The biggest obstacle facing most gay-themed movies—at least those with any hope of reaching the multiplex—is that they're instantly politicized, stuck in the compromising position of trying to stay true to the gay experience while opening up to a mainstream audience. Unlike straight romances, explicitness is always an issue, with the true litmus test being just how far beyond bear hugs and cross-dressing a filmmaker is willing to go. For its part, Get Real, a pleasant and well-intentioned British coming-of-age drama, could have used some gay teen sex. Director Simon Shore presents a protagonist, nicely played by the gangly Ben Silverstone, who has been aware of his homosexuality from an early age and is perfectly comfortable with it; he's closeted, but not from himself. He steals off to a park restroom in the afternoons looking for experience and sometimes gets it, but Shore only stays with him to a point, and his discretion is more limiting than tasteful. When Silverstone discovers that his school's most popular jock (Brad Gorton) is coming out from under his latent homosexuality, Get Real veers into naive fantasy, though its gestures of love and tolerance are undeniably appealing. The tentative, sweetly ingratiating way in which Silverstone says "hi"—as if to defuse the wrath of whomever he's addressing—could aptly describe the movie itself. As a more polished companion to 1996's superior Beautiful Thing, Get Real is bright and sensitive to a fault, backing away from chancier areas. Apparently, Shore himself doesn't care to know what goes on behind closed doors.