White Frog

Classic indies sometimes have solid, sometimes great, stories that are carried out with a very low budget. They have some half wannabe stars to keep it from complete obscurity and extended periods with actors who can't handle their characters. Fortunately, there's a great story to integrate all of the above in this film and it somehow all fits in well together. The start of the film is a bit choppy but it picks up soon by half way, mixing humour and drama well.

Nick Young is a high school freshman struggling with Asperger’s Syndrome who idolizes his perfect older brother Chaz Young. His brother dies when riding his bike on the highway because of a group of guys that were driving recklessly. Nick's friends attend the funeral and help him get through his loss. Nick's parents have no idea how to deal with or connect with Nick since Chaz was their perfect son. He begins to take comfort in his brother's friends, who take him under his wing as he learns more about his brother than he expected as he searches for answers and closure. Some friends welcome him while other's don't specially rich kid Randy, who it turns out later was Chaz's boyfriend and that Chaz was gay. Randy tells Nick how his brother spent, "his whole life trying to keep up this lie that you were a perfect family." Chaz had a secret dream, he went to a "community center" and he wanted to be a dancer. With the help of these friends, Nick locates the working-class neighborhood community center run by a lesbian where Chaz not only donated his sizable gambling winnings but also much of his time. Along the way, Nick discovers that Chaz was gay and that this information would have devastated their parents. But rising above all odds, he finds the courage to stand up to them and overcome his social difficulties and bring the truth in front of everyone because that is what Chaz wanted.

While earnest and endearing, “White Frog” can sometimes feel a bit unrealistic in its eagerness to be all-encompassing and accepting of what society may not necessarily open its arms to quite yet. On one end when you show that the Asian parents are church-going conservatives, while on the other end the extreme with the social issues it portrays in a positive light. Nick and the group of friends do lend much needed innocence in th group. Nick's soft features and dark eyes make him particularly vulnerable-looking, which adds to his character. I wish there was a little more story on Chaz and his relationship with Randy. The film plays on emotions and parents relationship with their kids and their attempt at understanding each other's world. Allowing oneself and others to be different. I feel, this movie shows exactly where our society is heading - hiding behind a veil of lies. Pretending to be perfect, where perfection never can be met anyway. And this is where the film fails to live up to a great movie.

It's watchable and can be nice, but don't expect something new or extraordinary here. The ending is well-done and warm with the parents accepting the truth behind their son after his death. (6/10)