Fair Haven

The story is very engaging and very believable. The two leads are fantastic, and I hope they will appear in a lot more films!

Very few low budget gay-themed films have both good acting and a good script. This film has both. As others have said, it would have been nice to see how the two guys made it in the city as well as the father after selling the farm. Maybe they could do a sequel or get cast and writers together for another movie on a different subject. Anyway, fantastic job by all involved,

For some reason, I had a hard time getting into this movie. I would watch a few minutes then stop and did this a couple of times before finally deciding to give it a chance a few weeks after my first trial. Obviously the subject matter doesn't make this an entertainment film and I guess I had to be in the proper mood to let it flow properly.

Once I started to care about the characters it made for an interesting journey although the story is not the strong point. I didn't particularly like the back and forth between the conversion therapy scenes with the lead boy and his return home and felt like the flashbacks were distracting. But the one thing that kept me going was the acting which is stronger than I anticipated.

Michael Grant (as James Grant ironically) is by far the best thing here and his acting is very strong and believable. The supporting actors are also good especially Josh Green as Charlie Green and I have to mention that the 2 boys having the same last name as their characters can't be just a coincidence but it doesn't add or detract from the plot.

I also found the ending satisfying which is why I gave this a strong 7 stars even though this is by no means a great movie but the subject matter is handled with sensitivity and efficiently enough to make this venture a film to recommend. Obviously, if you are looking for a feel good flick this is not for you but if you feel like diving into a difficult subject handled with care, you may actually enjoy it.

Really enjoyed this film, it was simple and uncomplicated, and showcased some of the real issues that face people in rural communities. Well done Tom Malloy. A special mention to Josh Green, whose expressions conveyed so much without dialog.

Like the title says, this movie isn't perfect because there's a lot of "stuff" going on that can't all be tackled in 90 minutes. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that the film needed to be longer.

Viewer may be left asking for some more backstory on a couple of things, and one of the most critical plot-lines of the movie isn't really referenced or confronted very much outside of flashbacks. I understand that may have been intentional, however I don't think it was successful.

With that said, the positive outweighs the negatives big time with this film. It really is a genuine love story with great chemistry between Michael Grant, who plays James; and Josh Green, who plays Charlie. There are moments in the film that captivate you a bit, because of how genuinely you can tell that one cares for the other despite rough times.

The personal struggles of the father are also well-acted, with a number of subtleties that come through really well for a middle-aged, depressed man dealing with the crumbling of everything he knows.

This movie is one of those gay coming-of-age films that really will warm your heart because of the acting. Definitely worth your time.