Latter Days

Infobox_Film
name = Latter Days


writer = C. Jay Cox
starring = Wes Ramsey
Steve Sandvoss
Rebekah Johnson
Jacqueline Bisset
Mary Kay Place
Erik Palladino
Amber Benson
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Rob McElhenney
Dave Power
imdb_id = 0345551
director = C. Jay Cox
producer = Funny Boy Films, Davis Entertainment Filmworks
distributor = TLA Releasing
released = 2003
runtime = 107 min.
language = English
country = USA
budget = $850,000
rating = Unrated
music =
cinematography=
amg_id = 1:301086

"Latter Days" is a gay romantic drama released in 2003. Set in Los Angeles, California it portrays the seduction of Aaron Davis, a Mormon missionary, by Christian Markelli, a party animal who falls in love with him. The film, written and directed by C. Jay Cox, stars Steve Sandvoss as Aaron, Wes Ramsey as Christian, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Elder Ryder, and Rebekah Johnson as Julie Taylor. Mary Kay Place, Amber Benson and Jacqueline Bisset have supporting roles.

"Latter Days" premiered at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on July 10, 2003. It was released across America over the next 12 months, and was released, mostly at gay film festivals, in a few other countries. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345551/releaseinfo Release dates for Latter Days (2003).] IMDb.com. Retrieved October 5, 2006.] It was the first film to openly show the clash between the principles of the Mormon church and homosexuality, and its exhibition in some states was polemic. Various religious groups demanded the movie to be retired from theatres and DVD stores under boycott threats.

The movie was not well received by film critics, although it was popular with most film festival attendees. In 2004 T. Fabris made "Latter Days" into a novel, which was published by Alyson Publications.

Plot

Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), a young Mormon missionary from Pocatello, Idaho, is sent to Los Angeles with three other missionaries to spread the Mormon faith. They move into a bungalow apartment next to the apartment of openly gay party boy Christian Markelli (Wes Ramsey), an aspiring actor who works as a waiter at "Lila's", a trendy restaurant owned by retired actress Lila Montagne (Jacqueline Bisset). Intrigued by his new, sober Mormon neighbors, Christian makes a $50 bet with his cynical co-workers that he can seduce one of them. Christian soon realizes that Aaron, the most inexperienced missionary, is a closeted homosexual.

Aaron and Christian become acquainted after several encounters in the apartment complex. When Christian accidentally cuts himself on a piece of metal and faints, Aaron helps him indoors and cleans his wound. Christian seizes the opportunity to seduce Aaron and nearly succeeds. However, the hesitant Mormon becomes upset by Christian's standard patter that sex "doesn't have to mean anything." Aaron angrily replies that Christian "equates sex with a handshake", and after accusing him of being superficial and shallow, walks out. Worried that Aaron is right, Christian joins Project Angel Food to deliver meals to people with AIDS, through which he befriends a man named Keith (Erik Palladino).

Later, Aaron's fellow missionary, Paul Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), has a cycling accident. On returning to his apartment, a distraught Aaron encounters Christian, who tries to comfort him with a hug. Both men are overwhelmed by their feelings and end up kissing. Lost in the moment, they fail to notice the return of Aaron's roommates. Christian is ordered to leave. He returns to the missionaries' apartment the next day to explain himself, but is told that Aaron has been sent home in disgrace. This leads to a confrontation with Elder Ryder, who is angry that Christian has corrupted a decent young man for no apparent purpose. Christian admits that he initially just wanted to win a bet, but says "it's not about that" anymore.

Recognizing Christian's genuine distress, Ryder softens enough to tell him that Aaron has a five-hour layover in Salt Lake City. Christian catches the next flight there and eventually finds Aaron standing in the snow outside the terminal. Christian confesses his love, and despite his profound misgivings, Aaron admits his own feelings of love. With all flights cancelled due to a snowstorm, Christian and Aaron are able to spend a loving and intimate night together in a nearby motel. However, when Christian awakes in the morning, he finds Aaron has gone. He returns sadly to Los Angeles.

On arriving home in Idaho, Aaron is excommunicated by the church elders, led by his own father (Jim Ortlieb), who is the Stake President (regional leader). Aaron is rejected by his father and scolded by his mother (Mary Kay Place) when he said that Christian told him he loved him. She informs him of the $50 bet she is told about by the Mission President. She states that he needs to pray for forgiveness, though Aaron disagrees and says that what if it isn't something he did, but who he is. For that statement, Aaron's mother slaps him, causing him to cry. Overwhelmed by despair, he tries to commit suicide. Aaron is sent by his parents to a treatment facility to undergo aversion therapy to "cure" him of his homosexuality.

