Midwest native Billy Collier is an aspiring photographer in
Los Angeles, who has had little artistic success and much romantic frustration. While out for coffee with his roommate named Georgiana, he comes up with the idea of recreating iconic screen kisses from
Hollywood movies. That night at a party, Billy's friend Perry agrees to finance the project. Later, Billy
serendipitously runs into their coffee waiter Gabriel, whom he recruits to model. Billy becomes infatuated with Gabriel, but cannot figure out if Gabriel is
straight. Gabriel claims he has a girlfriend in
San Francisco, but sends ambiguous signals. At Perry's invitation, the two attend an exhibit by photographer Rex Webster, who tries to poach Gabriel as a model (and potential trick). Webster offers to take Gabriel to
Catalina Island for an underwear ad shoot, sparking Billy's jealousy. Back at Gabriel's place, Billy and Gabriel seem to be getting closer but their rapport is interrupted by a phone call from Gabriel's girlfriend Natalie. Billy shoots his first setup with Gabriel, a recreation of
Burt Lancaster and
Deborah Kerr's kiss on the beach in
From Here to Eternity. Following the shoot, Gabriel tells Billy that his relationship with Natalie is over. Billy mentions the
Kinsey scale, on which Billy describes himself as a "perfect six," but Gabriel admits he does not know where on the scale he falls. Back at Billy's apartment, they continue to talk and drink and Gabriel asks if he can spend the night on the couch. Billy suggests that Gabriel sleep in his bed (ostensibly because of Gabriel's height), to which Gabriel eventually agrees. When the two are in bed, Billy makes tentative overtures, to which Gabriel seems to respond initially; however, Gabriel suddenly pulls away, after which Billy apologizes and gets up to sleep on the couch. Gabriel gets the underwear modeling job and goes to Catalina. Billy follows after him to Catalina with Georgiana, who is on the rebound from a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend Andrew. On the island, she hooks up with drug-addled island resident "Gundy". Billy crashes Rex Webster's underwear shoot looking for Gabriel, but does not find him. He eventually tracks him down later that night at Rex's party, and they talk on the beach. Billy relates to Gabriel how confused he was when he
came out, saying, "I swore to myself that if I could ever be there for somebody, I would, so that that person wouldn't have to go through all the shit I went through. What I'm trying to say is, if you're having problems figuring out where you stand, even if you're not sure of what you're supposed to want-" Abruptly, however, before Billy can finish, one of Gabriel's fellow male models walks up to them. Billy instantly realizes that the two of them are in some kind of relationship with each other, and though Gabriel tries to soften the blow, a humiliated and hurt Billy rebuffs him, going as far as making accusations that Gabriel used him to advance his modeling career before storming off. Perry later consoles Billy by telling him that he, too, had fallen for someone who did not return his affections; he confesses that man to be Billy. The next morning, Georgiana has ditched Gundy, and both she and Billy head back home. The movie ends a few months later with the opening of Billy's "Hollywood Screen Kiss" series exhibition in Los Angeles, which includes his photos of Gabriel. The exhibit appears to be very successful, and Billy receives many congratulations from various visitors. Perry shows Billy a magazine with an underwear ad featuring Gabriel and suggests that Billy give him a call, but he decides against it. Towards the end of the night, Billy meets a handsome young man, Joshua, who enthusiastically admires Billy's work. It is suggested that along with his newfound artistic success, Billy may at last find romantic fulfillment as well. ==Cast==