Shelter (2007/II)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Jonah Markowitz

Writer:

Jonah Markowitz (writer)

Release Date:

16 April 2009 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sport

Plot:

When his college dreams are sidelined by family obligations, a young man finds comfort in surfing with his best friend's brother.

Plot Keywords:

Best Friend | College | Surfing | Art | Art School

Awards:

11 wins

Cast

Trevor Wright	...	Zach
Brad Rowe	...	Shaun
Tina Holmes	...	Jeanne
Jackson Wurth	...	Cody
Katie Walder	...	Tori
Matt Bushell	...	Alan
Ross Thomas	...	Gabe
Albert Reed	...	Billy
Joy Gohring	...	Ellen
Don Margolin	...	Father John
Alejandro Patino	...	Moe
Caitlin Crosby	...	Shari
Alicia Sixtos	...	Amber
Tarek Zohdy	...	Gabe's Friend
Robbi Chong	...	Receptionist

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

97 min | Germany:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Malibu, California, USA

Company:

GP Pictures

Trivia:

Trevor Wright, Ross Thomas and Albert Reed already knew how to surf before the filming of this movie.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Zach is in Shaun's kitchen, in the scene where they are drinking wine, when Shaun lifts Cody down from the table, a boom mic is visible briefly in the window reflection behind Shaun's head.

Quotes:

Zach: [into walkie-talkie] Say something.
Shaun: [into walkie-talkie] You say something.
Zach: [into walkie-talkie] Student was bad. Made made judgment call. And that's the truth.
Shaun: [into walkie-talkie] Where are you?
Zach: [into walkie-talkie] Getting warmer... Colder... Turn around.
[Shaun turns]
Zach: I'm so sorry.
Shaun: You better be.
Zach: You sent in my application?
Shaun: Yeah.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in My Big Break (2009)

Soundtrack:

Teenage Romanticide

An Exceptional Film About Love, Family, And Relationships

What an amazing movie about love, family, and relationships. It was great to watch a film that used characters that stepped outside of the gay stereotypes seen in most films. It was even better to see a movie that focused on the love (rather than the sex) between the two lead characters.

While there are some scenes that scream "low budget," the end product as a whole was very rewarding. The acting, writing, and directing were all solid.

After so many disappointing gay films, I'm thrilled to have a movie like this come along. If this is a sign of things to come in gay cinema, then I am excited about future films. If you haven't seen "Shelter" yet, go give it watch. You'll be glad you did. Enjoy.