Talk about pressure. When Nicholas Downs nabbed the role of the charming, gay hopeless romantic in "Is It Just Me?," the director told him, half-jokingly, "I don't want to freak you out, but just so you know, the movie sort of rests on your shoulders – so don't fuck it up."
And when the rom-com premieres locally at 8 p.m. March 5 at the Burton Theatre as part of the first-ever Detroit Independent Film Festival, you'll see that Downs didn't. He's a total catch as the affable lead Blaine, who's on a seemingly impossible quest to find Mr. Right. The festival-circuit-making indie taps into something that's rarely done – and done well – among a heaping mess of gay, hyper-sexual slop.
"To some degree, there's a Blaine in all of us," assures Downs, who will appear during the screening with producer Mike Amato and writer-director J.C. Calciano. "I'm definitely not Blaine, but I feel like we can all understand and relate to him."
For Downs, who's filmed parts for big-budget flicks like ueber-filmmaker Michael Bay's "Pearl Harbor" (credited as the "Terrified Sailor") and several other indie dramas, being the contradictory Blaine was sometimes a frustrating feat. He had to be likeable – but not too much, or else we'd abhor him. He had to be insecure and all me-against-the-world – but, again, not too much, or else he'd drive us nuts.
"The difficulty in casting the role of Blaine was the same reason I almost didn't make the film at all," says Calciano, who modeled the character after himself and cast Downs because he sensed similarities between them.
"There's a fine line between 'endearing' and 'annoying,'" he adds. "I knew whoever played Blaine needed to be adorably self-defeatist in nature. I wanted the audience to think, 'He's so cute, why couldn't he find a boyfriend?'"
That problem is Blaine's attitude – and the lie he lays on Xander, a cute Southern sweetheart he meets online, to cover his ass after making a big oopsy: sharing the wrong profile pic with his prospective beau. As silly as that set-up sounds, "Is It Just Me?" is thankfully low on cheap innuendo and campy ha-has, offering a solid script and some of the finest acting seen in gay rom-coms.
It's also a dream 20 years in the making for Calciano, who's been wanting to write, produce and direct his own film for that long. Initially screened among a laughing, crying and engaged focus group in a 250-seat theater, Calciano saw his little movie become a big deal among a bunch of strangers.
"Many people dream of making movies. For two decades, I had the same dream," Calciano says. "It struck me in that theater that I finally accomplished a life goal. Watching people enjoy the film, smiling one moment and emotional – or even crying – at the next, it's just more gratifying than I ever expected."
Downs was immediately drawn to the script because it defied gay-film stereotypes and guidelines. "It's funny, it's very sweet, it has wonderful moments to it," gushes Downs, who dug the parellels between "Is It Just Me?" and Steve Martin's 1987 film "Roxanne."
He adds, "The story was something that I knew and that I could relate to."
Not always the case. He's read a lot of garbage, and passed on many roles because of that. With "Is It Just Me?," he was confident he could hawk this film without faking it.
Downs began his career while growing up in Iowa, giving up a future in marine biology to shoot Sega Channel and McDonald's commercials. His first film, the made-for-TV "Harvest of Fire," was released in 1996 and starred Patty Duke. He shot a scene with Kate Winslet for the Nancy Meyers' chick-flick "The Holiday" (it didn't make the final cut), and appeared on a 2007 episode of "Cold Case" as a grunged-out creepster.
This is his first major gay role, but if a former agent had anything to do with it, it would've never happened. Years ago, he advised Downs to avoid queer characters. "I've always been a little defiant. So I said, 'You know what, I don't care if it's gay, straight, man, woman or dog, I'm gonna play the role that's good.'"
Being gay did him a service, he thinks, when it came to playing Blaine. "A capable actor could've played this role – a capable actor can play any role. But I think it helped being gay to really fully realize the characer of Blaine."
Even a shower scene, where he bares his ass, benefits from knowing Downs is actually gay (at least we know we have a chance if Xander doesn't take the bait, right?). Shooting that part, he almost decided to go more modest and don flesh-toned underwear. Those got soggy and gross and proved a greater annoyance than he imagined, "so after a while I was like, 'Screw this.'"
That, maybe shockingly, is the only nudity in "Is It Just Me?" – so don't go in expecting an "Eating Out"-type time. Things get raw, but not like that.
"I hope that audiences take away a few things: An enjoyable experience. An insight about how we all effect each other's lives. An insight into relationships," says Calciano. "I'm a 45-year-old man in an 11-year relationship, and I think that I've learned a few things about life that are worth sharing. My goal in making this movie was to not only entertain people, but also to share a positive message about gay relationships."
And a nice butt.
'Is It Just Me?'
8 p.m. March 5
Burton Theatre
3420 Cass Ave., Detroit
For more information, visit http://www.burtontheatre.com and http://www.detroitindiefest.com.
