The Curiosity of Chance

Here are the details--It is the 1980's and the family moves to Belgium--Dad is Army/ex-Army, and the sister is precocious in a way that leans more towards the obnoxious than the cute. Chance Marquis (Tad Hilgenbrinck) is a gay teen who is trying (and succeeding)in finding new ways to stand out. Being an odd and somewhat awkward teenager makes him the target of the school bully. To deal with this dilemma, Chance turns to the opposite ends of the high school spectrum for help. On one side is the flamboyant drag queen and on the other, the varsity jock, Levi Sparks (Brett Chukerman). On the up side, the story depicts Chance as having friends--not anyone who helps him out of his bullying jams, but who befriend him and stand by him otherwise. His father either doesn't acknowledge his sexual preference or studiously avoids it, and his sister is down right helpful.

In the end, Chance actually gets help from Levi, after they find some common ground. Levi knows that Chance drools over him in a sexual way--one of the first things he says to Chance is that he wishes his girlfriends with look at him with such open desire. But he also sees a guy who is not understood by his family, not allowed to be who he is, and that resonates with Levi. Big time. And it is enough to form a partnership, and to openly flip the bird at the bullying faction of the school (which seems all-too-American, even though the film is shot in Belgium). While it doesn't always come out this way, good conquers intolerance and the movie depicts Chance warmly and humanely.