"Oy Vey, My Son Is Gay" @ Toronto Inside Out Internation Film Festival

"Oy Vey, My Son Is Gay" is the story of the Hirsch's, a Jewish family living in the North Shore of Long Island, where every Friday night Shirley Hirsch (Lainie Kazan) invites another "perfect" girl for Shabbat dinner in hopes that her son, Nelson (John Lloyd Young), will marry a nice Jewish girl. When Shirley and Martin (Saul Rubinek) once again set him up on a date, Nelson reveals that he is already seeing someone. Shirley and Martin are thrilled and can't wait to meet the lucky lady.
In a motherly attempt at finding out who her son is dating, Shirley stops by Nelson's apartment. She is greeted by Angelo Ferraro (Jai Rodriguez), Nelson's live-in boyfriend, and in order to not divulge Nelson's secret life, Angelo introduces himself as his decorator. Shirley also meets the gorgeous Sybil (Carmen Electra), Nelson's neighbor and Playpen magazine centerfold. Shirley believes that Sybil is Nelson's mysterious girlfriend. She is concerned that Sybil isn't Jewish but resigns to the fact that if her son is happy, that's all that matters and she can't wait for the rest of the family to meet Sybil at an upcoming wedding.
Nelson attempts to tell his mother that he is gay, but Shirley is too busy with her own life to listen to her son. After a long and emotional argument between Nelson and Angelo, Nelson agrees to take Angelo to his cousin's wedding, instead of Sybil. Halfway through the ceremony Nelson finally breaks the news to his parents that he's gay. At first, Shirley and Martin are confused and distraught, but when the reality starts to set in they begin to blame one another for Nelsons sexuality.
As Shirley and Martin struggle to accept this, they meet with a psychiatrist, talk with local members of the gay community, Martin goes to a gay bar in an attempt at understanding his son and he even goes as far as to try to get Sybil to sleep with Nelson to make him straight. As a last resort, Shirley and Martin have dinner with Angelos parents, Teresa and Carmine Ferraro (Vincent Pastore), in order to understand their sons lifestyles. Shirley and Teresa have sympathy for one another, unlike Martin and Carmine, who accuse each others son at being the cause of their own sons homosexuality.
Both families continue to try to hide the fact their sons are gay from their friends and co-workers, but when Nelson and Angelo decide to adopt a baby and it makes headline news, the two families must unite to defend their son's cause. In an emotional confrontation, the families stand up and fight for their gay sons right against opposition. In an emotional victory for the two families and the country, the Hirsch's and the Ferraro's not only accept the fact their sons are gay but realize how much they love them.
Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! is a romantic comedy about how far we come and yet how far we still have to go.

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