ANGORA RANCH is a sweet, heartfelt, movie about love that transcends age, stereotypes and meddlesome family. While driving to a business meeting young and handsome Justin runs off the road to avoid a rabbit. Lucky for him ... more »he has ditched as Angora Ranch, a farm owned by hunk Jack, a man almost twice Justin's age. Just and Jack feel the heat between them immediately, while the issue of their difference in age slowly melts away they face another problem: each of their meddling fathers. Jack's dad is nosy, pushy and waiting for Jack to settle down. Justin's father is all business and never thinks his son will amount to anything. Justin and Jack slowly discover that each is what the other has been searching for all their lives, if only they can figure out what to do about their fathers.« less
Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 12/21/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Angora Ranch" is a sweetly low-key romantic movie that has lots of animals in it. There are rabbits, goats, horses and chickens (and the cat that managed to sneak into the dinner scene). But the romance is between two men who must overcome a different kind of animal: the paternal kind. Justin (Thomas Romano) is a 20-something cutie working for his father's advertising agency, a self-absorbed manipulator whom Justin can never satisfy. (And Daddy has a few secrets on the side.) Jack (Paul Bright, "Angora Ranch's" writer and director) is a gay widower who has a live-in father, Peter (Tim Jones, the movie's co-writer), that is trying to push "his gay son Jackson" into a relationship before he slips into total senility. A chance accident and a little of Peter's meddling drops Benny the Bunny squarely into the stew and a May/September romance begins in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.
While the movie is certainly not a slick affair (in the extras, Bright and Jones joke about how their budget was in "the thousands"), it does do several things the creators promise:
No tragic gay man dies of AIDS.
No screaming queen is running around disrupting things.
No men are just straight-acting guys claiming they're gay.
And most importantly - All gay male characters are actually played by gay men.
The acting is not going to get any Academy Award nominations, but that isn't why you're going to enjoy this. "Angora Ranch" is a delight for the many things it isn't. Non-hyperactive, not bitter or angry, not political (other than the general wink at gay marriage) and not aimed at the tweaker circuit coming-out crowd. This is the kind of movie I am comfortable showing to friends with dinner, and, I am going to project, feel comfortable with repeat viewings.
And it's worth it just to see a rabbit yawn.
(For those of you who only buy "gay movies" based on skin content, Justin appears naked from the back and the two leads have a love scene from the waist up.)"
Charming & HOT love story
Kris Johnson | Texas | 09/15/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Got a chance to see this fun movie in Austin - I guess it was filmed in a small TX town nearby. The story is very mature, and I thought it was a fresh take on gay relationships. It is also very funny! One of my only criticisms is that the production budget seemed very low - maybe that's why the scenes sometimes look stiff and the acting feels a bit staged. Despite those flaws, I really had a great time watching this movie. Oh, and the young actor playing the lead is gorgeous - with a beautiful body and totally adorable smile!"
Sweet story, but Benny was the best actor ... and he's a rab
Bob Lind | Phoenix, AZ United States | 12/03/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Justin is a gay man in his early 20's, working for his overbearing father's ad agency in Austin TX. On a trip to a rural area to meet with a client, his car gets stuck right in front of the "Angora Ranch" (2006), a rabbit ranch run by Jack and his father Peter. Although almost twice his age, Jack senses a mutual attraction with Justin, so Peter and the town's lady mechanic plot to get Justin to stay the night to give them a chance. Justin is too nervous about how his father will react to his having to postpone the meeting, and heads out to his meeting first thing in the morning, only to return when a stowaway bunny proves to be the key to the ad campaign. With the pressure off, Justin and Jack do hit it off nicely, until Justin's father makes an unexpected visit to rant about their age difference and "lifestyle", but loses his thunder when a secret from his own youth comes out.
The photography and production values are surprisingly good for a bare bones indie film shot directly on video. However, I didn't have to check the IMDB credits to know the cast was inexperienced, as EVERY actor in the film came off like a night of amateur theatre tryouts, with horrible overacting, emoting as if each line was Shakespeare, and sometimes even looking at the camera instead of the character they are speaking with. Thomas Romano as Justin was cute, but didn't really fit his character, and it is amazing that not ONE of the main characters in rural Texas had any trace of an accent. The screenplay (by director Paul Bright, who also played Jack) is sweet and charming, but more than a bit overdone and contrived. (However, it could have been worse; the extras divulge that the original concept was for this to be a MUSICAL!) DVD has "making of" featurette and some candid shots. Rate it 3 stars out of 5."
Refreshing
Thomas E. Manes | Texas | 01/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A refreshing, different, cute, and feel-good film. I admire the creators for having the guts to do something so original and with apparently a modest budget. I grow tired of typical Hollywood films that follow a standard formula and try to blast us out of complacency and boredom just so we notice that we exist.
It reminds me more of European films than those usually produced in the U.S. It's quirky, has depth, doesn't try to be something it isn't, and works well within the boundaries of the plot and circumstances. And the plot wasn't so predictable that I knew how it was going to work out in the end.
For those of us who are gay, it's obvious that the characters are (although I wasn't sure about the women characters), and that makes it even more of a treasure. It was believable.
...Tom"
Wonderful for those who believe Love is possible!
Thomas E. Manes | Hill Country Texas | 01/06/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was typing a review & lost the window, so I hope this isn't a repeat, but I'm starting over on writing this . . .
I'm sorry to see the poor reviews by some on this site, whose cynical, jaded views say more about their own attitudes than they do about the film.
Among the considerable charms of this independent film are it's personal, somewhat "home-made" qualities, the excellent script & total sincerity of the entire enterprise. It's such a refreshing departure from standard Hollywood fare & from those "independent" films struggling to emulate such formulas. I love the personal touch of ANGORA RANCH, it's considerable humor & eccentricity.
Indeed, if you're open to the possibility that Love (yes, CAPPED!) exists, & that special people sometimes find one another among the teeming billions of this planet, you may find this film a treat. In fact, the virtues of this film seem to owe a lot to the director/actor Paul Bright, who also wrote the thoughtful & intelligent script. He's clearly a man of many talents & a film maker to watch.
This film is a labor of love & anyone with an open mind & open heart, regardless of your sexual orientation, will find this more than worth your while. In fact, I consider the DVD an excellent investment & suggest you recommend it to others to support & encourage this kind of creativity & the message.
What is the message? To me, it affirms the serendipity, the unexpected, quirky ways life may unfold, that Love can happen when you're least expecting it from something as seeminly unrelated as putting on the brakes to avoid running over a bunny. If anyone doesn't get it, that Love is what life is all about, too bad!
Though some gay viewers may be drawn to the cute young blond protagonist, for me it was Paul Bright's older character, the "gay son Jackson" that shone & dazzled me. In fact, to me he's an incredibly hot, engaging man. All of the characters have dimension & nuance. This is an alternative gem & & hope it becomes a quiet hit.
Especially fine is the performance of Tim Jones as Peter, the father of Jack. ANGORA RANCH will appeal to a range of folks of many kinds who have not given up on Love. The universe is full of possibilities. It IS possibilities! I'm really glad I own this DVD.