''Watercolors'' is a 2008 American film directed by David Oliveras and starring Tye Olson, Kyle Clare,

Greg Louganis Gregory Efthimios Louganis (; born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic diver, LGBT activist, and author who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics on the springboard and platform. He is the only man and the second diver in Ol ...

and

Karen Black Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portrayi ...

. It was produced by Larry Allen and Penny Styles McLean. The script was written by Oliveras.

Plot

Shy, closeted and nerdy young artist Danny (Tye Olson) is befriended by golden boy swimming champion Carter (Kyle Clare) when family circumstances bring them together for a night. Danny helps the troubled Carter in school, while the brash and sexy yet troubled Carter works hard to hide his drug problems, history of seizures and the painful relationship he has with his unsympathetic, recovering alcoholic father. Their blossoming relationship brings Danny out of his shell, awakening both his passion for art and burgeoning

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

sexuality. Watercolors is framed by scenes of Danny as an adult. He's a successful artist, but his boyfriend is bothered that he can't seem to get over his high school first love. He argues that a live person can't compete with a glorified memory, showing that the lasting memory of a first love is potentially toxic.

Cast

*Tye Olson as Danny Wheeler *Kyle Clare as Carter Melman *Ellie Araiza as Andy *

as Coach Brown *

as Mrs. Martin *Casey Kramer as Miriam *William Charles Mitchell as Mr. Frank *Ian Rhodes as Older Danny *Edward Finlay as Allan *David Schroeder as High School Principal *

Bobby Quinn Rice Bobby Rice (also known as Bobby Quinn Rice; born Robert Quinn Rice; March 14, 1983) is an American actor, known for ''The Lair'' (2007), ''Watercolors'' (2008), ''Remains'' (2011), LAIFF Award winning short film ''Spidora'' (2014), the role of ...

as Donnert

Screenings and awards

*2008

Outfest Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival ...

in Los Angeles winning Audience Award winning: Audience Award - "Outstanding First Dramatic Feature" for "Watercolors" Jury Award - "Best Actor" for Tye Olson *2008

Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is a movie screening event that takes place each October in Tampa, Florida. The primary venue is the Tampa Theatre, but several other cinemas in or near the downtown area and in St. Petersburg si ...

winning: **Jury Award - "Best Actor" for Tye Olson **Audience Award - "Best Supporting Actor" for Kyle Clare **Audience Award - "Best Director" for David Oliveras

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

critic

Neil Genzlinger Neil Genzlinger is an American playwright, editor, book reviewer, and theatre and television critic who frequently writes for ''The New York Times''. Family Genzlinger is a grandson of the late '' The Philadelphia Bulletin'' columnist Don Rose. ...

reviewed the movie was being "modest" and deals "unblinkingly with gay bashing among high school students..." ;Screenings *The film was also shown in the 2008 San Francisco

Frameline Film Festival The Frameline Film Festival (aka San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival) (formerly San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival; San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival) began as a storefront event in 1976. The first ...

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0826756, Watercolors 2008 films American LGBT-related films American coming-of-age films 2008 LGBT-related films 2008 directorial debut films LGBT-related coming-of-age films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films