Shelter

The outpouring of positive feedback for this movie is obviously well deserved. It is well paced with great sound and picture quality, impeccable direction, a lovely story, and a cast of actors perfectly suited for their roles. Three of the main characters here (Zack, Jeanne, and Cody)are a family living together in a very humble section of San Pedro, CA which is in Los Angeles County. A beautiful, selfless young Gay man, Zack, has put his life on hold to look after his adorable nephew Cody whose mother, played by Tina Holmes, is an irresponsible, self-centered alcoholic with deplorable taste in men. But his compassion and love are well rewarded when an older gorgeous hunk and surfing buddy, Shaun, reunites with him and eventually becomes his mentor, his "rock", and his lover as well a wonderful role model and support system for his little nephew. In real life, Trevor Wright("Zack") and Brad Rowe("Shaun") are both heterosexual and are actually 12 years apart in age. If Brad Pitt makes you drool, so will Brad Rowe, and if you love a perfectly beautiful young man with the face of an angel and a smile that lights up a room like a Christmas tree, you'll love Trevor Wright. Also, if you like Tina Holmes, I would suggest you check out another great movie, "Edge of Seventeen" in which she appears as a teen in love with her male "BFF" who comes out to her as gay. It would be a grave injustice to dismiss this wonderful movie as just another "coming out" film. It's a tribute to the power of love that can be enjoyed and embraced by all open-minded audiences who appreciate a feel good romance with a happy ending. From my vantage point, having a collection films about love and romance without "Shelter" would be like having a collection of classic cars without a vintage Pink Cadillac. Along with "Beautiful Thing" and Jean-Claude Schlim's "House of Boys", "Shelter" is one of the three films that I consider the all time best and most beloved trilogy of gay-themed movies.

This was such a great movie. I can’t believe it’s 12 years old and I’m just finding it now, but better late than never. The scenery, the characters, the storyline, the soundtrack, the acting - I loved it all. *SPOILERS AHEAD* The only criticism I have is that we didn’t hear the characters discuss their future or their feelings. I realize they’re men and men typically don’t drone on about such things, but shouldn’t they have at least said “I love you” once? And to go from being broken up to moving in with each other and a kid within a minute and without any discussion other than “Will you help me?” and “Let’s do this” felt sort of lacking, especially given that Shaun had just broken up with a live-in bf a few weeks before, and Zach showed a pattern of breaking up & getting back together with both his ex and then Shaun. Maybe the final scene at the beach was supposed to speak to all of those unanswered questions, and I suppose it did (for me), but I think it would’ve felt a bit more satisfying if it had been addressed instead of just alluded to. Even with that one, teensy-tiny crticism, I still think it’s a great movie, deserving of the many 5-star reviews it has received, and worth every penny of the cost of the rental or purchase. One last comment: Why isn’t Trevor Wright a huge star? He was phenomenal in this and proved he has serious talent. He should be a household name, but his IMDb page says he hasn’t worked since 2012. What a shame. Brad Rowe was also terrific in this, but his IMDb page shows he’s still working steadily, thankfully. It’d be great if they made a sequel, to show how everyone’s doing 10 years later.

I'm so jealous of young gay men today! They get to go to the movies and see gay characters that are three dimensional and well-developed; homosexuality is just one aspect of their personalities and not necessarily their defining characteristics. Gone are the campy clowns, ubiquitous drag queens, and tragic AIDS victims that were required in the movies I grew up watching. In movies like "Brokeback Mountain" and "Shelter", the story is about two people falling in love who happen to be gay, which results in a much more realistic movie, and one which a wider audience can, I think, appreciate. The photography in "Shelter" is absolutely top-notch. I used to live in L.A., and I have never seen so many beautiful sunsets in my life! The surf photography makes you want to run out and buy a board immediately and the footage while the actors are driving makes you feel like you are in the car with them. I think there is enough creative camera-work to keep any fan of independent films happy. Watch for how the shots of "Zach's" art transition smoothly into shots of buildings in the film, underlining the the title. I was also pleasantly surprised with the quality of acting in this film. Whenever I see a movie in which the gay characters are portrayed by straight actors, I must admit I watch with a critical eye, but Brad Rowe and especially Trevor Wright, do an excellent job here. They really portray the intimacy between their characters, not just the lust. My favorite scene is when they are just lying in bed talking, and you can see in Zach's eyes how this relationship has become "shelter" from the stress of his life. I also love how Trevor Wright appears 16 when he is happily looking at Brad Rowe's character, but looks like he's pushing thirty when burdened by the weight of expectations from others. Tina Holmes also does a terrific job; somehow you feel sympathy for her character despite the terrible choices she makes. I guess I'm biased, because this film is now one of my all-time favorites! I could, and will, watch it over and over again. A critic quoted on the DVD package calls this film an "instant classic", and I am in complete agreement because I believe gay men 10 years from now will be able to appreciate it just as much as we can today.

..bellissimo!

日英ともに字幕がなく、自力のつたない英語力で見るしかなかった。 他の作品との比較をする場ではないが、今までみたゲイ作品では個人的に、一番素晴らしい、感動できた作品だと思っている。 人間関係が面白く、主人公が愛してしまう彼は友達の兄、姉も「ねじれた人」で、男や酒に溺れ、シングルマザーなのに子供より男という人物。その息子は主人公を父親視している、とねじれた人を描いている作品でもある。 姉が後半主人公をゲイだとなじる箇所は、「貴方に言われたくない」と思ってしまった。 ゲイだとなじられるシーンって必ず出てきますよね？汗 悩んだ主人公が最後に選択した自分自身は、心を打たれて涙したし、本来「彼女的な存在」の主人公が「彼」と手を繋いで[引っ張って]、姉貴の前に暗に彼を差し出した想いは、「よくやった!!」と心で叫んでいた。 彼ら三人家族の行く末は、子供の精神成長が心配だが、きっと上手くやって行く筈だと信じている。

This is an excellent movie that portrays the angst of a young man and his life. He has many pressures on him and he is battered about what he wants for himself and what he feels he needs to give in life with regards to his family. The roles are cast beautifully and the issues of sexuality include all the characters in the story. A sister who puts her needs over her young child, a brother that is abused emotionally by his sensitive nature and a friend and his brother who stand up for him... weave an interesting tale. This is not a "gay" movie with tantalizing sex scenes. This is an honest story and a film you will want to watch many times. Highly recommended.

Para mi gusto, Shelter es una de las historias de amor más bonitas que jamás se hayan filmado... Ojo, está en Inglés.

I don't have complains with the product itself, packaging is substantial and the quality of the footage is great. The only downside is that there are no subtitles. In terms of shipping, it took a while to process and send but it arrived on time and the shipping packing was alright.