Gypsy 83
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| Gypsy 83 | |
|---|---|
Poster | |
| Directed by | Todd Stephens |
| Screenplay by | Todd Stephens |
| Story by | Todd Stephens Tim Kaltenecker |
| Produced by | Todd Stephens Todd Calvin Karen Jaroneski Christine McAndrews |
| Starring | Sara Rue Kett Turton |
| Cinematography | Gina Degirolamo Mai Iskander |
| Edited by | Annette Davey |
| Music by | Marty Beller |
Production companies | Luna Pictures Staccato Films Velvet Films |
| Distributed by | Palisades Pictures Small Planet Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $29,367 |
Gypsy 83 is an American 2001 drama film, written and directed by Todd Stephens. The film is about two young goths, Gypsy and Clive, who travel to New York for an annual festival celebrating their idol, Stevie Nicks.
Filming took place in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.
Plot
[edit]25 year old Gypsy Vale (Sara Rue) and 18 year old Clive Webb (Kett Turton) are two goths living in Sandusky, Ohio. Gypsy's parents, Ray (John Doe) and Velvet (Marlene Wallace), once were in a band together, and Gypsy now aspires to be a famous singer, like her idol, Stevie Nicks. Because of her mother's disappearance, she hesitates to leave her father alone in Sandusky to pursue her dreams.
While checking updates on a Stevie Nicks fansite, Clive discovers the Night of a Thousand Stevies event in New York. After a long and heated discussion with Gypsy, her father reveals that her mother didn't just disappear, or die: she left to follow her dream of becoming a famous singer. Despite this, Clive finally convinces Gypsy to go to New York.
Along the way, Gypsy and Clive encounter various characters and obstacles. They pick up a hitchhiker named Zechariah, who claims he is running away from the Amish life. The three decide to stop and spend the night at a rest stop.
While there, Clive expresses his attraction for Zechariah, but Zechariah says he's attracted to Gypsy. Clive is embarrassed and runs away. Gypsy is surprised and flattered and as a result, she and Zechariah end up sleeping together.
Afterward, Zechariah says he's made a mistake and must return home. Enraged, Gypsy throws him out of the restroom where she stays at the rest stop. Meanwhile, Clive is accosted in secret by Troy, who is also spending the night at the rest stop with his fraternity brothers, and the two have a sexual encounter.
The next morning, while Gypsy and Clive try to console each other and make sense of the previous night's events, the two are egged and mocked by the fraternity brothers as they leave the rest area while Troy sits silently. They miss the auditions for the Night of a Thousand Stevies, and Gypsy learns that her mother committed suicide 4 years earlier.
The sympathetic Mistress of Ceremonies, also her mother's best friend when she was in New York, allows Gypsy to perform a song she wrote for her mother at the show's end. In the end, Gypsy stays in New York to pursue her musical aspirations like her mother, and Clive returns to Sandusky to finish high school but plans to return to New York after he graduates.
Cast
[edit]- Sara Rue as Gypsy Vale
- Kett Turton as Clive Webb
- Karen Black as Bambi LeBleau, a retired singer
- John Doe as Ray Vale, Gypsy's father
- Marlene Wallace as Velvet Vale, Gypsy's mother
- Anson Scoville as Zechariah Peachy, an Amish runaway
- Paulo Costanzo as Troy, a college frat boy
- Carolyn Baeumler as Lois
- Stephanie McVay as Polly Pearl
- Amanda Talbot as Connie
- Vera Beren as Empress Chi Chi Valenti, a goth club matron
- Andersen Gabrych as Banning
Music
[edit]The film's original music was composed by Marty Beller. The soundtrack features well known icons of the gothic subculture, such as The Cure, Claire Voyant, and electronic music artists Velvet Acid Christ and Apoptygma Berzerk. The film also features a cover of Stevie Nicks' 1985 hit Talk to Me (Stevie Nicks song) by gothic rock band Diva Destruction.
