Watercolors ***½ (2008, Tye Olson, Kyle Clare, Greg Louganis, Karen Black) – Classic Movie Review 12,750

The winning bitter-sweet 2008 romantic film Watercolors stars Tye Olson and Kyle Clare as classmates Danny and Carter, two boys who make a splash at love. 

‘Two boys make a splash at love.’  ‘Only art can turn something painful into something beautiful.’

Writer/ director David Oliveras’s bitter-sweet 2008 American romantic film Watercolors stars Tye Olson and Kyle Clare as very different classmates Danny and Carter who find themselves brought together for the weekend by family circumstances, but soon grow as friends and discover their mutual attraction.

Watercolors (2008, Tye Olson, Karen Black).

Troubled school swimming star Carter stays over with a woman friend of his dad’s and starts flirting with her nerdy young artist son Danny. Carter tells Danny he does not want to be seen with him at school, but their relationship grows outside, and Danny falls in love with Carter. Romance ensues for the duo after Danny is gay bashed by school thugs.

Danny helps Carter in school, while Carter tries to hide his drug problems, seizures and painful relationship with his chilly, recovering alcoholic father. The boys’ relationship brings Danny out, awakening his passion for painting and his gay sexuality. The boys are studying Romeo and Juliet in school. Is it a love story or a tragedy? Ah, yes, both or either, like Watercolors, depending on how you see it. In a framing story, Danny is now an adult, a successful artist with a boyfriend deeply troubled that his partner is still not over his high school first love.

It’s a tale as old as time, true as it can be, barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly. The appealing characters bring this first love/ high school bullying and gay bashing story up fresh and involving, and Tye Olson and Kyle Clare sell it big time. They are ideally cast, giving credible, winning and persuasive performances. Olson does nerdy and specky nice, while the soft and strong Clare is a compelling mix of girly with his long hair and pretty face, and sporty with his athlete’s body.

There are also extremely helpful, good performances by the grown-ups, especially Greg Louganis as Coach Brown and Karen Black as the encouraging art teacher Mrs Martin. Also Casey Kramer as Danny’s sympathetic mom Miriam Wheeler, Jeffrey Lee Woods as Carter’s dad Stephen Melman, and William Charles Mitchell as Mr Frank are strong in support.

Watercolors (2008, Kyle Clare).

Memories may be beautiful and yet… First love can be gloriously romantic and potentially toxic at the same time. How sad it that? OK, then, bitter-sweet. Danny’s too raw and sensitive, but he’s a clever boy, he can work it out.

David Oliveras handles the writing and directing nicely. It’s all very tender and discreet, with no real hiccups on some potentially risky dialogue and tricky scenes.

Watercolors (2008, Tye Olson, Kyle Clare).

Release date: June 7, 2008.

Runtime: 114 minutes.

Watercolors (2008, Tye Olson, Kyle Clare),

The cast are Tye Olson as Danny Wheeler, Kyle Clare as Carter Melman, Ellie Araiza as Andy, Greg Louganis as Coach Brown, Karen Black as Mrs Martin, Casey Kramer as Miriam Wheeler, Jeffrey Lee Woods as Stephen Melman, William Charles Mitchell as Mr Frank, Ian Rhodes as Older Danny, Edward Finlay as Allan, David Schroeder as High School Principal, and Bobby Quinn Rice as Donnert.

It is produced by Larry Allen and Penny Styles McLean.

Watercolors (2008, Tye Olson, Kyle Clare).

Tye Olson was cast as the lead at 18 years old. He received critical acclaim for the role, winning a Best Actor award three times at film festivals across the US.

Kyle Clare was born in Santa Monica in January 1985. Four days after graduating high school, Kyle auditioned for and then was accepted by the prestigious AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) conservatory in New York City. Later, after reading that the indie film Watercolors was seeking actors online to be shot on video for only $35,000, Kyle wasn’t sure about seeking a role playing a closeted gay male and required nudity. But he hung out with David Oliveras, who called to offer him the role. Five weeks later, Tye Olson was tested and cast after Clare told Oliveras: ‘I want him.’

Karen Black (July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013).

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,750

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