Urbania (film)

"For the Italian province, please see Urbania"Infobox Film
name = Urbania


caption =
director = Jon Shear
producer = Stephanie Golden
J. Todd Harris
Jon Shear
writer = Daniel Reitz (play and screenplay)
John Shear (screenplay)
starring = Dan Futterman
Paige Turco
Samuel Ball
Josh Hamilton
Matt Keeslar
music = Marc Anthony Thompson
cinematography = Shane F. Kelly
Peter Konczal
editing = Randy Bricker
Ed Marx
distributor = Blackwatch Releasing (Canada)
Lions Gate Films (USA)
here! Films
released = January 24, 2000 (Sundance Film Festival)
runtime = 103 minutes
country = USA
awards =
language = English
budget = $225,000 USD (estimated)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0182508

"Urbania" is a 2000 independent gay-themed drama film based on the play "Urban Folk Tales". It premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and played a number of LGBT film festivals as well as playing in limited release throughout the year.

Plot summary

"Urbania" follows Charlie (Futterman) through a sleepless night. After an unsuccessful bout of masturbation to the sound of his upstairs neighbors having sex, he prowls the streets looking for a man he saw several months earlier. The implication is that he's had a one-off sexual encounter with the man, cheating on his boyfriend Chris (Keeslar). This is reinforced by several phone calls Charlie places, leaving messages on Chris's answering machine. As he's walking, he has momentary flashes akin to hallucinations or waking dreams: a man's mouth; a bottle breaking; a man with a blood-stained shirt.

After a series of encounters (with his upstairs neighbors, who he tells about his masturbatory activities, and a potential trick), he meets the man he's looking for. His name is Dean (Ball) and it makes no sense either that he'd trick with Charlie or that Charlie would trick with him. Dean is unabashedly racist and sexist and a gay basher. Nevertheless, Charlie, pretending to be straight, buys Dean drinks and smokes a joint with him. Dean takes Charlie to a gay cruising area looking for victims, but Charlie is able to warn away the intended target. Dean is now almost incapacitated by alcohol and drugs and Charlie gets him into Dean's car and drives him to a secluded marshy area.

It is here that Charlie's true purpose is revealed. He's not interested in a sexual encounter with Dean. As had been implied by Charlie's flashbacks, Dean and two of his buddies, several months earlier, had targeted Charlie and Chris. Charlie's chest was slashed (leaving a scar over his heart) and Chris was orally raped and killed by Dean. Charlie is out for vengeance.

In a dreamlike conversation with Chris, Charlie relates what happened at the marshland. He pulled a knife on Dean and told him why he was there. Dean didn't remember him. Charlie forced Dean to drop his pants and was disgusted to see Dean had an erection. Charlie forced Dean to kneel and fellate the knife blade. Suddenly Dean collapsed with an epileptic seizure. Charlie slit his throat.

Chris challenges Charlie, not believing that he killed Dean. Charlie admits that he wanted to but couldn't. Instead, he drove off in Dean's car, abandoning him in the marsh.

Charlie stands up from where he's been kneeling, at a makeshift memorial near where Chris was killed. He walks home and has one more hallucinatory flash. He sees himself on the street, cradling a dying Chris. He kisses Chris goodbye and passes by him. When he turns back, Chris is gone. Charlie makes it home and, finally, is able to sleep.

Charlie presents aspects of his story in the form of urban legends. The film references a number of urban legends, both by having characters describe them as they're depicted and by presenting random people experiencing them. The referenced urban legends include:
* [http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/microwavedpet.asp "poodle in the microwave"]
* [http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/kidney.asp "stolen kidney"]
* [http://www.snopes.com/critters/lurkers/mexicanpet.asp "Mexican water rat"]
* [http://www.snopes.com/racial/crime/toothbsh.htm "toothbrush up the ass photos"]
* [http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/aidsmary.asp "Welcome to the world of AIDS"]
* "The calls are coming from inside the house!"

Awards and nominations

* L.A. Outfest Grand Jury Award, Outstanding American Narrative Feature (winner) - 2000
* Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Jury Prize, Best Feature (winner) - 2000
* Provincetown International Film Festival Audience Award Best Feature (winner) - 2000
* San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Best First Feature (winner) - 2000
* Seattle International Film Festival Golden Space Needle Award, Best Actor, Dan Futterman (winner) - 2000
* Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic (nominated) - 2000
* GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Film (Limited Release) (nominated) - 2001

DVD release

"Urbania" was released on Region 1 DVD on March 13 2001.

External links

[http://imdb.com/title/tt0182508 "Urbania"] at Internet Movie Database