![]() ![]() University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, theater.As Adam, Ellen's platonic friend and roommate, Gross added a much needed male perspective to the mostly female forum.īorn: on 03/17/60 in Los Angeles, California While primarily a film and stage actor, Gross is best known for his work on the hit sitcom "Ellen" (ABC, 1994-95) entitled "These Friends of Mine" during its first season. Other features followed including "Tequila Sunrise" (1988), playing Mel Gibson's informant cousin, "Coup De Ville" (1990), as the middle brother and "A Midnight Clear" (1992), as the Jewish soldier. This turned out to be the defining role for Gross-the funny sidekick. ![]() Thomas Howell's roommate in the lackluster social satire "Soul Man" (1986). Gross made his feature debut in the "grade Z" actioner "Exterminator 2" (1984) and garnered some attention as C. Gross got his start in West Coast stage productions ranging from classics ("The Three Sisters" and "Much Ado About Nothing") to contemporary works ("Room Service" and "Le Bete"). Stocky, unconventionally handsome supporting player and occasional lead of stage, TV and features. And Eric Schweig is quite impressive in a surprisingly complex role. That said, if you can deal with a couple of scenes of men kissing each other (let's face it, the gay audience would have a fit of Bezucha kept his leading men's lips apart), you'll have a fine, if forgettable, time with this indie trifle. Joseph Conlan contributes a decent score, though we really don't need to hear a "mystical Indian tune" whenever Pike appears onscreen. ![]() Also, while you can't go wrong with that breathtaking Montana scenery, Rob Sweeney's cinematography is mostly by-the-books. Writer/director Bezucha makes the standard indie mistake of populating his film with wonderful supporting characters (the film's joke is that everybody in this redneck cowboy town is completely aware - and supportive - of Henry and Pike's homosexuality, even while the two men desperately try to keep it hidden) while making his lead yet another dullard whom everybody apparently loves to death even though his personality registers as a big zero with the audience. Meanwhile, Pike (Eric Schweig), a surly Native American who runs the local general store, finds himself attracted to Henry, but, unable to come to terms with his feelings (or, like Henry and Dean, his homosexuality), shows his affection for Henry by secretly cooking gourmet dishes that he is nominally delivering to the Hart household as offerings from the dodgy kitchen of the town spinster. Henry is torn up when macho Dean, the object of his teenage infatuations, also shows up in town and wants to pal around like old times. After 20 years away, Henry Hart (Arye Gross), a neurotic New York painter, is called back to his childhood home in order to take care of his ailing grandfather. Big Eden is the name of a small down in what seems to be the most beautiful (and most liberal-minded) corner of Montana. And I wound up half-heartedly enjoying myself. I was a little apprehensive about sitting through a gay romantic comedy, but I had a free evening, so I thought, what the hell. ![]() I thought I was going to a free screening of Moulin Rouge, and got stuck watching Big Eden instead. With her deep-throated voice and her animated expressions, she stands out as a unique, and thoroughly entertaining, actress. One of the best things about "Big Eden" is the inclusion of Nan Martin as an elderly gadabout. And, I like the Tex-Mex music, though to someone like me who lives in Texas, the music seems a little out of place. Overall, "Big Eden" is a well-made movie with good production design, adroit cinematography (that captures a beautiful landscape), and fine acting. On the other hand, some of the relationships between characters are not obvious, which renders a slightly muddled story. More idealistic than realistic, the film's underlying contemporary message is a welcome change from the usual Hollywood gloom and doom theme. (I don't recall a film in which there was so much food). People spend a lot of time cooking and eating. It's more of a character study that focuses on the lives of warm-hearted, ordinary people who are caring and sensitive. This is not a film for viewers looking for lots of fast paced action and excitement. The artist gets reacquainted with people from his past, including an old high school friend. An artist living in NYC returns home to Big Eden, a rural area of Montana, to care for his ailing grandfather. ![]()
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