML. Not wanting to live life in any sort of semi-conscious state, he decides to commit suicide in a rather dignified way before the stages of disease advance any further. The Party, in the title of this film, refers to the sort of substitution of a funeral for a party, one in which Nick, his friends, and family will gather around to enjoy the last few good times they might have together. He wants no sorrow and no tears and certainly no funeral or wake. This is how he wants to say goodbye.Nick will be among many of his friends to have died from the disease, although this film relegates the disease solely to that of homosexual men, which I would caution in Hollywood because of the misconceptions that is a disease that only affects gay men. But nonetheless, this is the story of a gay man who has seen many of his friends die to the disease. The particularly sad thing is that you share among the assorted celebration (although not all of it is a particularly joyous occasion obviously because people are aware of Nick's plan to end his life) and in the end, the viewer may be fooled by their Hollywood conditioned expectations that somehow Nick will live in the end and everything will be okay.This is one film with a particularly familiar and good cast which join together in sort of an awareness project that reminds me of the Laramie Project made some time later. This, at least according to the trivia, is based on actual events that occurred in the early 90s.
bbradley39216
I am a gay male, age 42, who in my years of being openly gay, since 18, have lost scores of friends to AIDS. This is probably to me one of the best representations of a person holding on to their dignity until the end. And when it comes down to it, that's all one has in the end, their dignity. Watching someone you love more than life itself slip away from you and grow old before your eyes is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. Eric Robert's character has obviously celebrated his life to the fullest and now he is celebrating the ending of it in a manner which to me is sincere, humorous, and given to appreciate those around him who have made his life special. This is one of his best performances I've seen and I am someone who enjoys his movies. Maybe because this is a departure from his usual roles is what makes it good. He's very gracious in this role.
