'Beautiful Thing' is a low budget British movie from 1996, made for television by the terrestrial TV station Channel 4. It's a further example of great gay plays being turned into great gay films; in this case, Jonathan Harvey wrote both the play and the screenplay, but turned the director's chair over to Hettie MacDonald.
Known and loved by its audience for its soundtrack, which is mostly the work of Mama Cass, 'Beautiful Thing' wasn't intended for cinematic release. The almost universal acclaim it received when it was shown on Channel 4 changed that, and it made its way into cinemas, where audiences were enthralled by the gritty tale of gay love on a poverty-stricken British council estate. It might be yet another coming-of-age drama, but it's one that's created with well-written and relatable characters who deal with their issues in believable ways.