The Trip

By Todd Camp
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

The North Texas premiere of Miles Swain's engaging, decade-spanning gay romance The Trip attracted a sizable, dedicated crowd of attendees to downtown Fort Worth's AMC Palace 9.

Sponsored by the Redline Project, a non-profit organization committed to raising funds for AIDS/HIV services organizations, in association with Q Cinema, Fort Worth's Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival, the screening preceded the film's sold-out opening night premiere at Dallas' Out Takes film festival.

Director Swain was in attendance and addressed the crowd before the screening, sticking around after the movie to greet well-wishers at a post-screening reception as the Chop House.

Swain's feature film debut is an impressive romp starting off in early '70s Los Angeles where 24-year-old, button-down republican Alan (Larry Sullivan) strikes up an unusual friendship with an outspoken 19-year-old gay rights activist named Tommy (Steve Braun).

It's unusual in that Alan is completely ignorant of his growing feelings for Tommy, something the boy has no problem picking up on. Under the guize of "interviewing'' Tommy for a proposed non-fiction account on homosexuality, the two eventually become lovers and Alan's one-sided skewering of the gay movement is put on the backburner as he embraces his own homosexuality.

The arrival of a new wave of vitrol aimed at gays, right about the time of Anita Bryant's vicious "Save Our Children'' campaign, prompts new interest in Alan's book, which is published annonymously against his will. When he's subsequently ``outed'' as the author, Alan's relationship with Tommy dissolves.

Seven years later, Tommy's sick and Alan agrees to drive him from Mexico to Texas in what will be their last trip -- an adventure-filled journey that will become the story of a lifetime.

Despite the film's somewhat disjointed nature -- it morphs from period drama in the first half to road movie in the second -- Swain does an admirable job of keeping the pace lively and pulling strong performances from his male leads. Sullivan and Braun carry the film well, buoyed by supporting performances from a number of familiar faces including Alexis Arquette, Julie Brown, David Mixner, Jill St. John and character actor Ray Baker.

The Trip is a captivating and emotional journey that is well worth taking.