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So what possessed a forty-something straight guy from upstate New York, married with children, to tackle such a topic for his first feature film?  As Bardwell tells it, the arc of the two boys’ relationship actually mirrors his true-life experience with a close buddy in college, Brian Vargas, the first gay guy he’d ever met.  Although, sadly, Vargas died from AIDS complications in 1991, their brotherly bond changed Bardwell’s life forever. The film is, in part, a tender elegy to him.

More than a story about grappling with sexuality, it’s about being a pariah in your own family, the ramifications of pent-up anger, and the need for forgiveness. And those themes never go out of style, even if they are plucked from the back of a musty closet.

To be sure, Dorian Blues is not without its faults. The not-so-original plot is thin, the time frame distorted and often confusing, and the pacing a bit clunky. Plus, to my taste, the humor can be puerile at times, rarely rising above the level of a teen romp on the WB. (McMillian, by the way, can be seen on that network starring in What I Like About You.)  

Nevertheless these flaws, much like those in Dorian’s personality—the hypercritical bitchiness, the resentment, the envy—actually serve to make this reinvented closet-case saga more real, and ultimately more endearing.

Judging from the enthusiastic acclaim, the supposedly obsolete formula still has some bite.  Over the past year or so, Dorian Blues played to packed houses at several film festivals and racked up a bunch of awards, including Best First Feature at the 2004 Outfest in Los Angeles and Best Screenplay at the 2004 NewFest in New York. 

And don’t try telling Bardwell, or his fans, that in this so-called “post-gay” era his film is irrelevant. Teary-eyed gay young men approach him after screenings, confessing that Dorian’s experience was not much different from their own. And they don’t mean years ago, but right now.

In today’s revved-up market for gay cinema, with the prospect of hefty financial rewards, some have suggested Bardwell might be a money-grubbing straight dude exploiting a gay story.

“I never, ever had an inkling about making a gay film for the money,” Bardwell insisted. “I didn’t really know there were so many gay film festivals, or such a huge audience for this type of film. I just wanted to tell my story from the heart, and teach myself a thing or two about filmmaking in the process.”

Dorian Blues opened September 23 in New York City and rolls out in select cities across the U.S. through November and December. Visit the official site for more info.