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 54% of 26 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "This coming-of-age story of alienated youth is too familiar."[1]
Awards and nominations
[edit]- Wins
L.A. Outfest
- Grand Jury Award – Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film (Kett Turton) (Tied with Paul Dano in L.I.E. (2001))
Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
- Award for Excellence – Best New Director (Todd Stephens)
Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- Audience Award – Best Feature Film (Todd Stephens)
Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
- Audience Award – Best Feature Film or Video (Todd Stephens)
- Nominations
Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- Best Feature Film (Todd Stephens)
References
[edit]External links
[edit]Gypsy 83
View on GrokipediaBackground and Production
Development and Writing
Gypsy 83 was written by Todd Stephens in collaboration with Tim Kaltenecker.[6] Stephens initiated development of the story amid challenges rewriting his prior film Edge of Seventeen (1998), considering temporarily shelving that project to focus on the new narrative.[6] The concept originated from Stephens' attendance at a Stevie Nicks concert in summer 1994 during her Street Angel tour era, where he observed diverse fans, including a large woman named Susan Childs embodying Nicks' persona, which influenced character creation and themes of transformation.[6] Goth subculture elements, drawn from bands like The Cure and Bauhaus, were integrated via personal connections, such as acquaintance Art L'Hommedieu, a goth emulating Nicks.[6] Rooted in Stephens' experiences as an outsider in Sandusky, Ohio, the screenplay emphasized self-acceptance and confronting fear, centering on protagonist Gypsy as a "big, sexy, damaged woman" inspired by Nicks' resilience and a lost Ohio acquaintance.[6] This personal lens shaped the script's exploration of misfit identities in small-town settings, continuing motifs from Stephens' earlier works.[6]Filming and Locations
Principal photography for Gypsy 83 occurred primarily in Sandusky, Ohio, with key scenes filmed around Cedar Point amusement park and its surrounding areas to depict the protagonists' small-town environment.[7] The production captured the authentic Midwestern locale, aligning with director Todd Stephens' focus on Ohio-based narratives in his "Sandusky Trilogy."[7] Scenes set in New York City, including the journey's endpoint at a Stevie Nicks tribute event, were shot on location in the city prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks, incorporating skyline views that prominently featured the World Trade Center towers.[6] Producers later expressed concerns over retaining these pre-9/11 visuals due to their historical sensitivity, but they were preserved in the original release.[6] No specific start or end dates for principal photography have been publicly detailed, though the film wrapped in time for its June 2001 premiere.Plot
Gypsy 83 follows Gypsy (Sara Rue), a 25-year-old goth living in Sandusky, Ohio, who emulates her idol Stevie Nicks through shawls, sequins, and songwriting ambitions, while enduring a stagnant life working in her father's diner after her mother's abandonment to pursue a singing career.[8] Her closest companion is Clive (Kett Turton), a young gay man stifled by his homophobic family and hardware store job, who harbors dreams of drag performance but conceals his orientation in their conservative town.[9] United by their shared gothic aesthetic and Fleetwood Mac fandom, particularly Stevie Nicks, the duo discovers an event called "The Night of 1,000 Stevies" in New York City—a tribute concert and impersonation contest—and resolves to drive there in Clive's 1979 Trans Am to escape their isolation and chase self-realization.[10][6] En route, Gypsy and Clive pick up a hitchhiking Stevie Nicks impersonator (Toni Ann Rossi), whose presence stirs emotional confrontations and insights into their personal insecurities, including Gypsy's unresolved maternal trauma and Clive's suppressed identity.[11] They also cross paths with other eccentrics, such as a lesbian country-western singer, amplifying themes of outsider camaraderie amid roadside adversities like harassment from locals.[12] In New York, the protagonists immerse in the drag and goth scenes, performing at the event and grappling with the gap between fantasy and reality, culminating in pivotal choices about their futures.[13][2]Cast and Characters
The lead role of Gypsy Vale, a goth-identifying young woman from small-town Ohio who idolizes Stevie Nicks and embarks on a road trip to New York City, is played by Sara Rue.[3][1] Kett Turton portrays Clive Webb, Gypsy's best friend and fellow outsider who joins her on the journey to attend "The Night of 1,000 Stevies" event.[1][14] Karen Black stars as Bambi LeBleau, Gypsy's estranged mother and a former singer whose abandonment shapes the protagonist's backstory.[1] John Doe appears as Ray Vale, Gypsy's father.[1] Supporting roles include Anson Scoville as Zechariah Peachey and Paulo Costanzo as Troy, contributing to the film's ensemble of quirky characters encountered during the protagonists' adventure.[15]| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Sara Rue | Gypsy Vale |
| Kett Turton | Clive Webb |
| Karen Black | Bambi LeBleau |
| John Doe | Ray Vale |
| Anson Scoville | Zechariah Peachey |
| Paulo Costanzo | Troy |