The film adaptation of Matthew Rettenmund's critically-acclaimed novel Boy Culture—first mentioned on these pages in September 2005—opens in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco today.
Q. Allan Brocka directs an ensemble cast that includes current Advocate cover-boy Derek Magyar, Jonathon Trent and Darryl Stephens, the Noah's Arc alum and gay indie prod "it" boy of the moment. Most interesting about Darryl's star turn as Andrew: In the novelization, his character is white. Author Matthew Rettenmund frankly discusses the none-too-subtle changes during an interview with Darryl:
Darryl Stephens is not who I had in mind when I wrote about a sexually confused, all-American jockboy named Andrew, the kind of guy who could win a jaded hustler’s heart while being a walking contradiction. When he was first cast in Boy Culture, I wasn’t happy—I was afraid that changing something as crucial as the character’s race meant he would never fit into my original story, which was so focused on what’s wrong and what’s right with white gay culture. What was director Allan Brocka thinking?
Turns out he was thinking big, bigger than my already grandiose plan to comment on all the other white gay boys out there, on love and on the prerequisites for a meaningful relationship. Allan wanted to comment on all those things without limiting himself to white people. I guess in my liberal zeal to lovingly criticize the status quo, I had neglected to include a large portion of the gay community in my loving critique.
Darryl says his performance as Andrew can be a composite for black gay men in general:
Andrew also feels a bit out of place. It wasn't something I was acutely aware of, but I think Andrew—as I saw him—was a bit self-conscious about his new life in Seattle with all these white boys. He came from a very black suburb, and while I don't think he was necessarily uncomfortable, I think he felt like more of an observer, that he was kind of feeling his way around this new white gay world. It wasn't even conscious. I just think that he played a little stand-offish because I couldn't see this Andrew assimilating quite as easily as the corn-fed white boy in the book.
The Andrew in the book would have been very aware of his effect on gay white men, where the Andrew in the film was still sitting back, observing and figuring out how to navigate through all of that. With that, I think he comes off quiet and sort of distant.
Darryl Stephens also weighs in on the cancellation of Noah's Arc. The actor is not surprised the show and its demise was not reported more in gay media, which he says "largely ignored" the series. "I'm not sure if that's because the show is kind of fluffy—and doesn't have the hardcore sex of Queer As Folk—or if it's because the whole cast is black and they don't see 'gay people' as being interested in black people. It's been interesting. Many of the fans that I hear from are straight black women. So I would almost expect to be hearing more from Essence about the show than from Instinct."
Speaking of ... Instinct recently reviewed Boy Culture in a splashy photo editorial. Four stars out of five. As David Mamet wrote in Glengarry Glen Ross, "Maybe it means something. Maybe it doesn't."
Check HERE for Boy Culture screenings.
Toward The Spotlight: An Interview With Boy Culture's Darryl Stephens [Boy Culture]
You May Have Missed ...
A Conversation with Darryl Stephens [R20]
Darryl's "Boy Culture" [R20]
Noah's Arc Has Sailed [R20]
What Does the Future Hold for Noah's Arc? [AE]
Have Black Gay Roles Gone Beyond the "Sassy Sidekick"? [R20]
Patrik-Ian Polk in "Genre" [R20]
A Very Beautiful Darryl Stephens [R20]
A Tale of Two Boys [R20]
A New Look? [R20]
Much more in the Noah's Arc index
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