The Journey of Jared Price

Corey Spears (who also plays a bit part in Traffic) does an amazing job of pulling off the role of a young man shoved into reality (and self-discovery) in L.A.

The film was shot in 5 days on about $30K, but doesn't look that way. The plot is solid, the characters well developed - a tribute to a very talented director and production/editing team.

The press once characterized this as an "after school special", but I think it's much more.

Check it out - it's worthy of rental - and possible permanently adding to your DVD collection.

In the commentary, the director says that the movie is a traditional tragi-comedy with a moral appropriate for young students. Considering the tendency of independent movies to plumb mysterious spiritual depths, it is refreshing to see a movie that takes a dim view of materialism and selfishness. (The mysterious depths of contemporary movies are usually the astonishing ability of Hollywood to peddle psychobabble and drivel as intelligent.) The explicit scenes introduce a dark theme: is passion a bottomless pit? Are physical pleasures ever enough?

The movie is an interesting and amusing contrast to Sunset Strip. Here the old woman is a saintly grandmother and her son is horny ho.

The movie was made by a young director in one week. His budget was probably a lot less than 1% of the budget for a typical Hollywood movie made for a general release.

This is not the worst movie I have ever seen, although it is pretty bad. I could at least watch it, and Corey is adorable.

The dialog is stiff and forced. It often seems like the actors are performing impromptu. There are numerous technical errors. Lighting being the most notable. The sex scenes are seemed strange to me because in each of them the young men roll over onto their bellies to have there underwear removed. I don't know if I missed something, but it was strange because it happened every time - no variety.

If you're into really bad movies, try Travelling to Olympia. Now that's bad!

I have been harsh in my scoring of this film because I know it couldn't have been easy to make for the money but what lacks here to satisfy the viewer is a comprehensively decent narrative. This film stands as a record of gay film making in 2001 and yet sadly and portentously has given birth to a plethora of US gay titles that probably saw this film as the ceiling of what could be achieved for gay film and that other film makers have chosen to poorly copy or make less inspiring or aspirant films.

That said obviously it was a good lesson for the writer/director - he went on to win an Oscar for a film that did break through that glass ceiling (but let us hope that this was not just down to a much bigger budget by several degrees of magnitude nor solely because of a great cast or director because gay film in 2010 and beyond needs to get better and reach further.)

With the knowledge that Dustin went onto write and win that Oscar for MILK and looking at this film I wonder if it isn't more autobiographical than we think? Ten out of ten for progressing on from this first stab at a film, it was a valiant effort but just not enough for me to fully embrace it. But essentially thanks Dustin for persevering and writing MILK. Oh and my god you're good looking!

An innocent, sexually confused young man arrives from Georgia in Los Angeles to discover life on his own. Thus, begins the low-budget movie "The Journey of Jared Price," a sometimes-amateurish, sometimes-charming tale that has an old-fashioned message at its heart. Corey Spears is Jared, and the young actor oozes clean-cut innocence throughout the film. When a predatory older man with a set of his own problems attempts to exploit Jared, the young boy begins to open his eyes to the ways of the world. While Jared matures from the experience, he becomes more assured and comfortable with himself rather than bitter or jaded.

Jared's first job in Los Angeles is companion to a blind older woman, played by Rocki Craigg, who hires him literally sight unseen after barely hearing the sound of his voice. Although she locks her doors tight and screens visitors before opening to them, the woman apparently hears something reassuring in Jared's voice, because he is hired before any discussion of salary is even mentioned. Unfortunately, this implausibility is only one of several that litter the script. The young man's continuous use of a camcorder is another. He barely has enough money for a room in a hostel, yet batteries and videotape seem to be endlessly abundant to him.

The film also has a message with a capital M. Unfortunately, Ms. Craigg must relate most of that message to her young employee through stories from her youth. Thus, she is saddled with some of the film's most cumbersome dialog. Considering that this is the only film on Ms. Craigg's resume, she performs as well as can be expected, but, sauntering around the house without hesitation, she is not convincing as a blind woman.

Steve Tyler does a better job as the predatory son of the blind woman, and Josh Jacobson is convincing as the love interest or, perhaps better said, the young love interest. However, the film primarily rests on the shoulders of Corey, who appears in most scenes, and ably projects the right mixture of charm, innocence, and appeal. The film's timeworn message: choose carefully between the lure of material goals and the joy of true love, is not a subtle one, but it remains valid. Despite the movie's slightly rough-around-the-edges and on-the-cheap quality, "The Journey of Jared Price" will charm viewers with its simple story and old-fashioned message, and Corey as Jared will find a welcome place in your heart by fadeout.