''Straight-Jacket'' is a 2004

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written and

directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

by Richard Day, based on his play. Done as a pastiche of the

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

- Doris Day

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

films, ''Straight-Jacket'' tells the story of Guy Stone, a closeted gay actor in the 1950s who is modeled on Hudson.

Plot

Guy Stone (

Matt Letscher Matthew Letscher is an American actor, director and playwright, known for his roles as Captain Harrison Love in the 1998 American swashbuckler film ''The Mask of Zorro'' and as Colonel Adelbert Ames in the 2003 American film '' Gods and General ...

) is blissfully closeted, picking up tricks for one-night-stands, while capturing the country's heart as "America's most eligible bachelor" (starring in such films as ''The Love Barrel'' and ''I Married the Ghost''). However, Guy's carefully managed façade collapses when he comes up for the lead in S.R.O. studio's version of '' Ben-Hur''. Things turn sour for the film idol when a fellow actor, Freddie Stevens (

Jack Plotnick Jack Stuart Plotnick (born October 30, 1968) is an American film and television actor, writer, and producer. Career Plotnick is possibly best known for his role as Edmund Kay in the 1998 period drama '' Gods and Monsters'', which won an Ac ...

) (famous in the film for portraying "Captain Astro" in a succession of

Buck Rogers Buck Rogers is a science fiction adventure hero and feature comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan first appearing in daily US newspapers on January 7, 1929, and subsequently appearing in Sunday newspapers, international newspapers, books ...

or Flash Gordon-type serial films), decides to steal the lead in ''Ben-Hur'' from Guy by taking a picture of Guy exiting a gay bar. Freddie plans to out Guy to the world and ruin his career. Jerry (

Veronica Cartwright Veronica Cartwright (born April 20, 1949) is a British-American actress. She is known for appearing in science fiction and horror films, and has earned numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. As a child actress, ...

), Guy's repressed lesbian ball-bustingly ambitious agent, connives to cover up the impending outing and ensure Guy the role in ''Ben-Hur'' by marrying her client off with great fanfare to the studio head's secretary, Sally (

Carrie Preston Carrie Preston (born June 21, 1967) is an American actress known for her work on the television series ''True Blood'', ''Person of Interest (TV series), Person of Interest'', ''Crowded (TV series), Crowded'', ''The Good Wife'', ''The Good Fight ...

), who just happens to also be a slavishly devoted Guy Stone fan. However, Sally isn't aware the marriage is a sham. To avoid his adoring new bride as much as possible, Guy has Jerry sign him onto the next available film, which turns out to be 'Blood Mine' — a disastrously arch pro-union film about the corrupt goings on at a coal mine (with lines like 'how can they call this a MINE when everything is THEIRS!?!'). The studio head, in fear of the red-baiting going on in Hollywood at the time, decides — true to Hollywood stereotype — rather than stop production on the film to instead water down the pro-union content wherever possible. The young, idealistic, and terribly handsome writer of the novel that the film is based on, Rick Foster, quickly gets roped into convoluting the plot of this already-bad adaptation of his heartfelt book largely because of a chance meeting between him and the film's star, Guy. The attraction the two men feel for one another is instantaneous and propels the rest of the plot forward.

Cast

as Guy Stone, a

closet A closet (especially in North American usage) is an enclosed space, with a door, used for storage, particularly that of clothes. ''Fitted closets'' are built into the walls of the house so that they take up no apparent space in the room. Closet ...

ed homosexual

-like actor *

as Sally Stone, a wild Guy Stone fanatic and the studio's head secretary * Adam Greer as Rick Foster *

as Jerry Albrecht, Guy's repressed lesbian agent *

as Freddie Stevens, a neurotic actor out to reveal Guy's secret *

Michael Emerson Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor who is best known for his roles as serial killer William Hinks on ''The Practice'', Benjamin Linus on ''Lost'', Zep Hindle in the first '' Saw'' film, Cayden James on ''Arrow'', and ...

as Victor *

Sam Pancake Sam Pancake (born May 10, 1964) is an American actor, improviser, writer, and comedian. He began his career with small roles in TV and film, such as ''Wings'' in 1990 and '' Pizza Man'' in 1991. Early life Sam Pancake was raised in Romney, Wes ...

as Tour Guide

Jackie Hoffman Jacqueline Laura Hoffman (born November 29, 1960 in Queens, New York City) is an American actress, singer, and comedian known for her one-woman shows of Jewish-themed original songs and monologues. She is a veteran of Chicago's famed The Second ...

, who originated the role of Jerry in the stage play, was asked to reprise her role, but couldn't due to '' Hairspray: The Musical''.

External links

* * * {{Here Media Inc. 2004 films 2004 romantic comedy films Here TV original programming American films based on plays American LGBT-related films 2004 LGBT-related films Films about actors American romantic comedy films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films English-language romantic comedy films