reviews_and_ramblings | Were the World Mine (2008) directed by Tom Gustafson

Director: Tom Gustafson

Writers: Tom Gustafson (screenplay) &
Cory James Krueckeberg (screenplay)
William Shakespeare (play "A Midsummer Night's Dream")

Release Date: April 2008 (Turin International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Italy)
May 2008 (Toronto InsideOut Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival, Canada)
May 2008 (Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, USA)

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Tagline: A musical dream come true.

Plot: If you had a love-potion, who would you make fall madly in love with you? Timothy, prone to escaping his dismal high school reality through dazzling musical daydreams, gets to answer that question in a very real way. After his eccentric teacher casts him as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, he stumbles upon a recipe hidden within the script to create the play's magical, purple love-pansy. Armed with the pansy, Timothy's fading spirit soars as he puckishly imposes a new reality by turning much of his narrow-minded town gay, beginning with the rugby-jock of his dreams. Ensnaring family, friends and enemies in this heart-wrenching chaos, Timothy forces them to walk a mile in his musical shoes. The course of true love never did run smooth, but by the end of this moving musical comedy of errors based on director Tom Gustafson's prolific award-winning short film, Fairies, the bumpy ride comes to a heartfelt conclusion. With vibrant imagery, a first-rate ensemble cast and innovative music rivaling the best of pop/ rock and contemporary Broadway, Were the World Mine attempts to push modern gay cinema and musical film beyond expectation.

Awards: 2008 Audience Award as Best Narrative Feature (Tom Gustafson), Florida Film Festival
2008 Q Award as Best Overall Film (Tom Gustafson), Fort Worth Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival
2008 Best of the Festival (Tom Gustafson), Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival
2008 Grand Jury Award as Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature (Tom Gustafson), L.A. Outfest
2008 Best LGBT Film (Tom Gustafson) and Best Music in a Feature Film (Jessica Fogle, Cory James Krueckeberg, Tim Sandusky), Nashville Film Festival
2008 Special Scion Award for First Time Director (Tom Gustafson), Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
2008 Audience Award as Best Feature (Tom Gustafson), Rhode Island International Film Festival
2008 Jury Award as Best New Director (Tom Gustafson), Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
2008 Audience Award as Best Actor (Tanner Cohen), Best Actress (Wendy Robie), Best Screenplay (Tom Gustafson, Cory James Krueckeberg) and Men's Favorite Feature (Tom Gustafson), Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
2008 Audience Award as Feature Film (Tom Gustafson), Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
2008 Audience Award as Best Feature Film or Video (Tom Gustafson), Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
2008 Best Editing (Jennifer Lilly), Woodstock Film Festival

@IMDb
@Amazon: Were the World Mine (Alternate Cover)
@Netflix
@Wolfe Video

Cast (in credits order)
Tanner Cohen ... Timothy
Nathaniel David Becker ... Jonathon
Wendy Robie ... Ms. Tebbit
Judy McLane ... Donna
Zelda Williams ... Frankie
Jill Larson ... Nora Bellinger
Ricky Goldman ... Max
Christian Stolte ... Coach Driskill
David Darlow ... Dr. Lawrence Bellinger
Parker Croft ... Cooper
Brad Bukauskas ... Cole
Reid Dawson ... Russ
Alexander Aguilar ... Taylor
Yoni Solomon ... Bradley
Colleen Skemp ... Becky
Waymon Arnette ... Henry
Zach Gray ... Ian
Julia Black ... Crystal
Peggy Roeder ... Cole's Mother
Ora Jones ... Mrs. Boyd
Annabel Armour ... Phyllis
Ken Gasch ... Dancer (as Kenneth Gasch)
Adam Gauzza ... Dancer
Matthew McMunn ... Dancer
Walter Thon ... Dancer
Michael Hargrove ... Henry's Father
Martie Sanders ... Academy Mother
Dev Kennedy ... Angry Father
Charin Alvarez ... Board Member
J.R. Rose ... Mayor Robbins
Paul M. Lisnek ... Newscaster (as Paul Lisnek)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Holly Barrett ... Carnival Patron (uncredited)
Anthony Brawner ... Gay Pedestrian (uncredited)
Brent Allen Caputo ... Fair Ground Patron (uncredited)
Tony Domino ... Town Official (uncredited)
Aaron Golden ... Rugby Player (uncredited)
Michelle Higgins ... Fair Ground Patron / Ticket Girl (uncredited)
Tim Krueger ... Mayor's Husband (uncredited)
Kyle Miller ... Rugby Player (uncredited)
PJ Samorian ... Townsperson (uncredited)
Diana Shield ... Lesbian Firefighter (uncredited)