April's Shower

I was a bit put off in the first few minutes by the arriving cast of characters as they pretty much cover the entire spectrum of gay and ethnic stereotypes: the classic nelly fag best friend, the earth-mother lesbian, the type-A therapist, the hunky delivery boy, the straight best friend, a butch/femme lesbian couple with monogamy issues...the list of clichés goes on.

But I was eventually won over by the clever storytelling and decidedly queer bent to the stereotypes (which spare no one) and the lively characters parading in through the front door. As the house begins to fill up with various friends, relatives, and impromptu gate-crashers, the wine begins to flow and the shower gets into full swing.

Eventually, the free flow of food and wine loosens up the guests and begins to illuminate the cause of Alex's ultra-neurotic behavior surrounding her desire to give April the "perfect" shower. Stories and anecdotes told by those "who knew the bride when" begin to show the complex nature of April and Alex's history, and an alcohol-fueled slip of the tongue finally reveals the true intimate nature of their past relationship--a relationship that was doomed to fail because April didn't have the courage to be herself and left Alex after five years to seek the relative safety and security of a heterosexual relationship.

April's sudden public outing sends the party into utter chaos, opens a rift in the relationship with her mother, and causes many of the guests to re-examine their own histories and relationships. The themes of trust, honesty, and commitment run through the film embodied in the various interactions and crazy antics of friends and strangers alike.

April's Shower is a modern romantic comedy in the classic sense, a good old-fashioned relationship romp, but with a decidedly queer outcome. You'll just have to see for yourself what happens when things don't go exactly as planned.