June 9, 1998: a gray movie's big crossover break. (From the Advocate Archives).

While only a handful of summer movies this year have gay characters, just four years ago a little movie called Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss seemed to have all the potential for a big gay indie hit with crossover appeal. Starring a pre-Will & Grace Sean Hayes, the romantic comedy follows the attempts of a Los Angeles photographer to court a gorgeous, sexually ambiguous new friend. "After a decade of edgy, angst-ridden queer cinema, Billy dares to be breezy, a Southern California souffle with pretty boys, honey-dripped sunsets, and snappy dialogue," wrote Advocate film critic Edward Guthmann.

Ray Price, senior vice president of Trimark, the studio which gave the film wide distribution, said the film's lack of seriousness is what makes it an inspiration. "I grew up in a world where everybody was ashamed to be different," Price said. "What amazes me about [the character] Billy is, he's not ashamed of anything. He's like the Sandra Dee character who's trying to find the American dream."