Henry Gamble is a closeted teenager and active member of a church youth group. He and his friend Gabe masturbate together while discussing a girl who will be at his birthday party tomorrow before falling asleep. The next morning the boys join the rest of the Gamble family for breakfast, before Henry’s 17th birthday party begins.

The party guests arrive and the film cuts between various storylines going on amongst them. Most of the party guests are members of the same church congregation, with the exception of some of Henry's school friends. One of the adult guests brings wine. Some of the adults are initially opposed to the wine, but by the end of the party most of them are either tipsy or drunk.

Bob Gamble is the patriarch of the family and head preacher of their church. Kat Gamble is the matriarch and also plays an active role in the church leadership. Their marriage is strained as Kat has had an affair and no longer has romantic feelings towards Bob. By the end of the film Kat tells Bob that she wants a break in the marriage, and that she intends on temporarily moving outside of their house. Kat encourages Bob to use their time apart to strengthen his relationship with Henry, and to accept their son's homosexuality.

Autumn, the elder Gamble child, is a freshman at a Christian college. She struggles with the loss of her virginity to her ex-boyfriend. Although it was a mutual decision to have sex, she feels a crisis of faith as a result of having sex before marriage. By the end of the film she has reconciled and get back together with her boyfriend.

Ricky is a party guest and member of the church congregation. He wishes to resume his duties as a camp chaperone for the church's annual summer camp, but church leadership is uncomfortable with this due to an incident from the previous year. Ricky was showering with some of the teenagers and they noticed he had an erection, prompting the kids to complain to the church. Noticed that many of the party goers feel uncomfortable around him, Ricky goes to the bathroom and has a nervous breakdown. He then takes a razor and severely lacerates his face, prompting his mother and various party guests to take him to hospital.

Party guest Logan has unreciprocated romantic feelings for Henry. Throughout the party Henry is cold towards Logan, but by the end of the film Henry asks Logan to spend the night with him. Henry and Logan lie in bed together, and Henry apologizes for his behavior. Henry then asks Logan if he wants to kiss, to which Logan says yes.

• Cole Doman as Henry Gamble
• Pat Healy as Bob Gamble
• Elizabeth Laidlaw as Kat Gamble
• Nina Ganet as Autumn Gamble
• Tyler Ross as Aaron
• Francis Guinan as Larry Montgomery
• Hanna Dworkin as Bonnie Montgomery
• Darci Nalepa as Grace Montgomery
• Patrick Andrews as Ricky Matthews
• Meg Thalken as Rose Matthews
• Kelly O'Sullivan as Candice Noble
• Travis Knight as Keith Noble
• Daniel Kyri as Logan
• Joe Keery as Gabe
• Mia Hulen as Emily
• Jack Ball as Jon
• Melanie Neilan as Christine
• Grace Melon as Heather
• Spencer Curnutt as Cooper
• Zoe Tyson as Cheyenne

The film had a principal production schedule of 18 days.^[2]

The film was premiered on May 7, 2015 at the Maryland Film Festival.^[3] The film later premiered in New York City at the BAMcinemaFest on June 25, 2015.^[4][5]

Home media edit

On September 8, 2015, it was reported that Wolfe Video had acquired the rights to Henry Gamble's Birthday Party with plans to distribute the film on VOD and DVD in early 2016.^[1]

Critical response edit

Henry Gamble's Birthday Party received a generally positive response from critics. As of June 2023^[update], the film holds an 86% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews with an average rating of 6.6/10.^[6] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 59 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[7]

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a "somewhat less successful" work than Cone's similarly themed 2011 film The Wise Kids, but nevertheless lauded, "The film works best in its quieter moments, especially in its touching climactic scene in which Henry, sensitively portrayed by Doman in his film debut, finally allows himself to act on his suppressed impulses. It adds a welcome hopeful note to the preceding turmoil, reminding us yet again that the heart inevitably wants what it wants."^[8] Carson Kohler of Vox also praised the film, writing, "There are so many substantial issues that this birthday party illuminates. Sexuality. The church. Sexuality and the church. And that's one line of the issues."^[9] Joe Ehrman-Dupre of Indiewire praised the film as "miraculous" and wrote:

"It's very difficult for me to hate people," Stephen Cone tells me, and I believe him. If he were a vengeful writer, or an angry director—if he didn't care so damn much about each and every one of his characters—this "Birthday Party" would quickly devolve into stereotypical zealot madness. As it stands, though, Henry Gamble has surrounded himself with complex, difficult, frustrated people. Essentially, people with stories, just like you and me.^[10]

Ben Kenigsberg The New York Times gave the film a more mixed review, however, describing Cone as "not a sophisticated writer" and remarking, "Henry Gamble's Birthday Party feels sincere but not accomplished, empathetic but not deep."^[11]

Accolades edit

The film was awarded the SHOUT Jury Award and the Audience Narrative Award at the 2015 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.^[1][12]

• Henry Gamble's Birthday Party at IMDb  
• Criterion Channel^{[permanent dead link]}