''2by4'' or ''2 x 4'' (Two by Four) is a 1998 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by and starring Jimmy Smallhorne. The semi-autobiographical screenplay, co-written by Smallhorne along with Terry McGoff and Fergus Tighe, focuses on the bisexual foreman of a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

construction crew. At the January 1998

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

, the film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and Declan Quinn won the Cinematography Award. It was released in New York City on November 26, 1999.

Plot

Johnnie Maher is under a lot of pressure. Recently emigrated from Ireland to The Bronx, he sleepwalks and experiences nightmares. Try as he might, he can not identify the cause of his torment or make sense of the fleeting remains of his dreams. He shrugs them off, but things seem to be getting worse. Johnnie works as foreman on his uncle Trump's construction crew. Work tensions run high as the building owners complain about the cost and pace, while the workers constantly find their pay-packets shorted. Sly as a fox, Uncle Trump always explains everything away. Even when arrested for indecent exposure in a park frequented by gay men on the prowl for sex, he handily swears he only stopped there to relieve himself and was arrested by mistake. Openly bisexual, Johnnie's pressures mount when his girlfriend, Maria, and a sex-partner, Christian, begin to pressure him for more commitment. He fumbles his responses, and no one is satisfied. Finally, Johnnie catches his Uncle Trump in an act that fractures the dam of memories, and in a short time, they come flooding back into Johnnie's consciousness. Although shaken to his core, Johnnie finds the answers he needs. Most importantly, he survives the flood and can finally move forward.

Cast

* Jimmy Smallhorne as Johnnie Maher *Chris O'Neill as Uncle Trump *Bradley Fitts as Christian *Holyoke Joe as Joe *Terry McGoff as Billy *Michael Liebman as Eddie *Ronan Carr as Brains *Leo Hamill as Paddy *Seamus McDonagh as Conor *Kimberly Topper as Maria

Critical reception

Anita Gates of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called the film "an interesting and adeptly made drama" but thought "its message is unclear." Although Glenn Lovell of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' called the film a "bracing, beautifully shot upstart drama," he observed, "It's a safe bet ... twon't win over the '' Far and Away'' date crowd."''Variety'' review
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References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0138988, title=2by4 1999 drama films 1998 LGBTQ-related films 1998 films American drama films American LGBTQ-related films Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City American independent films 1990s LGBTQ-related drama films Films about male bisexuality 1999 independent films 1999 films 1998 drama films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films English-language drama films English-language independent films