Dan Bucatinsky Shares Exciting Details About the 25th Anniversary of ‘All Over the Guy’ as Streaming Rights Return: “I’m Very Proud of That Movie”
Milestone Anniversary for Indie Rom-Com ‘All Over the Guy’
In an era that set the stage for films like Love, Simon and Heated Rivalry, the indie gay rom-com All Over the Guy is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Dan Bucatinsky, who starred in the film, shared an amusing incident that prompted his reflections on the anniversary. “It’s so funny you’re mentioning it because I woke up, I think at 4:00 in the morning because somebody called me—wrong number. And as I hung up, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s 2026, 25-year anniversary of All Over the Guy. What are we gonna do?’”
Bucatinsky expressed enthusiasm about commemorating the occasion, stating, “We’ll do something. I’ve got something cooked up. I’m hoping that there’s some way that one of the LGBT film festivals could do a 25th anniversary something or other… I would love to find a way to go back and bring Sasha Alexander and me and Richard and Adam Goldberg together.” He noted that the film had a 10th anniversary screening at Outfest, featuring co-stars Lisa Kudrow, Christina Ricci, and Andrea Martin. “It’s now 25 years. It’s harder to bring everyone together from wherever they are, but I would love it,” he added.
In All Over the Guy, Bucatinsky plays Eli, who finds himself on a blind date with Tom (Ruccolo), arranged by their straight friends Brett (Adam Goldberg) and Jackie (Sasha Alexander), who embark on their own romantic journey. Bucatinsky remarked, “I would love it because so much has changed in 25 years, but I think the movie still holds up… I’m very, very proud of that movie. So, stay tuned.”
The film was lauded for its departure from the darker themes prevalent in many LGBTQ stories, often focusing instead on lighter, more relatable experiences. Bucatinsky remarked, “It didn’t sort of delve deep into the dark side of what it meant to be a gay person. I really enjoyed just sort of making a rom-com where two straight people fix up their two gay best friends and there’s no other issue.”
Originally presented as a play exploring heterosexual relationships, Bucatinsky reimagined it as a gay film after being encouraged to do so. He explained, “Because really, the issues are interchangeable and universal… at that time in 1999 and 2000, 2001, it was hard for there to be a gay movie that didn’t sort of delve deep into [grim realities].”
Bucatinsky commented on the film’s production, recalling that it was made at a time when major studios hesitated to invest in LGBTQ projects. “It was produced for very little money,” he said, with Lionsgate releasing it in theaters on August 10, 2001. Reflecting on the shifting dynamics of the film industry, he stated, “First of all, it was a time when people would go to the movies a lot more than they do now…”
While reminiscing about All Over the Guy, Bucatinsky also touched upon his nearly 25-year producing partnership with Lisa Kudrow and the upcoming third and final season of The Comeback, airing Sundays at 10:30 PM ET on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.
