Trick (1999)

78% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
80% of users liked it
(6,365 ratings)

A shy musical comedy composer searches in vain for someplace to bed down with a sexy go-go dancer in this sweet-natured romantic comedy set in Manhattan. College student Gabriel (Christian Campbell) wants to compose musical comedies; Katherine (Tori Spelling), his muse and confidante, wants to star… More A shy musical comedy composer searches in vain for someplace to bed down with a sexy go-go dancer in this sweet-natured romantic comedy set in Manhattan. College student Gabriel (Christian Campbell) wants to compose musical comedies; Katherine (Tori Spelling), his muse and confidante, wants to star in his productions. In the meantime, she's rehearsing an all-female version of Salomé set in a women's prison while he drowns his sorrows about a negative review at a tony strip club. On the way home from the bar, Gabriel notices Mark (Jean Paul Pitoc), one of the dancers from the club, catnapping in the subway. One mumble-mouthed come-on later, the men attempt to consummate their attraction to one another at Gabriel's tiny apartment, only to find themselves frustrated by pets, roommates, and a visit from Katherine. The couple's attempt to find a suitable boudoir leads them from one location to another; along the way, they discover that their attraction might extend beyond a single afternoon's ardor. Trick marked the feature debut of director Jim Fall, a New York University alumnus who had previously lensed such gay-themed shorts as Shanghai, He Touched Me, and Love Is Deaf, Dumb and Blind. Fall and first-time screenwriter Jason Schafer spent more than three years reworking his original script while raising half a million dollars to finance the film, which appeared at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals in 1999. Much of the publicity over the film centered on the heterosexuality of its two male romantic leads; despite such mild controversy, Trick became a modest art-house hit. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Jim Fall
Written By: Jason Schafer
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 23, 1999 Limited
On DVD: Feb 8, 2000
Studio: Fine Line Features

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, Variety
A highlight of the 1999 Sundance Film Fest, Jim Fall's charming romantic comedy deviates from mnny gay-themed by not dealing with AIDS or other "serious" issues, instead centering on "simple" matters like dating and getting laid.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Sexual orientation is moot in first-time feature director Jim Fall's breezy, single-day-spanning romantic comedy.

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Featured Audience Ratings

_kelly .

Finally some queer cinema which bothers with jokes actually pertinent and relevant to actual gay culture. In the first seven minutes, we get to see perfect parodies of (about half of) the types of annoying guys you don't want bothering you at the club - the drugged out… More
Finally some queer cinema which bothers with jokes actually pertinent and relevant to actual gay culture. In the first seven minutes, we get to see perfect parodies of (about half of) the types of annoying guys you don't want bothering you at the club - the drugged out ex-stripper, the blunt troll, the slick-lookin guy who just wants a sleazy unsafe threeway. From there, the film derails into normal dramedy territory, occasionally surfacing to visit a piano bar, an all night New York diner, an audition room, a contested fuck space. I read this movie best described as a "fever dream piece". Our lead is a cute naive-lookin young Broadway writer who picks up a suave overconfident stripper on the subway and spends the whole night trying unsuccessfully to find a hookup space. It's got its moments of sweetness and genuine feeling, always rare for a romance comedy. It's almost too shocking how much Tori Spelling looks like Miss Coco Peru.
Sylvester K

This is like the best queer cinema gem without any sex, loved the quirky characters and music in the film. The film did not rely on hot actors or fabulous jokes. Just the simple and raw acting was used to bring about the meaning of finding true love. It's such a beautiful film, I… More
This is like the best queer cinema gem without any sex, loved the quirky characters and music in the film. The film did not rely on hot actors or fabulous jokes. Just the simple and raw acting was used to bring about the meaning of finding true love. It's such a beautiful film, I loved Christian Campbell and John Paul Pitoc. Tori Spelling was so cool, she played her bitchy character well. The film is so realistic, it's really engaging. One of those films that I would watch it over and over again.
Sunil J

Really liked it. Kinda crazy but in an awesome way.