Jeffrey (film)

Jeffrey is a 1995 American gay romantic comedy movie directed by Christopher Ashley. It is based on a play by Paul Rudnick, who also wrote the screenplay.

Plot
The story takes place in Manhattan during the height of the AIDS epidemic and revolves around the title character (Steven Weber), a gay man who has sworn off sex because of it. Almost immediately thereafter he meets Steve (Michael T. Weiss), a hunky, charming HIV+ man. He then experiences an emotional conflict as he must face his fear in order to accept love. The movie features cameos by Olympia Dukakis, Nathan Lane, and Sigourney Weaver; Christine Baranski has a small but memorable role as the socialite hostess of a fundraiser that (in Jeffrey's imagination) turns into a cater-waiter hoedown orgy. It co-stars Patrick Stewart as Sterling, an older gay decorator whose partner (Bryan Batt) dies of AIDS complications.

Promotion
Notably the producers of the film were some of the first to utilize the internet as a form of promotions. There was a rudimentary web site established with a "Jeffrey Calling Card Sweepstakes." The grand prize winner received a variety of memorabilia including a special calling card that, when reloaded with minutes, benefitted AmfAR.