Robin Williams' Boulevard of Found Dreams

Boulevard kicks off like a melancholic Pretty Woman. Driving alone at night, listless Nolan (Robin Williams) unwittingly picks up young hustler Leo (Roberto Aguire), whom he nearly hits with his car. Nolan offers a ride, Leo offers sexual favors, and Nolan is as taken aback as he is intrigued. Yet the film is a sexless exploration of sexual orientation. Nolan adopts more of a paternal role toward Leo, in return for the long-awaited reassurance that Nolan is indeed gay. Throughout Boulevard, one wonders if Nolan ever would have been true to himself if he hadn't met Leo, or if he would've just stayed married to Joy (Kathy Baker). It feels like a privilege that Williams's tenderhearted final performance puts a face on a silently suffering subset of our community: men who struggle to be themselves long after crafting a life they thought was mandatory. In a small way, Williams shows those men the light at tunnel's end.

Boulevard is currently in select theaters. Watch the trailer below: