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Year: Distributor: Director: Cast: 2004 Ariztical Entertainment Q. Allan Brocka Scott Lunsford: Caleb Jim Verraros: Kyle Ryan Carnes: Marc Emily Stiles: Gwen more...

Remember that kid from American Idol? You know, he was kinda young, shy, and baby-faced. He made an impression with his old-fashioned song in the audition phase, but once he made it to the top ten, a lot of people said he didn't belong. Still, he hasn't given up, and is still working on making a name for himself in the entertainment field.

No, I'm not talking about John Stevens and his new CD " Red." Instead, I'm talking about Jim Verraros, who auditioned on the first season of American Idol with "When I Fall in Love" (which he signed, in honor of his deaf parents). Jim is one of the leads in the movie "Eating Out," an indie film that has been playing festivals and in limited distribution across the United States, and which is coming out today on DVD.

In "Eating Out," Jim plays Kyle, a gay college student living with a hunky roommate, Caleb (Scott Lunsford). Jim has a bit of an unrequited crush on Caleb, who is straight, but that's the least of his worries. Of greater concern is his crush on Marc (Ryan Carnes, recently on Desperate Housewives), who doesn't seem to know he's alive. When Caleb falls for Gwen (Emily Stiles), Marc's roommate, who has a thing for gay guys, Kyle comes up with the perfect solution: Caleb will pretend that he's gay and date Marc, in order to get to know Gwen better. Then, once he and Gwen have grown closer, Caleb will "come out" as straight and start dating Gwen, sending the distraught Marc into Kyle's arms. If you've read "A Midsummer Night's Dream," you'll have some idea of how well this plan works.

This plot summary makes Jim seem like the lead in the movie; actually, he's more of the B story, which is a shame. Surprisingly, Jim does a fine job in his first major role in a movie. He's grown up quite a bit since his American Idol days, and sports a more mature look. More importantly, he gives an entirely natural performance, showing Kyle as a character who is alternately charming, bitchy, or vulnerable.

Unfortunately, Jim is the best thing in the movie. Ryan Carnes is adequate as Marc, but it was hard for me to see him as the utter dreamboat the role required. Scott Lunsford is definitely hunky, but wooden in his performance. And Emily Stiles's character of Gwen was a nightmare! Loud, shrill, and obnoxious -- it was impossible to imagine why anyone would want to date her, much less go through the machinations that Caleb did.

While the character of Gwen is the clearest example, the movie is filled with missteps, including an unfortunate, cheesy pseudo-porn scene as the opening, and inadequate character development for the leads (Marc was supposed to be a great pianist, and that was purportedly demonstrated while playing with three other pianists; Kyle was supposed to be a musician, but despite Jim's background in music we never saw direct evidence of Kyle's musical ability).

Positive points of the movie -- in addition to Jim Verraros -- include some snappy dialogue, and some good eye candy. If you're already a fan of one of the leads, that might be enough to get you through the movie. Otherwise, I'd recommend giving this one a miss.

Overall Rating: C-

The DVD version, which I have not seen, includes a director's commentary, outtakes, and filmmaker's commentary.

Official "Eating Out" Site | Jim Verraros's Site