Get Real Gallery

 
© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

In Get Real, Ben plays the lead role of Steve Carter – a pretty average schoolboy from Basingstoke, which is a very average town in the county of Hampshire in the southern part of England. What makes Steven different is the fact that he is gay, and essentially the film deals with his ‘coming out’ adventure.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

Steven’s best pal is his next door neighbour, and absolute stereotypical fag hag, Linda. (By the way, this scene is shot in the main shopping area in Basingstoke, known to the locals as ‘The Top Of Town’ – and regular gathering place after the pubs close for a fight).


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

At school. Steven is an easy target for bullying. Quiet and softly spoken, he inevitably comes in for a lot of stick.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

In contrast to his timidness at school, Steven isn’t shy about picking up men at the local ‘cottage’ (public toilets for the American visitors!). In this scene, outside the toilets, Linda is teasing Steven about who he’s going to pull next.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

Steven in the public toilet. Notice the convenient drill holes for pushing notes through, and those that have been bunged up with toilet tissue. A familiar sight in many cottages around Britain!


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

Another shot in the cottage.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

After passing a note through the toilet wall, Steven waits outside to meet his ‘trade’. This turns out to be John, a ‘jock’ from his school. Well, imagine his surprise…


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

One thing leads to another and before you know it, John is back at Steven’s place in his bedroom. What a mischievous look on his face!


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

After some initial hiccups the pair are having a clandestine affair, and while John’s parents are away one weekend Steven goes round…


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

…and they end up in the pool.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

The topless shot!


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

And then they kiss, at which point half the audience go ‘ahhh’ and the other half choke on their popcorn.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

It looks like it’s all going well for Steven and John, but then Steven goes and upsets the apple cart by writing a piece (anonymously) for the school magazine called ‘Get Real’ all about being gay and growing up in a heterosexual society.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

Of course it doesn’t take some of his school chums long to realise that he is the author. (By the way, don’t you think Ben looks great in this shot?)


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

Sports/Open day, and things are starting to get complicated. All the parents have turned out in force and Steven has just come out to his, not receiving the best of reactions from his father.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

Remember that piece Steven wrote for the school magazine? Well, John gets wind of it and doesn’t give Steven a great reception when he comes up all smiles at the track. What becomes very obvious is that Steven is actually quite happy with his sexuality, but John is far from comfortable. Being seen with Steven may be too dangerous for John.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

A little shell shocked from John’s reaction, Steven is then confronted by Jessica (who has been chasing him round like a lap dog anyway), who now realises two things. One, Steven is the author of ‘Get Real’ and two, he must be dating John.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

After an argument with John in the changing rooms, John’s thug mates find Steven ripping up John’s track kit. John arrives and tells them he’ll deal with it.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

John proceeds to bash his sports bag while Steven musters up some convincing ‘ouch’ type sounds. However, just as they are about to get into another smooch, John’s thug mates rush in and catch them in a clinch. Oops.


© PARAMOUNT CLASSICS

Steven is set to win a prize at the school presentation. After the bust up in the changing rooms, he’s left with a cut to his head courtesy of John trying to rescue the embarrassing situation in front of his friends.