Christian is desperate to find Aaron and eventually locates his home address and phone number. On phoning, he is devastated to be told by Aaron's mother that "Thanks to you, my son took a razor to his wrists; thanks to you I have "lost" my son." Believing that Aaron is dead, Christian spends the next few days thinking non-stop about Aaron, as he constantly holds his pocket watch. One Tuesday at 3 in the morning, Julie comes home from work in the studio and finds Christian awake, sitting on the couch. When Christian brushes off her concerns and heads back to bed, Julie discovers a poem in his cellphone. She decides to use it as the base of her new song.

Christian seeks out the family home in Idaho, where he tearfully returns Aaron's family heirloom watch to his mother. She recognizes that she may have been too harsh in her judgment, but is too late to stop Christian before he drives off. During an encounter with Julie, she shows him her new video, which stuns Christian; realizing that part of the lyrics had come from his journal entry. Julie tries to convince Christian that she had only hoped that something good would come out of it. However, Christian is angry that he was betrayed.

Late one night in the treatment facility, Aaron hears a female voice singing and goes to investigate. He discovers a music video playing on television, the song performed by Julie, Christian's roommate. Coincidentally, it is the same video that Julie had shown Christian. As it plays, Aaron sees an on-screen message stating that the song describes a friend of the performer. The video prompts Aaron to return to Los Angeles in search of Christian. Upon arriving at Christian's apartment, Aaron is heartbroken to find a shirtless stranger answering the door. Thinking that this is just another one-night stand answering the door, that Christian has returned to his party boy ways and has moved on, and having nowhere else to go, Aaron makes his way to Lila's restaurant. By chance, he had befriended Lila while on missionary work after her life partner died, though he did not realize that she owned the restaurant where Christian worked. Christian is shocked but overjoyed at seeing Aaron alive, and their reconciliation ends the movie on a happy note. Together with Christian's co-workers, they celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to a happy future together.

Development and production

"Latter Days" was written by C. Jay Cox after the success of his previous screenplay, "Sweet Home Alabama", gave him the financial resources and critical credit to write a more personal love story.Szymanski, Mike. [http://movies.zap2it.com/movies/features/scenes/story/0,1259,---20348,00.html 'Latter Days' Director Gets Personal.] Movies.zap2it.com (February 3, 2004). Retrieved October 12, 2006.] Cox based both characters—Christian and Aaron—on himself. He was raised as a Mormon and served at a mission before coming out as gay, and had wondered what the two halves of himself would have said to each other if they had ever met.Phillips, Rebecca. [http://www.beliefnet.com/story/139/story_13995_1.html 'A Topic Deeply Buried'.] Belief.net. (February 12, 2004). Retrieved October 12, 2006.]

"Latter Days" was filmed in 24 days on an estimated budget of USD$850,000. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345551/ Latter Days (2003).] IMDb.com. Retrieved November 16, 2006.] All funding was acquired from private investors who wanted to see the film made. "Latter Days" DVD behind-the-scenes featurette.] It was distributed through TLA Releasing, an independent film distributor, who picked it up through its partnership with production company Funny Boy Films, which specializes in gay-themed media. [http://www.moviecitynews.com/Notepad/2004/040120_pr.html NATIONAL THEATER CHAIN SAYS “NO” TO LATTER DAYS.] MCN Press Release (January 20, 2004). Retrieved December 18, 2006.]

Cast

* Steve Sandvoss as Elder Aaron Davis: Aaron is a young Latter-day Saint from Pocatello, Idaho who, while on his Mission, falls in love with Christian and must choose between his sexuality and his church. The producers auditioned a large number of people before casting Sandvoss, saying he "blew us away."

* Wes Ramsey as Christian William Markelli: A LA party animal aspiring to be an actor, Christian has his ideas of happiness and the meaning of life challenged when he falls for the simple but kind-hearted Aaron who has moved in next door. Ramsey said on the DVD Special featurette, "The character of Christian was on so many levels, intriguing to me. I was just so excited and feel very blessed to have the opportunity to tell that story through his eyes."

* Rebekah Johnson as Julie Taylor: Christian's flat-mate, Julie tries to break out into the music world and on the way stop Christian from falling apart.

* Amber Benson as Traci Levine: Traci has moved from New York to LA to become an actress, and works at Lila's to support herself. Traci does not like living in LA, but later admits she didn't like New York much either.

* Khary Payton as Andrew: Andrew is also an aspiring actor, but spends more time at Lila's gossiping and telling racy anecdotes. Andrew has been HIV positive for quite some time, but remains in good health.

