MovieChat Forums > Get Real (1999) Discussion > Does anyone know how the real play 'What...

Does anyone know how the real play 'What's the matter with Angry?' ended


I would love to know, because that scene of John & Steven on the bench in the sports field at the very end has always been a bit unclear to me. John (after brutally kicking Steven in the ribs) says he's never loved anyone so much? (how many times did he apologize in the film and ask for help/another chance?) Steven says "you do realize what I did back there?" That always confused me. John already knows the whole school has much more than an inkling with the magazine before the race. Both sets of parents talked on the field, and then Steven announces it during his awards speech. So frankly, I'm not sure what Steven's question was about. If he wanted to give John another chance, John basically asked for one when he said "he'd never loved anyone so much." So, I'm thinking maybe if I saw the actual play script, I could get some understanding of what the film producers extracted. Thanks to whomever answers.

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I take it you are new to the film. The direct answer to your question, is no. Apparently according to many of the posts the screen play is not available and of course the actual play goers are few and far between.
Your observations however are right on point and the reason the film became and still is a cult classic. It just ended leaving everyone in the air which led to the Fan Fiction on the web site with many alternative continuing scenarios. Contact in private message and I can give you many resources to explore.

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No is the answer to your question as it very rarely gets revived here and the play isn't available to buy.

Honestly, I don't see how the ending is at all confusing. When Steven asks that question, he's implicitly imploring John to come out of the closet and be with him openly. Yes, John knows some of the school and his parents have an inkling of what went on but his background, status at the school and future plans means that the day after the speech, it would be very unlikely that anybody would speak a word of their suspicions and the implications of Steven's speech.

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I agree. One can only hope that some of the Fan Fiction stories could come true. At least I enjoy reading them and believing in the possibility.

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SirJeremy - glad it was clear to you, it wasn't to me. First of all go back and re-read what I posted. (EG the school KNOWS, not an inkling)and the tone in Steven's voice was questioning as if John did NOT understand. Now I suppose in a very literary way, I will acknowledge that it is more than possible that was Steven's way of asking him to come out of the closet. But John gave him major hints throughout the movie that he wouldn't be. Having Kids, acting surprised Steven would want to visit him in Harvard or wherever. Other things too. Esp. the locker room scene heavens that was just an hour or so before where John is furious saying NOT if everyone knows. So I'm not a total idiot for missing what you and others seem to take for granted. To repeat another topic if it is all so clear, why did Steven go looking for John anyway at the sports field? John asked for another chance by declaring his love and Steven should have said what he said in the rain - John, it just can't work.........

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I've seen the film about fifteen times and FYI the school do not know about the relationship. I agree the tone in Steven's question was as if John didn't understand but at the same time, while it's not overtly said, Steven wants John to make the change and come out of the closet, a final attempt. I think that even though Steven strongly suspected John wouldn't come out because of the hints John gave him (and because of his experience with that married man), the question after the speech was a final plea to John in the sense of him saying "This is who I am and I want to be with you. If I hadn't have met you I wouldn't have done this; do you want to be with me too?".

Don't really get the question about the sports field - could you elaborate please?

You've got me churned up now thinking about this film - may have to stalk Ben tomorrow (he works round the corner from where I do ).

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When John was speaking to Steven at the track (during the meet) about the gay article, Steven said Jessica might have guessed (about John being Steven's lover) then John said the whole school will know soon. Those are his words. John's parents certainly knew after Steven spent the weekend and Steven said in his speech 'you can bet my parents aren't the only one with a Gay son" or whatever he said.

I already acknowledged the possibility even probability in retrospect that Steven may have been asking John one last time to come out. But heavens, if I missed it, a Gay man who was closeted in high school, who was making out with the captain of the football team, also closeted and seeing girls....... then John certainly could have. He & Steven were after all in love yet John couldn't quite give up Christina (yes he dumped her but he said he really liked her and she made him feel good about himself......)

Finally, if Steven is speaking in double meanings, John is too when he said he never loved someone so much. Isn't that asking for (yet another?) chance? Steven ignored it. Which is ALSO why this is confusing. Steven doesn't care or shouldn't if John comes out just for the general principle. Steven is I think you're saying, asking John to come out to BE WITH Steven.

I can't make it any clearer - John kicked the crap out of Steven in the locker room, and was extremely mean both at the track during the meet and in the locker room. If Steven didn't want to give him another chance, why go the sports field (at the very very end) and talk to John at all? John owed Steven huge apologies which if you "never loved anyone so much" should be easy to do even if you don't continue the relationship.......Steven didn't need to hunt John down, John should have come to Steven.

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I forgot that Jessica knew (because Steven told her) but nobody else did, though they did have their suspicions.

