latterdays

LATTER DAYS
2003 - USA - 107 min. - Feature, Color
Studio - TLA Releasing
Director - C. Jay Cox

Genre/Type - Romance, Comedy Drama, Romantic Comedy, Religious Drama, Gay Films
Flags - Strong Sexual Content, Adult Situations, Profanity, Nudity
MPAA Rating - R
Keywords - homophobia, missionary, Mormon, sexual-orientation, coming-out
Themes - Questioning Sexuality, Opposites Attract
Tones - Heartwarming, Humorous, Bittersweet, Compassionate, Tearjerking
Produced by - Davis Entertainment Filmworks / Funny Boy Films
Premiere - 2003 07 10 (Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival)
DVD Street Date - Sep 7, 2004
Screen Formats - Letterbox for 16x9 TVs
Sound - Dolby Digital Stereo
Aspect Ratio - 1.85:1 (DVD)
DVD Sides - 1
Features - Music videos / Behind-the-scenes featurette / Deleted scenes / Photo gallery / Reason Thirteen short by C. Jay Cox / Commentary with C. Jay Cox, Wes Ramsey and Steve Sandvos

Cast

Wesley A. Ramsey -- Christian
Steve Sandvoss -- Aaron Davis
Rebekah Jordan -- Julie
Amber Benson -- Traci
Khary Payton -- Andrew
Jacqueline Bisset -- Lila
Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- Ryder
Rob McElhenney -- Harmon
David Poser -- Gilford

Plot Synopsis

Sweet Home Alabama screenwriter C. Jay Cox directs the independent romance Latter Days. Christian (Wesley A. Ramsey) is a young gay party boy who lives in Southern California. When a group of good-looking Mormon missionary guys move into his apartment complex, he's determined to pick one up. He ends up falling for sweet, innocent Mormon Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), who's secretly struggling with his sexuality. Aaron slowly falls for Christian, even though he thinks he's shallow. The romance causes problems in both worlds. Christian tries to develop a conscience and ends up meeting Keith (Erik Palladino), a man dying of AIDS. Aaron has the difficult job of coming out to his mom (Mary Kay Place) and to his fellow missionaries. He comes against harsh criticism from the blatantly homophobic Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Latter Days won awards at the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and L.A. Outfest. � Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Reviews

Mike Szymanski, Zap2it.com
*** (3 stars of 4)

"Latter Days" is a surprising romance film with exciting new talent along with some great familiar faces like diva Jacqueline Bisset and "Mary Hartman's" Mary Kay Place.

The story is a semi-autobiographical account of director and writer C. Jay Cox's coming out when he was a closeted Mormon lad who went to West Hollywood to spread his message. The recruiting ended up taking a different turn as the handsome WeHo party boy next door ends up seducing the prosthelytizer.

Wes Ramsey portrays the hunk who is working at a West Hollywood restaurant owned by Bisset's character. He has a group of friends who are trying to make it into various areas of show business, and ends up betting them that he can seduce Elder Aaron Davis, played by Steve.

Roger Moore, Sentinel Movie Critic
April 2, 2004
*** (3 stars of 5)

"Sooo," the flirty, tank-top wearing "gay guy" asks his houseguests, "What do you think of gay rights?"

And before one Mormon missionary can think of a way to finesse an answer that won't offend his host, his partner -- another clean-cut young cliche in a white shirt and tie -- just blurts something out.

"There's no such thing as 'gay' and 'right,' " he recites. "They don't go together in the same sentence. God hates homos."

Latter Days is a romantic drama about cultures in collision. When an apartment full of Mormon missionaries, bright-eyed believers all of 19 or 20 years old, move into a Los Angeles bungalow across from a promiscuous gay player named Christian (Wes Ramsey), the sparks are sure to fly as two ideologies meet face to face with people they've only known through stereotypes.

Christian mockingly wants to know about "Mormon underwear." And when he wants to impress Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss) with the fact that he's been secretly doing volunteer work in the early mornings, Aaron is sure that his narcissistic neighbor has just been in the gym.

Christian is so shallow that it's a fair shot. He even documents his conquests in his electronic organizer. Aaron has had a devout Mormon upbringing, and has the morality to prove it. But they swap movie quotes and click in the apartment complex laundry room. Christian's gay-dar has picked up on Aaron's closeted homosexuality. But Salt Lake City boy Aaron isn't leaping at the chance to cut loose in L.A.

And when the sassy staff of the restaurant where Christian works gets wind of this, they propose a challenge.

"Wouldn't it be funny if you converted them instead of them converting you?"

A bet is placed, and Christian arches an eyebrow in anticipation.

Conversely, Aaron is a deep young man very much struggling with who he is and how that relates to everything he's been taught. He seems bummed that his young mission-in-Los Angeles roomies are depressingly close-minded, very much what Christian thinks they are when he first spots them rolling their bikes into the bungalow.

"Hey, what kinda frat boys are you?"

Writer-director C. Jay Cox, who wrote Sweet Home Alabama, manages a neat tightrope walk for much of this film. He's good at the bits of explaining he must do, about the sorts of people doing restaurant work in L.A. (Hollywood wannabes) and the rites of passage young Mormon men endure. His sympathies ride the fence as he presents Christian as too self-involved to be worth falling in love with, and Aaron as someone whose inner strength makes him the sort of person that strangers confide in. But the frank treatment of sexuality tips us off very quickly that this isn't one of the many Mormon-produced films such as God's Army that have come out of Utah in recent years.

The restaurant banter is appropriately sassy and off-color, presided over by Jacqueline Bisset, who does well by an undemanding part. Mary Kay Place conveys perfect denial as the Mormon mom confronted by what her son may or may not do.

Sandvoss is pretty convincing as a young man whose sexuality is pulling him one way as his values pull him another. Ramsey is as pretty and preening as the role demands, but he's believable as a young man who makes a journey of his own. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, formerly of Third Rock from the Sun, is sharp in a supporting role as the most intolerant of the missionaries.

The movie is tripped up by a gimmicky, corny third act full of coincidence, tragedy and tearful embraces. The "bet" ingredient and another side-plot about a struggling singer-songwriter (Rebekah Jordan) are nonstarters.

Like The Passion of the Christ, it's not going to convert anybody. But it's a winning, heartfelt and conflicted piece where the conflicts often resolve themselves in surprising ways.