Without The Boys
A Summary
Logline: When an alpha male has his “package” rearranged in a freak motorcycle accident, he begins to discover his priorities have rearranged as well.
Ryan Sinclair is a good looking, athletic alpha male who has never had a problem with charming the ladies or the prospective clients of his job as a time share salesman. He’s good at what he does, and people are drawn to him. A former college basketball star, Ryan still has a gift for the jump shot despite several knee surgeries that erased any plans he had to turn pro. At 29, Ryan seems to have it all going his way, but something is missing, something he can’t quite put his finger on.
Ryan’s sister, Jenny, has two precious five year old twin boys, Jimmy and Johnny, who steal the hearts of anyone they are around for more than a second, and Jenny works hard to keep their lives normal after her husband Bill abandons the family for another woman. Jimmy and Johnny love their Uncle Ryan, but he has never afforded them much time in the past apart from family gatherings and special occasions.
Ryan’s parents, Ward and June Sinclair, are every bit the model of their namesakes, Ward and June Cleaver. They are hard working, honest, sincere and, even after years of marriage and two grown children, they are very much in love. Ryan is envious of their relationship but just can’t seem to find the girl of his dreams among the parade of women that frequent his favorite bar, Hemingways, or any other club he and his pals, Vince and Rooney, attend.
Vince Turelli is a good guy, a classic alpha male womanizer like his buddy Ryan, though not as gifted in looks or talent. The two of them can hit the town and usually end up scoring with the ladies, and this is often the case with them. Thomas Rooney, aka “Rooney”, is the sidekick, the funny friend who is allowed to be a part of the entourage for comic relief...and usually is. He has a passion for music trivia and other minutia which he freely shares in an attempt to impress his friends and appear more worldly than he is.
All is well in the trio’s world until Ryan is urged to test drive his friend’s new motorcycle, “The Boneyard.” This Halloween-esque spooky ride is all tricked out, complete with a boney hand reaching up from the gas cap in true menacing fashion. Ryan takes the cycle up the street without incident, but on the return trip he narrowly misses a squirrel and crashes into the curb. On impact, Ryan flips the motorcycle and goes flying over the handlebars, taking the gas cap with him as he nearly clears a fire hydrant. The result is a painful relocation of his “package” and a new outlook on life as multiple surgeries attempt to correct the extensive damage done.
This intense and unusual premise, that will have every guy cringing and every girl feeling sorry for Ryan, is the driving force behind Without The Boys, a classic transformation story delivered in a movie that combines juvenile and outrageous notions with heartfelt and sincere emotions. It is a non-stop comedy with plenty to keep the guys entertained and just the right amount of romance to hold the girls’ interest as well.
From tender parts to tender hearts, Without The Boys delivers on all levels as Ryan struggles to adjust to the damage done to his manhood and psyche. Gone is the desire for women, the comraderie he once shared with Vince and Rooney, and even his trademark jumpshot; but gone, too, is Ryan’s tolerance of his mundane existence. Things go from bad to worse as friends and acquaintances, from his well meaning neighbors to the inspired Reverend Ravine, share their stories in feeble attempts to identify with Ryan’s misery, but each pep talk only drives him deeper into depression. Once he finally bottoms out, the experience opens Ryan’s heart to change and helps him reconnect with his nephews and puts him on a path that ends at the doorstep of their day-care center and into the arms of the sweet, kind, Maria Sanchez.
Ultimately, through a series of operations under the care of the highly talented but oversexed and bizarre Doctor Procter, Ryan is made whole in the physical sense and his struggles along the way contribute to a full and satisfying recovery. From normalcy to the pit of dispair and back again, Ryan’s journey in Without The Boys is one we can all relate to, and the never ending comedy ensures the message won’t soon be forgotten.