Latter Days (2003)

A promiscuous gay party animal falls for a young Mormon missionary, leading to crisis, cliché, and catastrophe.

Director:

C. Jay Cox

Writer:

C. Jay Cox

Stars:

Wes Ramsey, Steve Sandvoss, Mary Kay Place

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Sandvoss	...	Elder Aaron Davis
Wes Ramsey	...	Christian Markelli
Rebekah Johnson	...	Julie Taylor (as Rebekah Jordan)
Amber Benson	...	Traci Levine
Khary Payton	...	Andrew
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Lila Montagne
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Elder Paul Ryder
Rob McElhenney	...	Elder Harmon
Dave Power	...	Elder Gilford
Erik Palladino	...	Keith Griffin
Mary Kay Place	...	Sister Gladys Davis
Jim Ortlieb	...	Brother Farron Davis
Linda Pine	...	Susan Davis
Bob Gray	...	Susan's Husband
Judee Morton	...	Noreen (as Judith Morton Fraser)

Storyline

Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss) and Christian Markelli (Wes Ramsey) are perhaps the two most opposite people in the world. Aaron is a passionate young Elder (a Mormon missionary) who wants to do his family and church proud. Christian is a shallow West Hollywood waiter/party boy who only looks forward to what man the next night will bring to him. After Aaron and three other Elders move into the apartment across from his, Christian's friends make a bet that he can't get one of them into the sack, so he instantly latches onto Aaron, suspecting there is more than meets the eye to him. There are two problems, though: Christian finds himself questioning his own identity as he falls in love with Aaron and the Mormon Church treats homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle. When Aaron's burgeoning sexuality is discovered, they will have to go through trials of regret, loss, perseverance, and forgiveness if they want to get to the thing that matters to them most: each other.

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Plot Keywords:

male frontal nudity | nudity | gay interest | gay lead character | christian | 

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Taglines:

Aaron prays. Christian plays... Opposites attract.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] TLA Releasing

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 July 2004 (Israel)

Also Known As:

A Tentação de Aaron

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$850,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,956, 6 February 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$819,939, 4 July 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Funny Boy Films,Davis Entertainment Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joseph Gordon-Levitt originally auditioned for the role of Elder Aaron Davis, but the producers gave him the role of Elder Ryder.

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Goofs

When Aaron and Chris are preparing to enter Aaron's home, Aaron has his bag on a side of his shoulder. When they enter the house, Aaron's bag is on the other shoulder.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elder Aaron Davis: When I first came to Los Angeles, it looked like just this mass of dots... all jumbled and disconnected. It was pretty disorienting.

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Crazy Credits

The director would like to give a special thank you to all my former neighbors on Scott Avenue

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Alternate Versions

This film is available on DVD in the US in R-rated and unrated versions.

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Connections

Version of Reason Thirteen (1998)

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Soundtracks

Another Beautiful Day
Written by C. Jay Cox
Performed by Rebekah Jordan
Background Vocals by Shannon Moore & Bobby Joyner
Produced by Rudy Guess & Eric Allaman

User Reviews

Touching on many fronts...

Latter Days touched me unexpectedly in many ways. I knew little about the film before I saw it on DVD, and really had few expectations. I am no movie critic, and probably see fewer flicks than most people. But I know what I like, and I know when something tugs at my soul. Few movies exist that I have wanted to see more than once. This is one, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is soulsearching.

Maybe it is stereotypical, and maybe its not Academy Award material (I like few that are), but it really touched some hot buttons with me, and it moved me to tears in the end. I thought that Cox and company did a great job summing up such deep subject matter in such a short time.

For those who think it's hoaky, I say relax, its just a movie. I lived many parts of the real-life version of this story, and it wasn't always pretty. While never a Mormon, I have "wrestled with the angel" for most of my adult life, still trying to reconcile my gay being with my spiritual being. Long-term denial of my sexual identity at an early age led me into a lengthy struggle with drugs and alcohol and a near-death experience 11 years ago. I even looked into aversion therapy once as a way to "cure" myself from homosexuality. Trust me, its better to see this unfold in a movie than to have lived it.

While it may be steeped in stereotype and clichés, as many critics have suggested, Latter Days manages to expose many shallow traits among the major elements in this story: organized religion, gay culture and even Hollywood itself (I love how Cox portrayed L.A. as an additional "character" in the movie).

I thought that the acting was terrific, especially Sandvoss as Aaron Davis. The music is as touching as the story (I recommend the soundtrack too). I can't speak for most moviegoers, but this one will stick with me for a while, and few ever do.