I think you're being rather idealistic, naive even, suggesting that John could have come out given who he is and where he's going, regardless of how he felt about Steven and no, he's not asking for another chance when he said that; if he is then why don't they waltz off into the sunset? Steven ignores the declaration because it's clearly not enough for him.

I thought you were talking about another scene at the sports field because again, what is going on there is as plain as day to me. Of course Steven wanted to give John another chance but that was before he realised that John couldn't/wouldn't come out.

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Steven said to John "Jessica might have guessed." At no time did he directly tell her, but he did later confirm what she guessed. ( even then it was only indirect - he says "jessica please" and she says "I won't tell anyone but you have to be more discreet.") I can't see the other posts in this format, but I quoted John's words as well which you seem to be ignoring too.** (I'm referring to the general tenor of the preceding reply) Email/written conversations are difficult sometimes, so I can't imagine where I either naively or idealistically suggested John could have come out. (let me know if you care to quote me so I can understand how i could so badly miscommunicate) I have said consistently John is selfish (how many times did I mention he repeatedly asked for more chances, apologized etc.) and that he would never come out. If you think he is not asking for another chance when he says "I've never loved anyone so much," I totally agree that is one and perhaps the most likely interpretation. Obviously it doesn't mean much for John say he never loved anyone so much or is a reflection of John's weakness/selfishness/insanity/closetness (that would be any or all of the preceding adjectives) if he DOES mean he loved him AFTER only kicking Steven savagely minutes before. But you see now, why it is confusing then. That scene could have meant several different things. When you say Steven ignored John's declaration of love because it wasn't nearly enough, I agree completely. Or it could be that is just not where his focus was at that moment. Still, I would like to know what John IS doing if he is not asking for a second chance. A half baked indirect apology? If you don't do anything else, answer what you didn't: If Steven is just asking John to come out, (when he says "you do realize what I just did back there?) why would he care if he is NOT going to get back together with John?

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I believe that Jeremy's explanation of how the English respect the private affairs of others and John's trained understanding of that is what Patrick Wilde captured. This leaves the ending completely understood to me, if that matters to anyone. It is also clear to me that Steven was asking once again so he could say goodbye and move on knowing that he had tried.

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Caltrans - Thanks for your reply. I'm not being snarky when I say I'm glad you understood it, but I didn't in some aspects and I think I gave ample reasons why. Innately, without direct awareness (at the start of this discussion at least), I know at some level the English respect private affairs. That is one angle and explanation. Different cultures handle things differently. But the plain English words of John "i've never loved anyone so much......" That is incomprehensible to me that he could say that literally 30 minutes after shoving and kicking Steven. After so many rejections, apologies and requests for second chances AND THEN the shove and kick, why would it be necessary for Steven to "try one more time?" That John is weak and selfish is more than clear at this point. We obviously disagree, but with all the evidence I've cited, I can't be 100% off base. Thanks again.

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If we could convince each of the 3 of us, we would not have had 10 posts thus far since we are all very articulate.

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I just finished reading the original play. Will have to read it again to get the real meaning that Patrick Wilde had in his words, but while there are the same basic themes in the movie as in the play it is very different. The one real thing that is different is that John and Steve were not shy and coy with each other, they were very overt in their desires for each other right from the first direct and private meeting. The very end of the play has Steve being defiant as a happy to be Gay person and John looking at him but walking away as a committed heterosexual in practice. I know that is too short, but John had already ridden through being discovered and got everyone to ignore it. The play was far more realistic about gay practices and what happens to them. It could not have been directly made into a movie except for the XXXX houses.

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I still haven't gotten around to buying the book with the play in it, but I do have a few questions. (1) When was the play written? I presume in the early 80s - the reason I ask is that at high school age, in a conservative place, it is hard to imagine Steve & John not being very shy about their desires at first. I mean, I knew myself what I wanted, but one has to be careful that the other person doesn't out you to the school or pretend you tried to "molest" him etc. (2) How did John get discovered and get everyone to ignore it? Thanks.

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Play was first staged in 1993. Written just before that. John and Steven physically explored each other at the urinal and then went to Stevens house where he always went (not the woods) because his parents were always in London. The kiss avoidance by John was a shunning of commitment. There was nothing like the Cornwall experience with Danny and then the coming out speech to Steven by John. Steve left John a message through the teacher, Hutton, that he had to go to his Nan's funeral and would not be able to meet him as planned. Hutton told John in front of Keven, etc. I will have to read it again to see if his parents found out. They were not really in the play. I will definitely have to read it again though it has really altered my thinking. It was difficult watching the movie again this morning. There were a lot of gay fiction ideas that came from the play like the death of the Nan. The end was Steve toying seriously with suicide with a pill bottle in his hand and then triumphedly accepting who he was and without love. One of the good lines was related to the cottaging under a pier and Steve called it pier pressure. Play is available in a book titled Staging Gay Lives. Many used copies available at Amazon.