* Jacqueline Bisset as Lila Montagne: Lila runs "Lila's", a restaurant where Christian, Traci, Julie, and Andrew work. Her lover is terminally ill in hospital and she is forced to decide whether or not to keep him on life support. She still finds time to be sarcastically witty to all the other characters however. Bisset herself said, "I like humor, so I just, I really enjoyed doing all the cracks."

* Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Elder Paul Ryder: A prickly, judgmental young missionary assigned as Aaron's partner, Ryder is not enthusiastic about being in LA and even less so about living next door to a homosexual. Gordon-Levitt originally auditioned to play Aaron, but his aggressive attitude toward the script but good sense of humor made the producers decide he was a perfect Ryder.

* Rob McElhenney as Elder Harmon: Elder Harmon is the oldest of the L.D.S. missionaries and has been assigned as their leader.

* Dave Power as Elder Gilford: Elder Gilford is Harmon's missionary partner.

* Erik Palladino as Keith Griffin: Keith is a gay man dying of AIDS, drowning in his own bitterness and despair until befriended by Christian. Cox said that Erik's performance was not how he originally envisioned it, but he could not now imagine a different person playing Keith.

* Mary Kay Place as Sister Gladys Davis: Aaron's deeply religious mother, who cannot accept the fact that her son is gay, and consequently places Aaron in a treatment facility to "cure" him.

* Jim Ortlieb as Elder Farron Davis: Aaron's father, who serves as a Latter-day Saint Stake President in Pocatello, excommunicates Aaron from the church upon learning that he's gay.

* Linda Pine as Susan Davis: Susan is the only Davis who accepts her brother's homosexuality. In a deleted scene, she tells Aaron that his homosexuality has changed nothing between them. She also discovers Aaron's suicide attempt.

Reception

Critical

"Latter Days" premiered at the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival on July 10, 2003. The audience enjoyed the film so much that they gave it a standing ovation. When the cast came on stage, they received another standing ovation. The film had a similar reception both at Outfest a week later, and at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. One person who attended Outfest commented, "It was so realistic that it was scary. I felt exposed as the particulars of my experience and of others I know was brazenly spread across the big screen for all to behold."Booher, Gary. [http://www.affirmation.org/learning/latter_days.shtml "Latter Days" Is the Hit Movie at L.A. OUTFEST.] Affirmation.org, (July 2003). Retrieved December 18, 2006. ] The film also aired at Seattle and Washington film festivals, before being released across America over the next 12 months. The film was released in few other countries, mostly at gay film festivals, as the ones in Barcelona and Madrid (where it was also a popular pick) [ [http://www.porlared.com/cinered/noticias/n_act04111702.html Latter Days, Implicación y Los armarios de la dictadura, premiados por el público del LesGaiCineMad 2004] (November 11th, 2004). Retrieved March 8 of 2007. "(Spanish)"] and Mexico City. [ [http://difusion.cultural.unam.mx/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1235&Itemid=76 2° Festival Internacional de Cine Gay en México en la UNAM] . Retrieved March 8 of 2007. "(Spanish)"] In 2005 it had already received 9 best film awards.

The film was banned by Madstone Theaters, a cinema chain in Utah, which claimed it was "not up to our artistic quality." The company was allegedly pressured with threatened boycotts and protests by conservative groups to withdraw their planned release. At the box office, "Latter Days" made only $834,685, but it was never shown at more than 19 screens at any one time. [ [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/latter_days/numbers.php Latter Days (2004): Box office and rental history for Latter Days.] Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved November 16, 2006.] Critical reviews have also been mixed: one wrote, "Cox's screenplay, while occasionally lapsing into the sort of clichés endemic to so many gay-themed films, generally treats its unusual subject matter with dignity and complexity." [Scheck, Frank. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2086389 Latter Days.] "The Hollywood Reporter", (February 9, 2004). Retrieved November 16, 2006.] Film critic Roger Ebert gave it two and a half stars, writing "the movie could have been (a) a gay love story, or (b) an attack on the Mormon Church, but is an awkward fit by trying to be (c) both at the same time." [ Ebert, Roger. [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040213/REVIEWS/402130303/1023 Latter Days.] "Chicago Sun-Times", (February 13, 2004), Retrieved December 18, 2006. ] There have been positive reviews as well, with one critic saying "Latter Days" was "the most important gay male movie of the past few years." "The Los Angeles Times" was also positive, saying, "at once romantic, earthy and socially critical, 'Latter Days' is a dynamic film filled with humor and pathos." [Thomas, Kevin. [http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-kevin30jan30,2,1454548.story?coll=cl-mreview Latter Days: Party boy meets Mormon missionary. What happens next overwhelms them both.] "Los Angeles Times", (January 30, 2004). Retrieved December 18, 2006. ] The average film critic rating on Rottentomatoes.com, a popular film rating website, is 45%. [ [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/latter_days/ Latter Days (2004).] Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved August 8, 2008] , whilst IMDB users give the film an average rating of 7.6 out of 10 . [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345551/ Latter Days (2004)] IMDB.com Retrieved August 15, 2008.]

