Accolades for PBS's Reel 13: Shades of Ray

Those who know me realize that I rarely, but occasionally will run out to see a movie on a big screen. (I cannot last more than five minutes in front of the boob tube without falling asleep)

For me to keep my eyes open, it's got to be a winner: meaning it must create a high level of interest via choice of words, super acting or cinematic innovation ; when all three are combined it's a four star for me.

(The last movies I have enjoyed at the local cinema have included A Serious Man and Avatar. A PBS British sleuth masterpiece last caught my attention a few weeks ago)

Thus it came as a great surprise that I was intrigued by a TV Indie movie on NY's Channel 13.

It's 2:30 AM this morning and waking up from 9 hours of refreshing sleep, I am ready to attack a month's worth of catch-up reading in five different newspapers, a half dozen magazines and my summer novel, The Disciple by Stephan Coonts.

So, it's surprising that I would quickly surf a few favorite channels on cable for content: The Tennis Channel, the ESPNs and finally the C-Spans.

I am just about ready to flip off the remote, when a movie on PBS's Channel 13

catches my eye. It's called Shades of Ray and its obviously an Indie and lucky for me there's another 30 minutes of the 90 minutes remaining.

The movie is a winner!

Ray is the son of a mixed cultural marriage: his mom is American Caucasian and his pop is Pakistani. His pop has split from his mom and Ray is being chased by two women. Ray is preoccupied with bringing his parents back together.

One scene caught my attention and it's delightful: Ray is bartendering and one of his flames shows up. After a flirtatious opening (Ray asks her how many bars she hopped to tracking him down), she next pins him into the vacant men's room and aggressively begins seducing him .

Ray pulls himself away before any serious lovemaking begins and storms out.

As luck would have it, his second flame just happens to show up to see Ray exiting the Men's Room followed by his stalker- amour. The former looks in disbelief and the two flames storm out of the bar together.

But this masquerade has just begun. For at this very moment, Ray's dad makes his appearance and starts screaming at his son. No son of mine will work at a bar, he barks. This is beneath you.

Ray is totally flummoxed holds his head in shame. End of scene.

Do Ray's parents reconcile? We must wait for a replay.

Here's a link to the trailer/teaser: http://www.thirteen.org/sites/reel13/this-week/current-indie/indie-shades-of-ray/1861/