Jeffrey Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Jeffrey Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 22, 2019

“Jeffrey” began life as a play, with writer Paul Rudnick searching for a way to express his frustrations with the age of AIDS without losing his sense of humor. The production was praised and popular with audiences, ultimately making a leap to the big screen in 1995, with Rudnick taking command of the screenplay, while original director Christopher Ashley took the opportunity to make his feature-length helming debut. As transitions from the stage to movie theaters go, this wasn’t a radically altered endeavor, which is perhaps why “Jeffery” works so well, with Rudnick successfully reworking the sometimes broad material for the intimacy of cinema, dealing with close-ups and deep feelings without sacrificing the bounciness of the original work. Humor hasn’t been steamrolled by the production, which tries to stay on its feet while dealing with profound issues of fear and loss.

A gay man with an addiction to sex, Jeffrey (Steven Weber) is finally feeling the pressure of community fear surrounding the AIDS epidemic. Instead of dealing with complicated partners, Jeffrey decides to shut down completely, swearing off sex, trying to stay true to his new vision for self-care. Trouble arrives with Steve (Michael T. Weiss), a handsome stranger who takes an immediate liking to Jeffrey, challenging the man’s mission to remain alone. Unsure what to do or how to feel, Jeffery keeps Steve at arm’s length, trusting in the company of helpful friends Sterling (Patrick Stewart) and Darius (Bryan Batt).

While “Jeffrey” is a sometimes sobering study of risk during a troubling era, Rudnick isn’t obsessed with the lows of Jeffrey’s life, embracing his daily spirit and others, as fantasy sequences litter the feature. It’s a heightened sense of stakes, but the screenplay does a fine job making Jeffrey accessible, finding his common breaking of the fourth wall a natural extension of his conversational self. Dips into unreality also find their place, including a musical number where the lead character’s day job as a “cater-waiter” explodes into a southern hoedown, with Steve the rancher in charge. Rudnick likes to toy with stereotypes, but he doesn’t get carried away, embracing Sterling’s exaggeration of style and superiority, making him the refined pal who always knows best, but there’s a life for him as well, with a subplot developing concerning Darius’s own battle with illness, challenging the perfection of their union. “Jeffrey” also keeps the laughs coming through numerous cameos, including Sigourney Weaver (as a stern, showy self-help guru), Olympia Dukakis (as the supportive mother of a transgender person), and Nathan Lane, who steals scenes as a Catholic priest who can’t keep his hands off Jeffrey as he’s searching for spiritual enlightenment. Famous faces certainly boost the effort’s liveliness, keeping the picture moving along with a few surprises.

Jeffrey Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Jeffery" offers an appealing look at a catalog title. While a fresh scan isn't available, detail remains compelling with some mild filtering, retaining skin textures for the feature's many loosely attired encounters, and facial particulars are satisfactory. New York City locations retain dimension, while costuming sustains fibrous qualities, which are on full display with various outfits, capturing felt fuzziness and harder leather. Colors are appealing, with a fine read of primaries, supporting a colorful film as it explores a '90s palette. Fantasy sequences bring out brighter hues, and skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable with some evidence of crush. Source is in fine shape.

Jeffrey Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix retains the feature's light touch, finding jazzy scoring cues sharp, with strong instrumentation. Moods are set by the music, with period sounds also retaining definition, Dialogue exchanges are strong, with deep voices and natural emotionality, picking up on subtle performance choices. Urban tours sustain atmosphere, with street sounds capturing bustle, and party scenes secure festive fullness.

Jeffrey Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features actor Steven Weber and author/film critic Alonso Duralde.

• "Steven" (26:20, HD) is a conversation with Weber, who sits down to discuss his time with "Jeffrey." Weber delves into character psychology and motivation, and shares praise for Paul Rudnick's original play, recalling shock when he was offered the lead role, which provided a change of pace from his weekly job on the sitcom, "Wings." Preparation and interpretation is detailed, along with assessments of co-stars and cameos, with the actor taking pride in being Nathan Lane's first on-screen kiss. The interviewee recalls favorite moments from the picture, and shares information about a deleted sequence. The lasting legacy of "Jeffery" is recounted, with Weber sharing immense fondness for the movie.

• "Mark" (11:47, HD) is an interview with producer Mark Balsam, who examines how "Jeffery" came into his life, initially offered a chance to develop the play with Rudnick, helping to bring it to the stage. Balsam recalls the hectic film shoot, trying to master a schedule that accommodated so many cameos, and he shares praise for the cast, highlighting surprises and professionalism, especially with Patrick Stewart. He closes with a few memories from the shoot.

• Still Gallery (10:46) present and enormous amount of production stills and publicity snaps.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:26, SD) is included.

Jeffrey Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Jeffrey" grows comfortable addressing the realities of personal loss, detailing a time when hope was in short supply, making personal decisions concerning love and dedication difficult to make. Ashley does a terrific job opening up this world, retaining the rhythms of stage work while moving into the real world, keeping theatrical stiffness at bay. It's a nice-looking picture that strolls around neighborhoods and even visits a gay pride parade, and such energy is sustained by the cast, with Weber handling the challenge of confusion as Jeffrey doesn't know how to deal with the unknown, scared of everything that's in front of him. And Stewart is a joy as Sterling, embracing bigness while retaining the feature's heart. The performers retain Rudnick's timing and communicate his pain, giving "Jeffrey" a special lift as one of the few films to deal with AIDS with complete sensitivity, but also prepared to enjoy the moment, spotlighting the strangeness of the time with humor and heart.