GLBT Film Fest: Latter Days

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Latter Days is the 2004 film written and directed by C Jay Cox. It's about a young man, Aaron Davis, who is assigned to Los Angeles on his LDS Mission. While there, he meets and falls for Christian, played by Wes Ramsey. Christian is very, very pretty. He's also quite shallow and has a bunch of anonymous and hot sex. He places a bet with his friends that he'll be able to "convert" one of the four missionaries who moved in next door, and he's immediately interested in Elder Davis.

I've been aware of this movie for a long time, but I have pointedly not watched it, despite the fact that it's pertinent to my interests. In fact, I'm not really attracted to any entertainment that combines the LDS Church with homosexuality. I think it's because it reminds me of the young men I knew who either had to choose between their families, friends, church, and support system, and being true to themselves. I've seen some of the destruction up close and personal. It makes me sad, and I'm not very brave when I'm sad.

But I felt like this is a movie that I should see sooner or later, so I chose now.

Up front, I'm very impressed with the details of the LDS church included. There were a few things that were simply wrong, though. Not major things, mind you, but I think most church members would immediately notice them. For example, Mormon missionaries don't move into one apartment stay there for the full 2 years with one partner. They move often and are regularly reassigned partners. On the other hand, the little things are right. They don't get to do anything--they can't watch television, they can't listen to music, they can't call each other by their first names. I also really appreciated the scene where they played basketball. Mormons love to shoot hoops! There were lots of little things like that. Details that just completely rang true and made me think that C Jay Cox either was raised as a Mormon or grew up in Utah/Idaho. The movie was also pretty damned honest. At one point, Elder Harmon (played by Rob McElhenney of all people (better known as Mac on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)) explained that he was only putting his 2 years in, paying his dues, so he could finally go home, get married and get laid.

On a more serious note, I think that the actor who played Elder Davis was perfectly cast. Steve Sandvoss looked like a 19 year old Mormon boy from Idaho. It was slightly inaccurate when he told Christian that he was going "to hell" for kissing another men, since Mormons don't technically believe in Hell (there were also other references to fundamentalist Christians that don't really apply to Mormons). But then he went on to explain that he was going to be cut off from everything. Ostracized by his family, ex-communicated from the Church (for his own good), and ignored by his friends. I've seen it happen, and yeah, I guess that would be hell. Imagine everything you have ever known, loved, needed ripped away. His mother describes it perfectly when she says, "You've seen the way people treat us. They turn away from us at the bank. Why do you think your father won't come home anymore?" I wish that all of this was just a sick exaggeration. I wish it was just played up for the drama and that young men and women weren't going through this all the time. "Maybe Heavenly Father can forgive you for what you've done..."

Is it the best movie ever? No. It's clearly what it is--a small, independent movie. It's got some familiar faces (Amber Benson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jacqueline Bisset, Mary Kay Place), and there are places where the script shines, but there are other moments when it seems a little frayed. I think some might argue that it's a little heavy-handed at times, but sadly, it's most "heavy handed" moments are the ones that are the most accurate. In many ways, it's a standard romance. It's full of cliches and familiar tropes. Opposites meet cute, find some common ground, there's some conflict, a big misunderstanding, etc. On the level of actual skill and story, I wouldn't rate it very highly. But on the other hand, it's telling a new story in a well-worn genre. Of course it's going to rely on some cliches and tropes. That's precisely the point. The film is larger than the sum of its parts.

And damned if it didn't make me cry. I hate it when movies make me cry.