The Falls: Testament of Love

The post mission world of Mormon kids Nick Ferucci and Benjamin Farmer is the subject of Testament Of Love. Unfortunately if you didn't see the first film The Falls you might have trouble picking things up. The first film concentrated on Ferucci and his family, in Testament Of Love it is Farmer and his family that are the focal point.

Ironic since it was Farmer who initiated things on their mission it was Ferucci who went back home and came out of the closet. He went on the promised three month road trip with Farmer from the first film and then when both returned communication ceased from Farmer's end.

Word that their friend Brian Allard whom they met on the mission has passed on. That reunites them. And Ferucci finds out that Farmer is now married to Hannah Barefoot. Farmer has never come out of the closet and now he's leading the typical Mormon lifestyle married to a nice Mormon girl who is expected to bear lots of Mormon kids.

When Ferucci who breaks up with a boy friend he has and incidentally breaks that young man's heart goes to Salt Lake City to find Farmer the inevitable happens. A story told many times over in thousands of homes, maybe told best in Brokeback Mountain where both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are married.

I have no doubt this is played out in many a Mormon household as well. Worse there since the Church of Latter Days Saints is the focal point of the community not just a place you go on Sunday to communicate with the Deity. Still the alternatives are either suicide or a life of repression. Too many choose those alternatives.

Hannah Barefoot's story is also a tale told many times. The woman who marries a closet case and then wonders what she did wrong. She gives the best performance in the film.

I hope Testament Of Love gets a few showings in Salt Lake City, but I doubt it. Still you never know.

It isn't often a sequel bests an original. I loved the original film, The Falls, and said it left me wanting more. Well, this is more in a BIG, BIG way, but don't watch it until you've seen the first one! It focuses more on Chris where the first film focused on RJ, which sets the stage well for what is to come. I am not Mormon, so I can only imagine the degree to which gay Mormons suffer trying to be faithful to themselves and their religion despite their religion not being faithful to them. This film deals with that in a very straightforward way, and we can feel for not just what the boys go through but how tortured their families become as well when trying to deal with a gay child, sibling or mate. This is a powerful film, and leaves the door wide open for yet a 3rd installment if they so choose...this is one viewer who would stand in a very long line to see it!

I happened to see this quite by accident after I saw Part 1 The Falls just this weekend--also by accident. Didn't know a sequel was done, and I'm so glad there was one. I felt the story wasn't complete. Anyway, I fell in love with both characters. In particular, RJ's character comes across as the epitome of genuineness; unafraid to say what he's thinking and feeling, and unashamed of who he is becoming. Testament of Love gave me the closure I needed to this story. Both actors were brilliant, and my heart ached for both. Being from the church, I could totally relate to what they were going through and for that reason, I was deeply moved. I've seen lots of gay-themed movies, but this one was one of the most powerful I've seen in decades. The entire cast was incredible and showed such powerful emotions. I really cannot praise this movie enough.

I'm going to assume that anyone considering this movie has already seen The Falls. If you haven't, you should. This is a sequel, and you need to have seen The Falls first. Therefore, I won't waste time telling who RJ and Chris are and what happened between them in the past.

I suspect that most fans of The Falls are going to love this one too, so you may want to stop reading now and just see the movie. It continues the gay Mormon theme of the original in a different setting.

It's five years later. Chris is back in Salt Lake, has been reabsorbed into Mormonism, has turned hetero through therapy and self-control, is making oodles of moolah as a pharma rep, is happily married and has a daughter.

RJ has not returned to Mormonism (although he still wears the underwear and believes most of the teachings), has a dreamboat lover named Paul who adores him, and is making ends meet writing for a magazine in Seattle.

RJ and Chris meet again for the first time at Rodney the stoner's funeral. RJ dumps Paul (a real catch and played by the best actor in either movie) and goes to Salt Lake to get Chris back. Much drama ensues. I'll stop there.

I LOVED The Falls - it was SO much better than the highly overrated Latter Days. But I have three problems with the sequel.

First, it adds nothing significant to the original, just recycles the same angst in a new town. Maybe gay Mormons need an endless series of Star Wars-like sequels and prequels, but this non-Mormon gay has had enough of it already.

Second, there's no believable attraction between RJ and Chris this time. It's compulsive, not erotic at all. Not one spark. Totally unbelievable, unless both guys are so neurotic now that they will do anything to be miserable. (Besides, the guy who plays Chris has gotten creepy looking - really weird eyes like a lizard).

Third, this sequel has the gall to set up for yet ANOTHER sequel, just as The Empire Strikes Back did. Lucas pulled it off, but Jon Garcia should have stopped at one.

I saw this part of The Falls as the last one. And I consider it the best The Falls. For sensitive problems and their inspired exploration, for the clash between faith and love, for the relation RJ - Paul, for the end. Indeed, you recognize the recipe, so familiar and easy used . You reminds the story from the first part and the evolution of events becomes not so surprising. But The Falls: Testament of Love proposes more than familiar romance in gay frame.

I saw it as correct story about connection between a young man and his church who, indeed, is more than only a church but axis of his entire life, the fight against sexual impulses and the effort to build an ordinary life, exactly the expected by community one.

Nice acting, fair story and just clever - useful exploration of details about mormons life , rules, way to assume delicate problems , interesting for a guy like me, Greek - Orthodox believer, so far by life of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints.

So, correct.