Editorial Review:Product Description:Forced to give up his dreams of art school, Zach spends his days working a dead end job and helping his needy sister care for her son. In his free time he surfs, draws and hangs out with his best friend, Gabe, who lives on the wealthy side of town. When Gabe's older brother, Shaun, returns home, he is drawn to Zach's selflessness and talent. Zach falls in love with Shaun while struggling to reconcile his own desires with the needs of his family.
Amazon.com:The feature-film debut from art director Jonah Markowitz (
Quinceañera) pivots on the tension between responsibility to family and responsibility to self. Recent high-school graduate Zach (Trevor Wright) has one summer to reconcile the competing halves of his life. The aspiring Picasso lives in blue-collar San Pedro with his irresponsible sister, Jeanne (Tina Holmes,
Half Nelson), her five-year-old son, Cody (Jackson Wurth), and their rarely-seen father. Zach gave up his art school dreams to toil in a diner and help look after his much-loved nephew. With his best friend, Gabe (Ross Thomas), away at college, Zach draws, surfs, and skateboards by his lonesome. When Gabe's novelist brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe,
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss), returns to his Orange County home to recover from a broken heart, he and Zach alternate between riding the waves and encouraging each other to pursue their aspirations. Shaun is gay, while Zach appears to be straight, but a casual kiss between the two soon leads to a secret relationship. Before the former returns to Los Angeles, the latter has to decide who he is--gay, straight, artist, cook, uncle, or father--and what he's going to do about it. Except for the location shooting, this low-budget indie plays like an extended episode of
The O.C. what with all the 'bro's and 'dude's and love scenes tame enough for network TV. Nonetheless, Markowitz’s heart is in the right place, and
Shelter may provide some real-life Zachs with the courage they need to follow their passions.
--Kathleen C. Fennessy
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Shelter is the best romance film ever made
For a low budget film this one gets top rating from a movie buff like me. It is a film that you can enjoy again and again. The sad thing is that we cannot spend more time with Zack and Shaun, but with things ending as well as they do we shouldn't want to! Trevor Wright, Brad Rowe, and Tina Holmes do a superb job! Brad Rowe we remember from Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and Tina from Edge of Seventeen. I await expectantly for another masterpiece from the writer/director Jonah Markowitz, who has done masterfully. I really enjoyed the music: it enhanced the film tremendously. What was handled beautifully was the reactions of Zack's friends and family to his coming out: the first thing that he has done for himself. It is a joy to see that it makes him a happier person and a better artist. The aura of contentment that this film conveys is safe shelter from the rough storms of life in the 21st Century. The DVD is worth the money, believe me!
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Other Gay Spiritual Movies
* I knew a film maker who died very suddenly and I remember thinking: \"What does a film maker leave behind?\" This thought was the seed that sprouted the movie: Beatific Vision.
I found myself thinking of a secret film that a character would leave behind when he dies. Not one he wished not to be found but one he planned to be found. More than a final will and testament this film was a \"Beatific Vision\", a view into the future of all characters and a clear mapping of the coincidences that would occur.
As I began to write the screenplay the voice of the Angel started to speak softly and occasionally. Upon many re-writes the Angel voice was vieing for main character status. I tried to reel in the angel but he (Angel Chad) wrestled control away from me.
When another close friend was passing to the other side, she added a strong dose of acceleration to the writing process. There now are so many Angels (most recently my Mother) involved, I feel I am at best the living hands to this project.
When I was a small boy my parents used to call me: Angel Michael when they wanted my behavior to change. I actually grew up thinking I was an angel including my sprouting scapula wings. Today, I do not think I am an angel but I surely believe that I am their vehicle for expression on earth.
Thank-you angels for this \"angels on earth\" experience!
[...]
...
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Gimme Shelter
I really enjoyed this movie. It's much more than a love story; its also a coming of age story that's filled with inclusive family values. The movie has some great scenes of surfing and skateboarding, as well as "bombing" the suburbs with graffiti art. In many respects, the movie combines various subcultures in a new and innovate hybridized form. Surfing, graffiti, and the gay world meet and intermingle in this novel refreshing film. The love scenes and the kissing are so tender. The emotions of the actors are so intense that I felt as though I was a participant in the movie. I was not merely a spectator, but was involved in this film completely. Seeing Zach's evolution was truly uplifting and inspiring. This is not simply a "gay film." This is the kind of film that anyone and everyone should see. No matter what your sexual orientation, you should definitely see this movie.
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BETTER THAN BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
* IF YOU LIKE \"BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN\", THAN YOU WILL DEFINTELY LOVE THIS FILM. ALTHOUGH I AM A BIG FAN OF BROKEBACK, THE ACTORS IN \"SHELTER\" I THOUGHT WERE MUCH MORE INTENSE...AND NOT TO MENTION MUCH MORE SEXY. FOR NOT BEING HOLLYWOOD ACTORS BRAD ROWE AND THE GUY WHO PLAYS HIS BOYFRIEND ARE VERY TALENTED INDEED. THEY DELIVER A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COMING OF AGE STORY THAT CAN REALLY BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES. THE ACTING IS SO PERFECT THAT ITS ALMOST AS IF THE ACTORS ARE REALLY BOYFRIENDS. HEATH LEDGER AND JAKE GYLLENHALL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN BROKEBACK. BUT SHELTER IS A MUCH MORE SWEETER LOVE STORY. ALTHOUGH AT FIRST GLANCE THE GUYS SEEM STRAIGHT AND ACT AS SUCH, ITS AMAZING TO FIND THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS WHO THEY SEEM TO BE. THE ENDING IS AT LEAST VERY SATISFACTORY. ANOTHER BONUS TO THIS FILM IS THAT NOT ONLY ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS GOOD LOOKING, BUT SO IS THE ACTOR WHO PLAYS BRAD ROWE'S BROTHER. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER \"EXTRAS\" WHO ARE EQUALLY GORGEOUS. THIS MOVIE IS PERFECT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN THE CLOSET AND WANT TO FIND YOURSELF. IT TEACHES A LOT ABOUT BEING TRUE TO ONESELF AND OTHERS AND HAVING THE COURAGE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN AND WHO YOU LOVE. ...
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Touching and emotionally charged without being sappy...
I watched this movie almost like I would have watched a fairy-tale. Actually, considering, I would say Zach is a modern Cinderella... His desires always came second after his family's and he didn't even realize how much his sister (or his absent father for that matter) took him for granted. And when his chance to have a life eventually came his way he almost pushed it away. Felt bad for Shaun - who didn't deserve at all Zach's rebiffs and second thoughts - but oh, how understandable these second thoughts and self-guessing were...
It would be difficult to choose favourite moments in the movie. There were several - loved a lot the 'fast forward over few days' silent scenes - the first showing the beginning of Zach-Shaun relationship and the last one showing a glimpse of their and Cody's life, the touching moment of Zach's apology, the comic of almost-discovery by Gabe of our couple in bed and so many others.
And, if there was any doubt, there is a happy ending. To paraphrase a publishing site, maybe there is not the certitude of 'happily ever after' but there is absolute a 'happy ending for now'. Which, considering your own quota of optimism could easily be upgraded to 'ever after'.:-)
I highly recommend this movie. It will prove a very enjoyable entertainement and will leave you smiling happily at 'the end' moment.
If you seek for more however, a big movie to make you thinking etc, this is not it.
