Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss

Billy Collier, a Midwest-born aspiring photographer in Los Angeles, sketches out recreating iconic screen kisses after a coffee with his roommate Georgiana. The concept is meant to showcase cinema's romance while jump-starting his stalled artistic career. This moment sets the film's central project in motion.

At a party, Billy's friend Perry offers to finance the 'Hollywood Screen Kiss' project, giving Billy an opportunity to pursue his artistic dream. The injection of money and ambition changes the stakes and invites new professional dynamics. The moment marks the project moving from idea to production.

Billy runs into Gabriel, the coffee shop waiter, and recruits him to model for the kiss recreations. Gabriel's presence brings a real, living subject into Billy's plan and stirs Billy's romantic interest. The recruitment sets Billy on a path of both artistic discovery and personal longing.

Gabriel tells Billy he has a girlfriend in San Francisco, but he signals uncertainty about his sexual orientation. Billy wrestles with his feelings, unsure whether Gabriel shares his attraction. A phone call with Natalie interrupts their growing closeness.

At Perry's invitation they attend photographer Rex Webster's exhibit, where Webster tries to lure Gabriel away as a model and possible romantic conquest. He even offers an underwear shoot on Catalina Island, fueling Billy's jealousy and anxiety about competition. Location-based tension starts to mount.

Billy shoots his first setup, recreating Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr's From Here to Eternity kiss on a beach with Gabriel as the subject. The shot marks a formalizing of Billy's artistic project and tests his chemistry with Gabriel. The mood blends romance with professional ambition.

Following the shoot, Gabriel tells Billy his relationship with Natalie is over, heightening Billy's hope and confusion. The moment deepens Billy's emotional investment in Gabriel and complicates their dynamic. It also clears a path for a potentially closer relationship.

Billy, opening up about his coming out, references the Kinsey scale, describing himself as a 'perfect six.' Gabriel admits uncertainty about where he falls on that spectrum. At Billy's suggestion, Gabriel sleeps in Billy's bed, but their tentative closeness stalls as Gabriel pulls away.

Gabriel lands the Catalina underwear modeling job, and Billy follows after him with Georgiana, who is on the rebound from Andrew. On the island, Georgiana hooks up with the drug-addled resident Gundy, creating a tangled dynamic. The trip heightens jealousy and jealousy-driven actions.

Billy crashes Rex Webster's underwear shoot on Catalina in search of Gabriel, but can't locate him immediately. He later finds Gabriel at Rex's party and they share a tense, intimate talk on the beach. The encounter forces Billy to confront the reality of Gabriel's ties to others.

Billy opens up about his past coming out and his desire to be there for someone, only to discover Gabriel is involved with another male model. The revelation leaves Billy humiliated as Gabriel's relationship appears to be ongoing. Gabriel tries to soften the blow, but Billy accuses him of using him to advance his modeling career and storms off.

Perry consoles Billy and reveals that he, too, fell for someone who didn't return his affections—Billy was the one Perry loved. The confession reframes Billy's heartbreak and adds bittersweet humor to the aftermath.

Georgiana dumps Gundy, and she and Billy head back home together, signaling a return to everyday life. The quiet moment contrasts with the emotional turmoil of the last weeks and hints at possible healing.

A few months later, Billy's 'Hollywood Screen Kiss' exhibition opens in Los Angeles, featuring his photos of Gabriel. The show is a notable success, earning congratulations from visitors and signaling Billy's artistic breakthrough. The event redefines his life trajectory.

Perry shows Billy a magazine featuring Gabriel in an underwear ad and suggests he should call him, but Billy declines to pursue that path. Later, Billy meets Joshua, a handsome admirer who seems to recognize potential romance and hints at new happiness on the horizon.