Poster Boy (2004)

26% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
47% of users liked it
(1,417 ratings)

A conservative politician who believes he can count on his family for support discovers his son is not the man he thought he was in this drama. Jack Kray (Michael Lerner) is a United States senator from the South whose right-wing views have earned him the nickname "the Nazi from North Carolina."… More A conservative politician who believes he can count on his family for support discovers his son is not the man he thought he was in this drama. Jack Kray (Michael Lerner) is a United States senator from the South whose right-wing views have earned him the nickname "the Nazi from North Carolina." Jack is running for reelection and is looking for support wherever he can get it; told he needs to increase his appeal with younger voters, Jack tries to persuade his son Henry (Matt Newton), a college student, to make a few campaign stops with him. While Jack's wife (and Henry's mom), Eunice (Karen Allen), tries to convince her husband this isn't a good idea, Jack refuses to take no for an answer from Henry. But there's something Jack doesn't know about his son -- Henry is gay, and while he only shares this secret with a small handful of trusted friends and lovers, he can't bring himself to support his father's anti-gay "family values" platform. However, Henry's sexual preference may not stay a secret for long -- Henry has hooked up with Anthony (Jack Noseworthy), a student political activist who wants a long-term relationship with Henry and refuses to play coy about it, while some of Henry's other partners have come forward about his homosexuality. Poster Boy was originally announced as a project for director Herbert Ross, who died before the film went into production; Douglas Keeve took over as director, but resigned before shooting was completed, so editor Zac Tucker completed the movie and received sole screen credit. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Zak Tucker
Written By: Lecia Rosenthal, Ryan Shiraki
Genres: Drama, Television, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 11, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Nov 14, 2006
Studio: Regent Releasing

Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
A polemic masquerading as a movie, Poster Boy unspools like a humorless lecture on right-wing homophobia.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Although audiences will admire the film's do-it-yourself energy and commitment, Poster Boy finally collapses of its own contrived weight, deflating just when it should soar into madcap -- or at least thoughtful -- satire.
Janice Page, Boston Globe
An overwrought story of American politics and image-making that really only gets interesting in the final act.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
Some clunky writing and a distracting subplot limit the effectiveness of this ambitious low-budget indie.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Poster Boy is a muddled coming-out movie that, for no good reason, unfolds flashback style as Henry tells his story to a sleazy newspaper reporter.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Tucker's heart is in the right place. His work, however, isn't: Lectures belong in school, not in the movie theater.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
We all sat around in college having the sort of angry liberal rap sessions that this film painstakingly recreates. We don't have to relive them now.
Phil Hall, EDGE Boston
Offers an affirmation that conservatives are not ready to cast that proverbial first stone.
David Elliott, San Diego Union-Tribune
The people do not reduce to issues, but we know they will hit their issues marks reliably.
Peter Debruge, Miami Herald
While the movie's discussion points certainly rank on par with those political thrillers, there's not enough substance for the movie to succeed on its own merits, a point underscored by posters selling the movie on Newton's perfectly airbrushed chest.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The film touches on a number of hot-button issues, including homophobia, the ethics of outing, and the intersection of public and private lives, but it suffers from an excess of subplots.
Ernest Hardy, L.A. Weekly
The tale is unnecessarily fractured and becomes increasingly didactic as it collapses into a mess of shrill big-screen activism and smugly relayed leftist ideals.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Screenwriters Ryan Shiraki and Lecia Rosenthal exploit red state/blue state tensions, scripting an act-up soap opera that unintelligently panders to pro-gay sentiment.
Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Aside from topicality and good intentions, the film is reasonably engaging and well acted. But it's also more than a little bit overwrought.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Thomas J

This movie tries too hard to be "artsy" and the story gets lost in that process. It is really good compared to most gay movies. Several characters are just almost unbearable!
Sanjaya &

It's accidentally I saw this movie... I just want to saw more movies about political, an one of my friends told me this movie was good.. But now I want to tell it to my friend : What an unworthy movie!!!
Sarah P

Not a well-made film. The concept was good and could have been developed a lot more. I felt like the characters were talking at each other, not to.

Cast

Matt Newton
as Henry Kray
Karen Allen
as Eunice Kray
Michael Lerner
as Jack Kray

Jack Noseworthy
as Anthony
Valerie Geffner
as Izzie
Ian Reed Kesler
as Skip Franklin

See full cast

Poster Boy (2004)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Thomas J

Sanjaya &

Sarah P

Cast

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