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To finish my thought of the play, it is absolutely depressing, unlike the Get Real movie which was uplifting and gave many of us hope.

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I have just reread the play. The last scene is a white spot light on Steve dancing defiantly with his arms in the air. (The staging of the entire play was minimum furnishings, no scene changes and lighting to highlight the character of the moment.)In the shadows is John approaching him and then he walks away. John has already openly said that he really liked everything about what he and Steve experienced but that was a life he just could not lead openly. Hutton by the way is somewhat of a narrator throughout the play talking to the audience and at the beginning and the end talking to Steve in an attempt to keep him from doing anything drastic like taking his Mum's sleeping pills. Steve's parents got him to see a therapist as well.(See reason later.) Again all of the classic lines that we all love so much in the movie were in the play, but it truly was a very different setting. No prize day, no school mag, no Steven writing a newspaper article, etc. Oh, Steven's Father was molested by an older altar boy whom he ran away from. The altar boy became a priest. So his father wanted Steve to lie to his mother when they were told that he was gay by the head master. Steven instead broke down and admitted that it was true. Even his mother would not accept that it wasn't a phase that could be overcome.They had already been told by the school headmaster that Steven was gay and might be in a depressed mood as I said earlier. Hutton had told him but later regretted it. So the ending was typical as far as I can see and focused on the problems of English law at the time.

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I have just reread the play. The last scene is a white spot light on Steve dancing defiantly with his arms in the air. (The staging of the entire play was minimum furnishings, no scene changes and lighting to highlight the character of the moment.)In the shadows is John approaching him and then he walks away. John has already openly said that he really liked everything about what he and Steve experienced but that was a life he just could not lead openly. Hutton by the way is somewhat of a narrator throughout the play talking to the audience and at the beginning and the end talking to Steve in an attempt to keep him from doing anything drastic like taking his Mum's sleeping pills. Steve's parents got him to see a therapist as well.(See reason later.) Again all of the classic lines that we all love so much in the movie were in the play, but it truly was a very different setting. No prize day, no school mag, no Steven writing a newspaper article, etc. Oh, Steven's Father was molested by an older altar boy whom he ran away from. The altar boy became a priest. So his father wanted Steve to lie to his mother when they were told that he was gay by the head master. Steven instead broke down and admitted that it was true. Even his mother would not accept that it wasn't a phase that could be overcome.They had already been told by the school headmaster that Steven was gay and might be in a depressed mood as I said earlier. Hutton had told him but later regretted it. So the ending was typical as far as I can see and focused on the problems of English law at the time.

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One last highlight from the play: Dave had hidden a bottle of scotch in the loo earlier on the day of the first dance ever held at the all boys catholic school. Steven spotted it before the dance, drained some of it out and pissed in it. That was the bottle that John brought to Steven's house later after John told his date (sorta) that he had a headache. Steven knew the bottle and forcibly took the bottle away from John saying he had had enough and he really needed a better "blend". I thought that that was a riot. Dave and Kevin had been drinking from it during the dance.

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. . . and that is one of the elements that (as I have argued here) moves this away from the "realistic" category. Although as someone else said, "Why would we expect a same-sex romance to be portrayed any more "realistically" than most on-screen romances are (which is . . . not very). I've also said that I think I might be a little older (and more American) than most contributors here - having just seen the film - and I can tell you with a reasonable degree of certainty that in America there would have already been strong suspicions about John by the time we join the story (let's face it . . . this is every closeted school kid's WILDEST fantasy). As Wendy says (in one of the film's more "realistic" lines), "You'll have to be more discreet . . . people aren't stupid." And most high school kids, in particular, have no better way to spend their time than speculate and gossip about things like this.
All that said, I enjoyed the film for what it was, and everyone gets an A for effort . . .

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TRhett - " there would already be strong suspicions about John" and "every closeted kid's wildest fantasy" contradict each other. John didn't do anything but typical teenage things with Steven until the movie was at least 2/3 over. (if you think John did, what were they?) Teens having nothing to do but gossip doesn't make anything true (and the vast majority know it!). At a job I had in my mid 20's I was friendly but didn't divulge a great deal of personal information. The wildest rumor circulated that I was handcuffed to the steering wheel of my car, hanging out the door completely naked in a well known cruising spot at midnight. Never happened, nothing close to that ever happened but that's how life goes. And these were all people well into adulthood.

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