I am not gay.

I may, however, be Del Shores' worst nightmare.

I'm a paraplegic, but I don't drool. Very often.

I'm a double amputee. I can never find my fake legs.

I'm a minister, but not a Southern Baptist. Amen.

Thankfully, I am not Thomas Haden Church.

Or Judge Reinhold.

I'm also a fan of Del Shores, even moreso after having seen Del Shores - My Sordid Life, a live recording of Shores' one-man show recorded in Los Angeles during his acclaimed 30-city tour across the United States. Shores, an award-winning writer/comedian responsible for such stage/cinematic productions as Sordid Lives and Southern Baptist Sissies, uses My Sordid Life to set the record straight on his celebrity encounters (both good and bad), his family life, what it was like growing up in the South and his experiences coming out as gay.

My Sordid Life is actually, I dare say, anything but sordid. It's one of the funniest, most heartfelt and intelligently written one-man shows I've seen in quite some time. I laughed. I cried. I sat there completely glued to the television screen (not literally, of course). I grew increasingly in awe of Shores' ability to weave together heart, humor, vulnerability and refreshing honesty into a performance film that made me want to run out and rent everything this man has ever written.

That's a long list.

This DVD filming of Shores' successful stage show was yet another example of a successful Kickstarter campaign, one of the latest and greatest ways for indie artists to raise the funds to support their artistic pursuits. It's a terrific opportunity to support works that might otherwise not created and, quite honestly, the world is simply a better place with Del Shores - My Sordid Life in it.

What makes Del Shores - My Sordid Life such an awesome DVD?

Well, the easy answer is Del Shores himself. Shores is honest, personable, genuine and extremely funny. There are two scenes in particular that have stayed with me - 1) In the first, Shores describes what it was like to come out to his mother. While the scene is filled with lots of humor, there's such an underlying love underneath it and an appreciation for the lengths that his mother went to in trying to understand her gay son that I was moved to tears by both mother and son 2) Secondly, there's a marvelous scene in which Shores, the son of a Southern Baptist preacher (Am I the only one who has noticed how many Southern Baptist preachers have gay sons or daughters?), goes rip-roaring against the theological hypocrisies spewed forth by so many who live their lives on the basis of five little scriptures. It's likely the film's harshest scene, yet Shores bookends it so beautifully that it plays out simply perfectly.

There's really so much more to absolutely love about Del Shores - My Sordid Life, but you're simply going to have to experience it for yourself. Fortunately, on April 3rd you can. The film has been picked up by QC Cinema, the LGBT-arm of Breaking Glass Pictures, for a DVD release. The DVD also includes extras including wonderful behind-the-scenes features. If you watch closely, you'll also see quite a few celebs in the audience who've worked with Shores over the years.

For more information on the film's upcoming DVD release, visit the Breaking Glass Pictures link to the left of this review.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic