Beautiful Thing ⁞⁞ Queer Classics

The 1996 UK romantic drama Beautiful Thing struck a chord with queer audiences all over the world with its quiet and tender plot, focused on the romance that develops between teen neighbors Jamie & Ste, living in a Southeast London housing development. Jamie (Glen Berry) lives with his single working-class mother Sandra (Linda Henry), while Ste (Scott Neal) resides with his physically abusive brother (Daniel Bowers) and father (Garry Cooper). When a violent incident causes Sandra to give Ste refuge, Jamie & Ste share a bedroom beginning what would become a life-changing relationship between the boys. Both young men come to terms with their sexuality, reckon with their familial relationships, and repel the turmoil of their generation. Jamie & Ste take comfort in their growing bond and begin to open their eyes to the queer world around them, while Sandra works to defend her son and keep both boys safe from the danger lurking just next door. As whispers in the community mount, Jamie & Ste are forced to make decisions about their future and how they want to live their lives.    

Queer Classic Film Facts: 

• The film won the 1997 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film (Limited Release).
  
• Writer Jonathan Harvey also penned the play that the film was based on. As a legendary queer writer, Harvey has also written episodes of the long-running soap opera Coronation Street for the past 20 years. The soap opera boasts several LGBTQ+ characters.
  
• This film was the directorial debut of Hettie Macdonald who would go on to direct episodes of popular UK series like Doctor Who, Fortitude, Poirot & Marple.
• Scott Neal & Glen Berry would both later appear on the popular police series The Bill, though they did not share any scenes together. 
• Scott Neal's character on The Bill, Luke Ashton, was also gay. He would be featured in the first gay kiss on that series.  
• In 2013, a 20th anniversary production of the Beautiful Thing stage play was filmed and released.
• The council housing estate where the movie was filmed was demolished in 2013 as part of a regeneration project. 
• The film's four lead actors, Linda Henry, Glen Berry, Scott Neal & Tameka Empson all appeared on the legendary UK soap opera EastEnders. 
• Ben Daniels, who plays Sandra's love interest Tony, recently appeared on the popular queer drama Interview with the Vampire, joining the series in its second season. 
• The film was finally released on Blu-ray in the UK in 2024.