Aiden (Chad Ford) and Max (Tyler Brockington) aren't a couple anymore. So imagine Aiden's surprise when out of the blue Max rings him up and asks him to be the best man at Max's commitment ceremony with his current boyfriend, Forrest (Blair Dickens). Determined to not let Max see that he's still single, Aiden recruits his roommate's outrageous friend, Lance (Scott Higgins), to attend the ceremony as his boyfriend.

Written and directed by Wade McDonald, Hold Your Peace is a film about that challenging journey of figuring out who you want to spend the rest of your life with and, as well, examines what happens when you try to deny who you really are and what you really want.

Picked up by Breaking Glass Pictures for their QC Cinema label, Hold Your Peace is an intelligent and entertaining debut feature from McDonald, whose previous film work has been as D.P. on three shorts. The film had quite a bit of success on the festival circuit including stops at Rhode Island International Film Festival, Philadelphia QFest and San Diego's FilmOut Festival.

Much of the film's success can be attributed to McDonald's solid casting for the film including Chad Ford as Aiden, who does a terrific job of portraying Aiden's complicated feelings and increasing confusion as he realizes over time that he's far more unresolved than he'd imagined. Scott Higgins also does a nice job as "Brick," with his scenes with friend Janice (Aleisha Force) giving the film much of its humor.

McDonald also lenses the film, giving Hold Your Peace a refreshing degree of clarity and warmth. As Max, Tyler Brockington is best when he's embodying Max's lighthearted playfulness and fun side as in his early scenes with Blair Dickens' Forrest. Aleisha Force is also a delight as Brick's best friend.

By no means a groundbreaking film, Hold Your Peace is simply a gay romantic comedy that transcends its genre by dealing with universal themes and everyday life issues. The film hits home video on December 6, 2011. For more information, visit the Breaking Glass Pictures website for Hold Your Peace.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic