4th Man Out

On his twenty fourth birthday, over drinks, Adam tells his three closest friends that he is gay. He lives in a small town in upstate New York and they are the sort of men who fix cars, drink beer and have no idea how to discuss anything. The film's smart decision is to build the conflict on something other than hatred. Nobody rejects him. The problem is that none of them knows how to behave, and their good intentions keep producing the wrong move. Their campaign to find him a boyfriend is funny and uncomfortable at once, because nobody thinks to ask Adam what he wants. Andrew Nackman directed from a screenplay by Aaron Dancik, with Evan Todd, Parker Young, Chord Overstreet and Jon Gabrus. It won audience awards at Outfest and at Inside Out. Its limits are budget and shape. It looks close to television, some scenes are rushed, and the ending resolves far too neatly. Who it is for: warm, unpretentious comedy drama. Who it is not for: viewers who want the subject handled with more edge.