West of Eden

The film was beautifully shot and I think the story line managed to show the 60s as they were in small towns. The mind sets of the older generation being challenged by new ideas. The trouble is often such challenges can lead to disagreements and hostility and then as with this story sometimes to tragedy. Well written, acted and produced by a group of people with lots of talent but little money to back up the talent. If you haven't seen it go to the Rialto and see what hidden talent we have here in New Zealand.

The premise of the story... Uncle Billy why have you kept this hat all these years?... was never really answered.

The story that I think they were trying tell, or at least advertised was only really told on the surface. You kind get that Billy falls in love with the farmers son... but there is so much else going on that the waters are so muddied with multiple plots that you are not really sure which plot is the real one if there is one. If I hadn't read that it was a story about a farm had falling in love with the farmers son, I might have just thought it was another of the plots that rambled through the movie.

And then there was the seemingly endless periods of dead scenes that didn't appear to have any purpose.

Sorry it could have been a good movie but it wasn't.

There's a lot to work with here. At least 30 minutes could have ended up on the cutting room floor. There were several characters that could have been left out altogether and nothing would have been lost. Not that the actors were bad just unnecessary. The brother's wife, the daughter both completely unneeded to tell the story. The writer/director needed to figure out who this story was about. Had it been a gay love story it might have worked better. Had it been a story for the mother and why she left then it might have worked. Either way would have given focus the movie seemed to lack. I watched it, but was left disappointed and somewhat disappointed that I'd invested time in another "the world treats gays badly" film.

Not being around in the 1950's in NZ I thought the film was quite an eye opener.

The cast is fairly young so great to see young talent coming through the ranks. Plenty of eye candy for the ladies 😛

I really enjoyed the film, the cinematography was fantastic and it really showcases the NZ country side.

I fell in love with Billy, he is so cute! I wanted to take him home. A great story full of twists and turns. The film is full of beautiful New Zealand countryside. The hair and makeup and clothes make me wish I was living in 1960. Sexy cars, even a train, and the men all wearing hats, just so cool. I was so caught up in the characters and the story that the next day I could not stop thinking about what became of them all. I love the song in the kitchen scene, so much a song of the time. I wish we could have seen a bit more smooching between Billy and Tom but I am still excited to see a film made about the struggle gay men had back then, it makes you think about how hard it was for anyone who did not fit in. This is New Zealand's Brokeback Mountain - the story is totally different but the stand for equal rights that the filmmakers make is the same.