Trevor (film)

Trevor
Film poster
Directed byPeggy Rajski
Written byCeleste Lecesne
Produced byRandy Stone
Peggy Rajski
StarringBrett Barsky
CinematographyMarc Reshovsky
Edited byJohn Tintori
Release date
  • 1994 (1994)
Running time
23 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Trevor is a 1994 American short film directed by Peggy Rajski, produced by Randy Stone and Peggy Rajski, and written by Celeste Lecesne.[a] Set in 1981, the film follows what happens to 13-year-old Trevor, a Diana Ross fan, when his crush on a schoolmate named Pinky Faraday gets discovered.

In 1995, it tied for an Oscar for Best Short Subject with Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life at the 67th Academy Awards.[1][2] It won the Teddy Award for Best Short in 1995.[3] In 1998, director Peggy Rajski brought fellow filmmakers Randy Stone and Celeste Lecesne together to found The Trevor Project, a 24/7 crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

Plot

In 1981, quirky and outgoing 13-year-old Trevor develops a crush on a boy at his school. Trevor is a fan of singer Diana Ross and wants to dress up as her for Halloween. He also enjoys acting and dancing in school plays. Because of these different interests, Trevor faces discrimination from both his parents and his friends; his parents often try to ignore the fact their son is different, and his friends bully him countless times throughout the school day. Trevor also attends counselling sessions with his parents' priest. His diary, with the boy he has a crush on's name on it, is found by one of his friends and shown to the whole school. Trevor tries to take his life by overdosing on aspirin in his room while listening to Diana Ross, commenting "Everybody at school thinks I'm a gay. It must be showing." His suicide attempt is unsuccessful, and as a result, Trevor finds a new friend in a nurse who tends to him. It ends with the nurse giving him tickets to a Diana Ross concert.[4]

Cast

  • Brett Barsky as Trevor
  • Judy Kain as Trevor's Mom
  • John Lizzi as Trevor's Dad
  • Jonah Rooney as Pinky Farraday
  • Stephen Tobolowsky as Father Jon
  • Cory M. Miller as Jack
  • Allen Dorane as Walter Stiltman
  • Lindsay Pomerantz as Cathy Quinn
  • Alicia Anderson as Mary Zapatelli
  • Courtney Dornstein as Francine Antoniello

Stage adaptation

The film has been adapted into a stage musical titled Trevor: The Musical. The musical's book and lyrics were written by Dan Collins while the music was composed by Julianne Wick Davis. It premiered in previews at the Writers Theatre in Glencoe, Illinois on August 9, 2017.[5] It opened Off Broadway at Stage 42 to mixed reviews on November 10, 2021.[6][7] That same year, RadicalMedia recorded the show for a public release, with Disney+ acquiring the distribution rights and releasing it on June 24, 2022 for Pride Month.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ Credited as James Lecesne.

References

  1. ^ "The 67th Academy Awards (1995) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  2. ^ "Movies: Trevor (1994)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2010. Archived from the original on October 17, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  3. ^ Warbler, Daniel (June 2, 2014). "The Out Take: 10 Fantastic Teddy Award-Winning LGBT Films To Watch Right Now". mtv.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  4. ^ Trevor Film, archived from the original on June 12, 2020, retrieved March 22, 2020
  5. ^ Gans, Andrew (August 18, 2017). "Watch Uplifting Opening Number From World Premiere of Trevor the Musical". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Schedule of Upcoming and Announced Broadway Shows". Playbill. June 28, 2019. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  7. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (October 8, 2021). "Box Office to Open Monday for TREVOR: THE MUSICAL". broadwayworld.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "Filmed TREVOR: THE MUSICAL to Stream on Disney+". Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.