Like the Outfest opening night feature, Breakfast With Scot, James Vasquez's Ready? OK! features a pre-adolescent protagonist who may or may not be gay (too soon to tell), but is certainly in touch with his feminine side. While Scot favors makeup, jewelry and cooking that film's namesake meal, 9-year-old Joshua wants to cheerlead. Badly. Badly enough to lobby for the right at his Catholic School. Badly enough to suffer multiple indignities in order to raise enough money to pay for cheerleading camp. And badly enough to convince his reluctant but loving single mom (the essential Carrie Preston) to let him try.
With the help of a drifter uncle (Carrie's real-life brother, John G. Preston) and gay neighbor (Carrie's real-life husband, Michael Emerson, above right), one kid's dream becomes the lynch-pin that connects this family. Like Breakfast With Scot, this one made me laugh and cry, but at the former, I had to forgive the formulaic plotting and inconsistent characters to get there. No such allowances are required here. Ready? OK! has pitch-perfect performances and assured direction. It is an unexpected, charming, moving, delightful discovery.
The film screens Saturday morning at Outfest in Los Angeles and will continue its trip down the festival circuit all summer.
-- EDDIE SHAPIRO
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