A gardener, Clay Boone (Brendan Fraser), starts working on the yard of James Whale (Ian McKellen), hired by Whale's housekeeper Hanna (Lynn Redgrave). James is impressed by Clay and asks him to pose for him. Clay is reluctant at first and balks at taking his shirt off for James, but he does so. James begins sketching and the two begin talking about their lives and finding they have some things in common.
At this time, James has been retired from Hollywood for at least a decade and for a year now has been suffering from strokes. He also suffers through reminiscences of World War I and the making of The Bride of Frankenstein.
James is visited by a starstruck college student who wishes to interview him. James wants to talk about his childhood, his service in World War I, etc., but the young man only cares to hear about the Frankenstein films. James will only answer those questions if the young man will gradually undress. The interview is cut short when James faints and his housekeeper gives him a Luminal (phenobarbital) pill.
Clay begins researching Whale's film career, and is impressed. At his favorite bar, Clay and his friends watch Bride of Frankenstein on TV. His friends laugh, his girlfriend is unimpressed but Clay is interested. His girlfriend speculates that James is just an old fruit pretending to be famous to get into Clay's pants.
Hanna confirms that that Whale is homosexual. At first Clay declines James' offer for another sitting fee, but acquiesces and even talks a little bit about James' homosexuality with him. Clay also confirms that James knows he's straight. Clay storms off angrily when Whale resumes speaking graphically about the young gay men who've posed previously.
Clay returns to work on the garden again and even pose, on the condition that Whale not speak that way again. James invites Clay to a royal party hosted by George Cukor, where the young man who interviewed James earlier has arranged a photo op for James together with Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester. However, James feels as out of place at the party as Clay does. It starts raining and the two return to James' residence, from which Hanna has taken the night off.
James persuades Clay to pose for him again. He does so, even volunteering to pose nude. James takes the opportunity to put a gas mask on Clay and touch him. Predictably, Clay gets angry and attacks James. James confesses that this was his plan all along, to use Clay as his means of assisted suicide. Knowing this, Clay refuses to go along with it. Clay puts James to bed and sleeps downstairs.
When Hanna returns the next morning, he tries to explain that it's not what it looks like, but Hanna can't find James in his bedroom, or anywhere in the house. Clay realizes what has happened, and dives into the pool and fishes James out, but he's dead. Hanna commands Clay to leave so he will not be questioned by the police after returning James' body to the pool.
For the epilogue, the film skips ahead about roughly a decade. Clay has a son who enjoys watching Bride of Frankenstein on TV. Clay gives his son one of James's sketches for the Frankenstein monster. Clay's wife or girlfriend asks him to take out the trash. Clay does so and it starts raining, he returns to the house walking like the Frankenstein monster.
Hollywood history comes to life in this tale of the last days of Frankenstein director James Whale, played by Ian McKellen (Richard III, Apt Pupil). Long forgotten by the studios, Whale has retired to pursue painting and a life of leisure. Gods and Monsters explores his final fascination with a handsome gardener, Clayton Boone, played by Brendan Fraser (Twilight of the Golds, George of the Jungle).
Starring
Ian McKellen as James Whale
Brendan Fraser as Clayton Boone
Lynn Redgrave as Hanna
Lolita Davidovich as Betty
A Good Cast Is Worth Repeating
Plot Keyword: Male Nudity, Posing, Female Nudity, Male Model, Shower Scene, Awkward, Undressing Scene, Male Stripping, Swimming Pool, Portrait, X Rayed Skeleton, 1950s, Suicide, Homosexual, Director, Flashback Sequence, Frankenstein, Gardener, Homosexuality, Stroke, Gay Kiss, Brain Transplant, Creator Creation Relationship, Lawn Mower, Gay Interest, Film Making, Gay, Los Angeles California, Maid, Nudity, Unrequited Love, WWI, Gay Soldier, Horror Filmmaking, Motion Picture Production, Older Man Younger Man, Based On Novel, Independent Film, Title Spoken By Character.
Winner - Golden Globe® Award
Best Supporting Actress
Winner - Independent Spirit Award
Best Supporting Actress
Nominated for the Academy Award® (Oscar®)
Best Supporting Actres
Winner - Best Picture Los Angeles Film Critics Association
