Five best friends in their late 20's discover new truths about themselves and the friendships they thought would last forever.
Charts the lives of five New Yorkers, a mix of gay and straight best friends about to turn thirty. THE NEW TWENTY paints the portrait of a generation living the highs and lows of a Wall Street world destined to disappear overnight.—Anonymous
Five best friends in their late 20s face the disintegration of their tightknit urban tribe. A colorful mishmash of gay, straight, white, brown, funny, smart people, this group lives and breathes New York City with a vivid emotional realism that captures the tenor of a new generation. As the war in Iraq smolders in the background, these melancholy if amusing young adults suffer from, as loner Felix puts it: "a touch of existential malaise courtesy of late capitalism - you know, the usual."
Andrew, Felix, Tony, Julie and Ben bond as fast friends while attending a small liberal arts college. After graduation, they move to New York and the group friendship endures. We meet them again, seven years later, as Andrew and Julie announce their engagement. While this is welcome and expected news, the official coupling signals the beginning of the end: the utopian bubble of group love must burst!
For the first time the group entertains an outsider: the older, charismatic Louie, who dazzles and amuses them with his aura of grown-up success and power and with his unabashed vulgarity. Streetwise, sexy and Machiavellian, Louie circles the group, briefly joins it, and forever changes its chemistry. When he makes a tempting business proposal, alpha-male Andrew the most ambitious and impatient of the lot cannot resist. Louie meanwhile casts a keen eye on Andrews fiancée, Julie.
What begins as a simple business proposal creates a rift between Andrew and the others. As their lives play out in overlapping storylines, each character searches for some deeper connection thats just out of grasp: for court jester Ben, its secret sex with other men; for Tony, a commitment to love; for Felix, the easy escape of drugs and the casual sex they inspire; and for Julie, the struggle to make sense of her own desire as the only woman in this chorus of confused men (most of whom, it seems, desire her). As for alpha-male Andrew? He wants it all, of course, and must therefore lose it all.
A debauched bachelor party orchestrated by Louie sets the scene for the groups final moment. Absurd, sad, funny and ultimately heartrending, the climactic party opens the door for some surprising new futures for all of the characters. As in life, the net result is a mixed bag: sweet and sour, happy and sad, and hopeful. The group bond may be a thing of the past, but some friendships last.
Centers on five attractive college friends--gay and straight--in New York City. About to enter new life stages, each seeks some kind of connection. Ben cruises for guys online while Tony looks for commitment from his handsome professor boyfriend Robert. No matter how rewarding or difficult (and everything in between) life is for these almost-thirtysomethings, they can always rely on the strong bonds of friendship. [D-Man2010]