Awards

Themes

C. Jay Cox has stated that the film is primarily about a love story between two characters. [http://www.killermoviereviews.com/main.php?nextlink=display&dId=434&subLinks= Cox, C. Jay -- LATTER DAYS.] Killermoviereviews.com, (April 2, 2004). Retrieved December 16, 2006.] There is also an exploration of religious attitudes towards homosexuality, and the dilemma of religious homosexuals, torn between who they are and what they believe. A non-fiction film with similar themes that has been contrasted with "Latter Days" is "Trembling before G-d".Braun, Liz. [http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Reviews/L/Latter_Days/2004/07/16/753449.html Love thy neighbor: Latter Days questions faith.] Jam Showbiz, (August 16, 2004). Retrieved December 16, 2006.]

Cox has also said that there is a massive irony, both in the film and in real life, that a religion so focused on the family and its importance is ripping families apart through its teaching on homosexuality. In fact, Cox believes one cannot be Mormon and gay. Nevertheless, a major theme of "Latter Days" is that there is an underlying spirituality in the world that goes beyond the rituals and dogmas of religion. [ [http://www.killermoviereviews.com/main.php?nextlink=display&dId=427 Latter Days.] Killermoviereviews.com, (December 12, 2006). Retrieved December 16, 2006.] This can be particularly seen in the scene where, after a day of making phone calls, Christian finally traces Aaron, writes down his phone number, and then discovers he has already idly drawn it on the previous page.

oundtrack

Eric Allaman scored the soundtrack to the film after shooting wrapped, and composed much of the score himself. Several scenes featuring the rapid passing of time, such as Christian's desperate search for Aaron at Salt Lake City Airport, were scored with techno style beats, and scenes with emotional content were given a more "ambient 'tronica feel." A total of three songs were written by C. Jay Cox for Julie to sing: "Another Beautiful Day," "More," and "Tuesday 3 AM." Allaman was very impressed with C. Jay Cox's musical ability, and both men composed more songs as background music.

The official soundtrack album was released on October 26, 2004. For contractual reasons, Rebekah Johnson did not appear on the album, and her character's songs were performed by Nita Whitaker instead. [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061Q9IA/ Latter Days Soundtrack.] Amazon.com. Retrieved November 16, 2006.]

Novelization and other releases

In 2004, the "Latter Days" screenplay was adapted into a novel by T. Fabris, which was published by Alyson Publications. [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1555838685/ Latter Days: A novel] , Amazon.com. Retrieved December 23, 2006.] The book was faithful to the film, but added several extra scenes that explained confusing aspects of the film and gave more about the characters' backgrounds. For example, the reason Ryder tells Christian where to find Aaron is his own broken heart over a girl he fell in love with while on his mission training. [Cox, C. Jay and Fabris, T., "Latter Days: A Novel", (Alyson Publications, 2004), ISBN-10: 1555838685, pg 160.] The novel also added dialogue that had been cut out of the film: finishing, for example Christian's cry - in the film - of "That's the hand I use to..." with "masturbate with." ["Latter Days: A Novel", (Alyson Publications, 2004), pg 176.]

In France, "Latter Days" has been titled "La Tentation d'Aaron" ("The Temptation of Aaron"), and the DVD given a cover showing Aaron in a nude and suggestive pose. A new trailer has also been released, which is considerably more sexual than the original. [Olsen, David. [http://www.affirmation.org/learning/french_translators.shtml French Translators Spice Up “Latter Days”:DVD is Released in France as "La Tentation d'Aaron".] Affirmation.org, (April 2006). Retrieved December 18, 2006. ]

In Italy "Latter Days" is distribuited by Fourlab. The film has also been titled "Inguaribili Romantici", shown on pay-TV on Sky Show in December 2006, and then released in dvd in Fourlab's gay themed label "OutLoud!".The film is available also in the Italian language dubbed version.

References

External links

* [http://www.latterdaysmovie.com/ Official website]
*imdb title|id=0345551|title=Latter Days
* [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808530755/info Yahoo! Movies]