Holding Trevor

A young man struggles to find purpose and meaning as he pulled in different directions by best friends, ex-partner and new man in his life.

Rule number one: in order to take the audience on an 'in simpatico' journey with the troubled young protagonist, a film/script/level of character development must allow the audience to care. Trevor's problems are well telegraphed - dead-end job, ambivalent support from his friends, cyclical torments caused by junkie ex-lover, estrangement from family etc., but as Trevor is so unappealing, we find it hard to care. All the primary characters are so self-serving - Trevor's life is all about the aforementioned miseries, Jake is sour and one-note sarcastic, Andi is utterly self-absorbed (I want a man/I don't want a man), Daryl's addiction behaviour patterns and Ephraim's need for commitment and reassurance. Everyone looks at their lives and events with such a total lack of empathy that when Andi finally explodes and delivers her drunken tirade at Trevor for being so self-obsessed I actually had to laugh. Holding Trevor isn't about relationships with others, it's about relationships with 'self', and the eventual choice made by Trevor (start afresh or replace one needy and suffering friend with another) seems to reinforce this - Jake, Andi and Ephraim all put themselves first ('you can't go/stay; we need you') and for all the suggestion of positive change (Trevor's quitting from his job), the reality is just more of the same for poor, poor Trevor... his choice.

Young Trevor, played by screenwriter Brent Gorski, is intelligent enough to know that it life is not on track. He is dissatisfied and feels cast adrift. Nothing will 'hold Trevor', until he finds what he wants out of life, but will he find completeness in the love that he craves?

Trevor is entangled in an unhealthy relationship with Darrell, a self-destructive heroin addict. And, Trevor is equally trapped in a boring, telemarketing job--a job which, he sees, as taking him nowhere on a dead-end road. The party scene is vapid, and I can't help but wonder why Trevor would seek comfort from something so empty and lonely?

Trevor's roommate, Andie, and Jake (a singer) are his best friends. Like Trevor, they seem to be pulled apart by boredom and discontent.

Darrell overdoses, once again and, at a hospital, Trevor meets a medical intern by the name of Ephram. Ephram, filled with ambition, gives Trevor hope. Ephram, a man of strikingly good looks, offers Trevor warmth. He also gives Trevor a chance to break out of his entanglement with Darrell, a relationship which is dragging Trevor's life consistently down. But, will Trevor find passion, romance, and security?

Trevor seems poised to make some positive changes, in his life, which includes ending his perilous relationship with Darrell. Trevor makes an attempt to patch up his impaired relationships with Andie and Jake. Trevor's celebration, of a negative HIV test, explodes in rage and sorrow. Darrell shows up, unannounced, and makes quite a scene. Then, at the same time, Ephram suggests that Trevor is not yet ready to make a commitment. When he is down, Andie also verbally attacks Trevor.

While being pulled all over the place, in conflicting directions, will Trevor be able to stand his ground and better his life?

Director Rosser Goodman (That's What I'm Talking' 'Bout, Frameline29) is given ample opportunity to explore fertile territory in Gorski's script, but fails to provide a focus on the required raw emotions. For this reason, I rate the film a 6 out of 10. Yet, with all of its flaws, the film's script shows potential for further development. I would like to see Ephram showing up, at the beginning of the film, rather than towards the end of the film. In this way, tension would increase at the start of the film, instead of midway. Additionally, the love scenes require more work, in order to make them believable. But, the film is a fair attempt, and worth seeing.

I was fortunate to see Holding Trevor and this film can and should propel all the principles into more film work.

Brent Gorski wrote the script and stars but he has written story lines that enable each of the 4 main characters to shine.

Director Rosser Goodman shows us a believable look at a tight-knit group of friends in LA. (Please don't think: 'The Hills'. These friends live probably in the flats -- geographically and perhaps philosophically miles away.) They're gay, straight, funny, caring but these aren't 'sit-commy' friends. I'm sure if you see this film you'd say: 'I know somebody just like that.'

Goodman strikes just the right tone of humor and pathos. We can relate to the twists and turns life takes while we're trying to find happiness.

On top of that -- good music, too!

Sometimes the phrase "low-budget movie' may not inspire one to go see it. But, that would be too bad because honest, heartfelt films made by passionate filmmakers should be supported.

This film deals with serious issues like HIV tests, drug addiction and holding on to vulnerable people. This deserves a 3 but the working out of all these issues is damaged by disjoined scenes, almost incomprehensible dialogue ( I live in the UK and still I could not understand their messy use of English, or rather a variation of it ) and characters who jump from scene to scene without anything worthy of the word continuity. At times it holds together, then it falls apart. The camera work is all over the place literally, and overall I think it is a failure. Sadly too many of this kind of badly thought out, badly produced product is put on the market and gay film, niche market that it is, charges more than they deserve. I found it among my collection realising I had not watched it. I endured it. Also the music which is banal beyond belief fills in gaps that could have been used for the above serious issues. Trevor is not worth holding.

at the first sigh, a simple, ordinary story about friendship, love, every day problems, problems and decisions. at the second, a good film. for its direct and fresh message. for the precise picture of a group of guys , different, nice, in middle of clash between feelings and choices and dialogues and physical attraction. short, one of film for an age when the t-shirt and jeans are very near by suits. and this did "Holding Trevor" not exactly a memorable film but a refreshing one. sure, part of characters are only sketches and the script is far to be great. but something gives to it a special look. and this is its necessary virtue.