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Product Description
A stellar cast headline this sexy and captivating John Hughes-esque story about three sexually ambivalent high school seniors at a crossroads in their adult lives. Prissy drama student Alexa is told by a pompous actor that she must dare to try new experiences in order to breathe life into a role. Mysterious and handsome loner Johnny seems like the perfect person to shake up her vanilla existence, so she embarks on a mission to get him into bed. Problem is, best friend Ben succeeds in ensnaring the confused Johnny. As the love triangle closes in, Johnnys sexual identity becomes unhinged, leaving Alexa and Ben to face up to their desires and accept that it takes more than just a truth, a dare, and a threesome, to get what you really want from life. Starring Emmy Rossum (The Day After Tomorrow, The Phantom of the Opera), Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Ashley Springer (Teeth), Alan Cumming (Burlesque, X Men 2), Sandra Bernhard (The L Word, The King of Comedy) and Ana Gasteyer (Mean Girls)
Special Features:
- Deleted Scenes
- Audition Footage
- Original Short Film 'Dare' (16mins)
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Son of Nietzsche
VINE™ VOICE
DARE is based on a short film of the same name, both directed by Adam Salky. Whereas the short film (which has appeared in collections such as Boys Life 5) placed its emphasis on the awkward fumblings of two high-school males, this feature-length version inevitably attempts to cast a much wider net.
The character afforded most screen time is actually Alexa (Emmy Rossum); a studious high-school girl with a passion for drama class, who is spurned by the 'cool kids'. When a professional actor shoots down Alexa's dreams by telling her she must experience life before she could be a good actress, Alexa morphs chrysalis-fashion from naïve-ugly-duckling to seductress-swan, setting her sights on cute rebel Johnny (Zach Gilford), and shunning her geeky best friend Ben (Ashley Springer) - who also has feelings for Johnny.
What starts out as typical teen-drama fare takes a Cruel Intentions turn, as Alexa and Ben compete with one another for the brooding Johnny's affections. The character of Johnny is progressively fleshed-out as he becomes the fly in Alexa and Ben's web. He is in fact the most interesting element of the mix, his polymorphous needs propelling the drama - and the threesome - in an unexpected direction.
The concept of DARE is a strong one, and there are some decent supporting performances (including Sandra Bernhard as Johnny's therapist), yet somehow the film falls short of its great potential. It's fresh in many respects, yet staid in others; a curious mix of compelling, nuanced drama and soap opera stereotypes.... Read more ›
The character afforded most screen time is actually Alexa (Emmy Rossum); a studious high-school girl with a passion for drama class, who is spurned by the 'cool kids'. When a professional actor shoots down Alexa's dreams by telling her she must experience life before she could be a good actress, Alexa morphs chrysalis-fashion from naïve-ugly-duckling to seductress-swan, setting her sights on cute rebel Johnny (Zach Gilford), and shunning her geeky best friend Ben (Ashley Springer) - who also has feelings for Johnny.
What starts out as typical teen-drama fare takes a Cruel Intentions turn, as Alexa and Ben compete with one another for the brooding Johnny's affections. The character of Johnny is progressively fleshed-out as he becomes the fly in Alexa and Ben's web. He is in fact the most interesting element of the mix, his polymorphous needs propelling the drama - and the threesome - in an unexpected direction.
The concept of DARE is a strong one, and there are some decent supporting performances (including Sandra Bernhard as Johnny's therapist), yet somehow the film falls short of its great potential. It's fresh in many respects, yet staid in others; a curious mix of compelling, nuanced drama and soap opera stereotypes.... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Gay Londoner
While one can empathise with all the characters in the film, what is interesting is the way in which the character Johnny, who at first seems brash and confident, is slowly revealed as sensitive and vulnerable. However the film takes some time to get going and is ultimately a little disappointing, though worth a watch.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Kurt Clare
After having seen the short film in 'Boys on Film 3' by Adam Salky, I was intrigued to see how a full length feature film would handle this subject matter. Particularly as short stories can be powerful if executed correctly, and Salky's attempt (16 minutes) has remained a firm favourite of mine ever since seeing it. Perhaps this was the reason for my initial apprehension at the film.
Whilst the film differs slightly in its central theme, it resonates with the short film. This together with three extremely good leads; Emmy Rossum, Zack Gilford and Ashley Springer make for a powerful drama. The good looking, mysterious and popular high school senior Johnny Drake (Zack Gilford) hides a profound and ever present rejection by his aloof parents and transient friends. Ben (Ashley Springer) seems wholly dependent on Alexa (Emmy Rossum) for his identity, largely due to his latent and unexplored sexuality. Through a chance encounter with a idolized theater actor (Alan Cummings), Alexa sets in motion a series of events that brings together these three confused, albeit searching youngsters . She is 'dared' to resist the norms of society, and experience the dangers of a life outside the rules she so desperately clings to.
The consequences that follow, are initially liberating for her. Ben seems to do the same, although for very different reasons. By rising above her indifference of him (who represents the normative life she is accused of using for personal safety), and his own desire for self identity, Ben comes into his own. Unfortunately for Johnny, he is the tie that binds.
