Set in Los Angeles, it tells the story of a gay man (King) and a lesbian (Foster) who become temporary housemates but end up falling in love with each other.
Critical reception varied from mixed to negative, with a general consensus that the forced and formulaic ending countered whatever appeal existed in the first half of the film.
Janet Maslin of The New York Times lauded Meg Foster's "aggressive vitality" but ultimately found the movie seriously flawed: "Mr. Aaron's ineptitude knows no bounds, especially when it comes to blasting an insufferable score, ending scenes at uninteresting moments, and making the film's chronology completely obscure.
"[2] Arthur D. Murphy of Variety called it "a first class production whose only — but serious — flaw is a Henry Olek script that begins with brilliant cleverness but dissolves by fadeout into formula banality.
"[4] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post called it "a trifle with redeeming personality appeal and a genuinely affectionate temperament.
As the supposedly disparate lovers, Perry King and Meg Foster make an overwhelmingly attractive and compatible couple, and their sexual rapport is enhanced by Paul Aaron's attentive, straightforward direction.
"[5] Writing in the Seattle Gay News, Bill Alpert wrote that "it's a real surprise that A Different Story is as rotten a film as it is.
This cheap bit of exploitation insults more than it instructs by combining a pointless and underdeveloped plot with an unending selection of homosexual stereotypes I thought were long since consigned to the trash heap ...
Particularly offensive is the unbelievable — and undocumented — contention that homosexuality is some sort of adolescent aberration that a drunken roll in the hay will cure.
"[10] Janet Maslin's original review elaborates: "The movie's use of [Albert and Stella's] homosexuality is indeed exploitative, insensitive, and offensive in a variety of ways.
When its rights shifted to Mar Vista Productions, it made its DVD debut through Trinity Home Entertainment on July 25, 2006.