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Amos Lassen wrote on 02/11/2011:

“Coffee Date”
Oops!!!
Amos Lassen
A hit at GLBT festivals, “Coffee Date” is still going strong. It’s a very funny and touching look at the nature of friendship and sexual preference. Within it are some of the best performances and good writing that we have had in independent gay cinema in quite some time
The beginning of the film is about an internet date that goes all wrong. That very same date ends up being the start of a beautiful friendship. The director, Steward Wade, expanded what was originally a short film to a full length movie by having the friendship between the two main characters, Todd and Kelly, develop in many different directions.
There is a lot to admire here. For a low budget film it has a lot to say about sexual identity as it looks carefully at hetero-homo angst. Here it is what would happen to a straight man if everyone he knew thought he was gay.
Jonathan Bray is Todd, the straight man in the film. He is not just straight but he thinks himself to be the epitome of straightness. Having been a “frat” boy, he aspires to the world of the yuppies but looking for something more than dates of one night. When he goes on a blind date arranged by his brother, he is surprised that his date, Kelly (Wilson Cruz) is a man. What surprises him more that despite their sexual differences, they have a great deal in common.
Todd, in retaliation against his brother, plays a joke by pretending that he and Kelly slept together. Todd could have never expected what was to follow. His mother adores gay men and fees as if she has a new lease on life with a gay son while, at the same time, Kelly is grappling with feelings that he has for his new straight friend.
What makes the entire situation even more interesting is that is something that, indeed, could happen. We have seen that in our struggle for acceptance and equality, many straight men have aligned themselves with us. Even the most self-secure heterosexuals can possibly doubt themselves when they are faced with complete disbelief. With that, “Coffee Date” falls into all the areas associated with the premise. Masquerading as comedy are the old, tired ideas of both homo- and hetero- sexual behavior and the real laughs are few and far between because the entire situation is plausible.
However, “Coffee Date” does play with stereotypical notions which meant as comedy do not amuse. When Kelly shakes hands with Todd, Todd, who realizes that Kelly is gay, wipes his hand on his shirt and I found this to be somewhat insulting. I also found Todd’s reaction to a gay man standing next to him at a urinal to be insulting as well as the standard gay palaver about Streisand and Garland.
With that said, the movie is by and large entertaining. All of us, at one time or another, have been labeled as what we are not. Some of us have fallen for straight guys as well even though we know that affection will never be returned. I am sure that all of us have had blind dates and they were not always what we expected. If you focus on the plot which is somewhat shallow and superficial, you won’t get much from the movie. However, if you sit back and relax, you will not only have some great laughs but a story that is easy to identify with. Even with the laughs, the film is quite sensitive and touching.

Gaelan wrote on 03/19/2010:

This film is a light, comic stroll with good acting. Just go with it and enjoy! I will probably watch it again and chuckle again and be glad I bought it. Light, clever, zany... great with red wine.

Buddhaman wrote on 06/17/2009:

Coffee Date is one of those light fluffy affairs that has aired endlessly on LOGO. That being said, there's something charming about this film. Does it employ trite and overused cliche's? Absolutely! Is the ending somewhat implausible? Absolutely! Still, the opportunity to see the leads Jonathan Bray and Wilson Cruz in the buff is not to be missed.I didn't feel as if I had wasted 93 minutes of my life viewing this. Add to your video collection only if your aim is increasing your catalog of gay cinema.

gengida wrote on 07/29/2008:

Okay, this was was "okay". The actors are attractive, and their acting isn't THAT bad, but the supporting cast jumps on one's nerves. Everyone else is semi-okay, the storyline kills me at the end, and I hate when a weak story "wraps up nicely" at the very end. That's even more depressing than when the main character dies at the end. Pass this one by....

Toby Ross wrote on 02/25/2008:

Well, it looks like there are two kinds of gay films emerging from the celluloid culture explosion of the late 90’s early 2000. The first one is the culturally inbred gay film with it’s own humor, slang, actor types and plot, not unlike the Yiddish theatre of years gone by or the black slice of cultural endeavors that stretch from the wonderful Cotton Club of years gone by to the blackxploitation films of the late 60’s early 70’s. The jokes dialog and plot are private and mainly understood only by the audience it might aim to entertain. TLA seems to be the leader of this group and the list is endless. The second type of film are the films with gay motifs that are aimed at the general population but exploit gay or (mainly) closeted relationships... such as in the films of Todd Verow, the director who did “Hard” John Huckert and some Europeans whose films filtered to the US through distributor such as Water Bearer Films (Mandragora) and Strand (The Bubble) People who know me, know I am a student of the second group and shy away politely from the first one, which Coffee Date is a strong (I mean “very”) ambassador of. Not a bad film, however the straight/gay relationship seemed a bit boring and left me ice cold wishing for more, I also found the role Wilson Cruz character played a bit too affected for my taste and this film does have the feeling of a “stretched” short , hey everybody wants to make money :)