There are many gay-themed films which harken back "to that time when I was 12..." Most are very poor at recapturing the feel or look of "the era," and terribly written and acted at that.
This film is not one of them. Indeed, if you don't walk away from this film changed, heartbroken, and yet full of a renewed commitment to living life, you have no heart at all. The film is both heartbreaking and affirming. The story is a simple tale of a photographer's life as a young teen just beginning to feel the stirrings of his sexuality. Sent to live with an aunt and uncle, he is profoundly influenced by his free-spirited, "carpe diem" older cousin who teaches him confidence, restores his self-esteem, and infuses him with a sense (to adopt Russell Baker's theme in "Growing Up") of competence in life. And then everything changes in an instant -- an instant captured by the young photographer's first photograph. I walked out of the theater changed by this film. That is perhaps the best definition of good cinema. David Ottenhouse has written and directed an outstanding film. His cast is astounding, capturing every nuance beautifully (including a perfect Dorchester accent!). The film's technical accomplishments are head and shoulders above those of most short (and gay short) films. This is a treasure that every cinephile should own.