The story is cleverly told, and the three young actors do a remarkable job in conveying the subtly of emotions and hidden sexuality.... Read more ›
Whilst the film differs slightly in its central theme, it resonates with the short film. This together with three extremely good leads; Emmy Rossum, Zack Gilford and Ashley Springer make for a powerful drama. The good looking, mysterious and popular high school senior Johnny Drake (Zack Gilford) hides a profound and ever present rejection by his aloof parents and transient friends. Ben (Ashley Springer) seems wholly dependent on Alexa (Emmy Rossum) for his identity, largely due to his latent and unexplored sexuality. Through a chance encounter with a idolized theater actor (Alan Cummings), Alexa sets in motion a series of events that brings together these three confused, albeit searching youngsters . She is 'dared' to resist the norms of society, and experience the dangers of a life outside the rules she so desperately clings to.
The consequences that follow, are initially liberating for her. Ben seems to do the same, although for very different reasons. By rising above her indifference of him (who represents the normative life she is accused of using for personal safety), and his own desire for self identity, Ben comes into his own. Unfortunately for Johnny, he is the tie that binds.
The story is cleverly told, and the three young actors do a remarkable job in conveying the subtly of emotions and hidden sexuality.... Read more ›
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
It really is fantastic.
the complete normality of the portrayals from all actors differeniates from the normal melodramatic high school story.
an ambiguous ending really makes one think about the characters situation but also made me relate it to my own.
I bought it after a smashing review in Attitude and am totally glad I spent the £9 on the DVD. I took a risk on LGBT cinema, and at risk of sounding really stereotypical I really did love it.
I say how the normality of the story, the acting and the protrayal is what made it good. That is what popular cinema lacks. We all love something fake to immerse ourselves in. but sometimes it is nice to be reminded of the norm.
*****
the complete normality of the portrayals from all actors differeniates from the normal melodramatic high school story.
an ambiguous ending really makes one think about the characters situation but also made me relate it to my own.
I bought it after a smashing review in Attitude and am totally glad I spent the £9 on the DVD. I took a risk on LGBT cinema, and at risk of sounding really stereotypical I really did love it.
I say how the normality of the story, the acting and the protrayal is what made it good. That is what popular cinema lacks. We all love something fake to immerse ourselves in. but sometimes it is nice to be reminded of the norm.
*****
By Dan Filson
Amazon Verified Purchase
Contains spoilers.
Pen portraits of 3 poor little rich kids involved (two as Blanche and Kowalski, one as the lighting boy) in a school performance of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and getting - by dint of off-stage interplay between them - the right emotional heat to make their acting more convincing.
The nuances in their family wealth differences - in a British film it would be class differences possibly - are subtly drawn; for example, Ben drives a Honda (new-looking, clean, but still a Honda) whereas Johnny drives a huge 'Chelsea tractor' as it would be known in London. The very handsome Johnny has a never-seen father and a step-mother, lives in a Beverley Hills type of mansion with a superb subtly-lit swimming pool, with outdoors halved barrels filled with a variety of champagnes always on the chill, and his spacious bedroom is almost a loft apartment in itself; but it oozes loneliness.
Ben, on the other hand, has an ever-caring Mom (there's a Dad too) who only wishes the best for her son, and whips up for his visitor a bagel, juice and other goodies when, to her surprise, Johnny does a sleepover. The back door with its fly netting delineates the difference from the plutocracy of Johnny. Johnny, playing Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire cannot remember his lines but is still arrogant enough to call Ben 'Lighting Boy' sneeringly, and is blind to Ben's longing and hungry glances.
Alexa, who hasn't really the acting range to play Blanche opposite Kowalski and has been a friend of Ben since childhood, seems almost to live with Ben all the time or he with her; it isn't clear why - save for habit and familiarity - she likes him always being around, I'm not sure we see her home (save for her at her make-up table). He has no friends apart from her.... Read more ›
Pen portraits of 3 poor little rich kids involved (two as Blanche and Kowalski, one as the lighting boy) in a school performance of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and getting - by dint of off-stage interplay between them - the right emotional heat to make their acting more convincing.
The nuances in their family wealth differences - in a British film it would be class differences possibly - are subtly drawn; for example, Ben drives a Honda (new-looking, clean, but still a Honda) whereas Johnny drives a huge 'Chelsea tractor' as it would be known in London. The very handsome Johnny has a never-seen father and a step-mother, lives in a Beverley Hills type of mansion with a superb subtly-lit swimming pool, with outdoors halved barrels filled with a variety of champagnes always on the chill, and his spacious bedroom is almost a loft apartment in itself; but it oozes loneliness.
Ben, on the other hand, has an ever-caring Mom (there's a Dad too) who only wishes the best for her son, and whips up for his visitor a bagel, juice and other goodies when, to her surprise, Johnny does a sleepover. The back door with its fly netting delineates the difference from the plutocracy of Johnny. Johnny, playing Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire cannot remember his lines but is still arrogant enough to call Ben 'Lighting Boy' sneeringly, and is blind to Ben's longing and hungry glances.
Alexa, who hasn't really the acting range to play Blanche opposite Kowalski and has been a friend of Ben since childhood, seems almost to live with Ben all the time or he with her; it isn't clear why - save for habit and familiarity - she likes him always being around, I'm not sure we see her home (save for her at her make-up table). He has no friends apart from her.... Read more ›
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