Latter Days

I'm not going to go into my entire life story here, but I will tell you that i'm a straight person, so it may seem a little odd that I'd like to watch this movie. I work at blockbuster video and I was running movies one day when I came across a movie entitled "Latter Days." This was intriguing to me because I grew up in a mormon household (but am no longer a firm believer). I read that back and was instantly intrigued. I have much respect for both the mormon community and the gay community, so watching this was something I had been anticipating for a while. I was quite curious how the director would portray the life or a mormon who is hiding his sexuality. All in all, I have to say that this movie is definitely worth watching. There have been some negative comments posted about the quality and about how the dialogue didn't seem to flow amazingly well at times, but I didn't notice anything. I was so wrapped up in the plot and the portrayal of the movie that I didn't notice much of anything that was bad. Most of the people that have left comments on here have been gay, so I assume that most of the people watching this movie would be gay males, and if that be the case, it can become very poignant and heart wrenching at times. I know what it's like to be shunned from the people you've grown up with, not exactly how aaron does, but I have a definite feeling and this movie went straight to my heart. As for recommending this movie, I am all for it. Whether you'll enjoy it as much as I did really jumps from person to person, but I say that you should go out and rent the movie just to make sure.

Four holy young men from Mormon country go to L.A. to preach the gospel to urban heathens. But, one of the young Mormons is a repressed gay who "happens" to cross paths with a very "out" young L.A. party boy. (What would film plots be without coincidences?). These two, very different, young men become friends, and in the process, affect each other's outlook which, in turn, sets up an inevitable clash between gay and Mormon cultures.

That is the premise of "Latter Days", a 2003 film, written and directed by C.Jay Cox, himself a former Mormon missionary. The film's story is, of course, highly relevant, especially in contemporary America. Variations of this story need to be told, and retold, and retold, hopefully in future films ... because the underlying theme brings to light the hatefully superior attitude that Christian fundamentalists too often display toward gays. By its nature, "Latter Days" is provocative, and I doubt that the film was well received in Provo or Pocatello, even though the script is intelligent, sensitive, and insightful.

I have nothing but good things to say about this tasteful and heartwarming film. I think that the effort of the film's director/writer is courageous as well as inspirational. I loved this film not only for the fantastic story (which needed to be told), but also for the way the actors delivered the story. This is not another shallow "gay movie" that depicts stereotypical characters in humorous situations. This was a memorable and flawless effort to show people that love truly knows no bounds, and love is still as beautiful and wonderful as it always was.

Another thing that touched my heart was how well I could relate to the emotion portrayed in this film surrounding the coming out of one of the main characters. We all have to go through similar situations living in the society that we live in and feeling that feeling of detachment from everything that is "right" and "normal". I give my most heartfelt praise for this fabulous and courageous story.

Latter Days (2003) is a very sweet, touching and powerful love story. The actors portraying Christian and Aaron are so great and spot on with their performances, they really made me feel like they truly loved one another. This film really had great dialogue and a well written script, it might be a bit cliché at times, but it was still very sweet and heart felt. I love how this movie made me feel, this movie made me feel warm and just happy. There are some sex scenes with male nudity involved, but they aren't trashy or distasteful at all, they are loving and romantic and truly beautiful, and I'm glad they were there, because you could really see the love between the two characters. Lila in this movie was awesome too! I really loved her character, the film wouldn't have been the same without her. Also Joseph Gordon Levitt makes a short appearance in the movie, and I thought he did a good job, even though his character was a homophobe and a true bigot, he did a good job portraying that. This movie had good heated confrontations between the characters, and they were very impactful and powerful. There was so much great chemistry between characters as well, the bonds were very real and believable. I 100% recommend latter days, whether you ate gay or straight, I think you will enjoy it. You can find it on YouTube, and I saw that it's actually coming on LOGO tomorrow morning at 6 AM, I would urge you to tune in.

"From C. Jay Cox, the writer of the hit comedy 'Sweet Home Alabama', comes a heartwarming and tender gay romantic drama that combines laughs, seduction, tears, and plenty of romance. The handsome Aaron (Steve Sandvoss), a Mormon missionary, travels door-to-door in Los Angeles spreading the word of his religion. Christian (Wes Ramsey), a cute West Hollywood party boy, goes from man-to-man without much commitment. Opposites attract when Aaron and Christian meet, and sparks begin to fly.

"Featuring two star-making performances from Sandvoss and Ramsey, the film also features a terrific supporting cast including Mary Kay Place, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and international screen legend Jacqueline Bisset," according to the DVD sleeve description. Not to mention some sweet vocalizations from Rebekah Jordan (as Julie), the stock sympathetic roommate. Debuting director Cox turns his otherwise ordinary "Latter Days" into a enjoyable and touching drama, due to some story surprises and an engaging team.

******* Latter Days (7/10/03) C. Jay Cox ~ Steve Sandvoss, Wes Ramsey, Jacqueline Bisset, Joseph Gordon-Levitt