Here’s a film you won’t find on The Fishing Channel any time soon. (Okay, maybe cable TV doesn’t have a Fishing Channel yet, but given the existence of the Golf Channel, can a fishing channel be far behind?)
It’s a beautiful morning on the lake as two buddies head out for a little fishing and relaxation. Things seem normal enough as they cast their lines and settle into a foul-mouthed litany of venting about wives and other such masculine rituals. When one of the buddies begins making awkwardly humorous, vaguely uncertain references about his sexual orientation, however, it shatters the soothing comfort of their friendship as much as if someone threw a rock into the glassy calm of the lake.
Director Adam Stevens has crafted a very funny film in “Beautiful.” Its twist comes as a totally unexpected surprise that’s handled as deftly as the dialogue and as sumptuous as the film’s sepia imbued cinematography. For all my fond memories of going fishing with my Dad and uncles, we never had a fishing trip quite like the one in “Beautiful.”
