Latter Days

Latter Days is a 2003 gay romantic drama directed by C. Jay Cox, the screenwriter for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. In 2004, Latter Days was made into a novel, written by T. Fabris, published by Alyson Publications.

Plot

Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss) is a young Mormon from Idaho who goes to Los Angeles on his mission. He moves with three fellow missionaries into the bungalow apartment complex of an openly gay man named Christian (Wes Ramsey). Christian is intrigued by his hunky new neighbors and he and his friends make a bet: if Christian can seduce one of the missionaries, he'll win $50. What they don't know is that Aaron, the missionary Christian chooses for his attempted seduction, is gay.

After several encounters around the apartment complex, Aaron and Christian begin to get to know each other. But just as Christian appears to be luring Aaron into his bed, Aaron becomes upset by Christian saying that it's "just a little fun between friends." Aaron's anger is due to the fact that he feels that Christian is not taking Aaron's "first time" seriously enough, and ends the encounter by accusing Christian of being superficial and shallow. Rejected, Christian then joins the Project Angel Food to deliver food for people with AIDS, from which he learns a lot, including the fact that Aaron may just be the man in his life.

One day, Aaron's roommate and fellow missionary, Paul Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is involved in a bicycling accident. Christian tries to comfort the distraught Aaron but, unfortunately, they get caught by Aaron's fellow Mormon missionaries while they are kissing in Aaron's shared apartment. As a result of the indiscretion, Aaron is immediately sent back home by church officials.

Christian doesn't get to the Los Angeles airport in time to stop Aaron from leaving, but learns that Aaron will have a five-hour layover at the Salt Lake City airport, so Christian catches the next flight there. Christian finds Aaron standing outside the terminal in the snow and tells him that he loves him. When all flights are canceled due to the snowstorm, Christian and Aaron spend that night at a hotel together, becoming physically and emotionally intimate, but Aaron leaves the next morning before Christian wakes up. Christian returns to Los Angeles where he is depressed and cannot get over losing Aaron.

Aaron faces excommunication from the church upon his arrival home in Idaho. He is given the cold shoulder by his father (Jim Ortlieb) and is scolded by his mother (Mary Kay Place), who tells him that Christian was just playing him around for a $50 bet, and that two men cannot possibly love each other. Aaron feels so hopeless that he tries to commit suicide. Fortunately, he is discovered in time, but is sent by his parents to a barbaric treatment facility to receive aversion therapy.

Christian, who has been trying to get in touch with Aaron via telephone, is devastated when Aaron's mother tells him that Aaron has taken a razor to his wrists and that she has "lost her son," all because of him. Guilt-ridden, Christian believes that Aaron is dead and makes a painful trip to Idaho, where he returns Aaron's pocketwatch to Aaron's mother. He departs before Aaron's mother can confess that Aaron is still alive.

Meanwhile, Aaron has a revelation at the treatment facility after seeing a video playing on a TV set. The video prompts him to return to Los Angeles, not knowing where else to go now that he is a pariah in his hometown. After his attempt to locate Christian is unsuccessful, he goes to a restaurant owned by a woman (Jacqueline Bisset) he'd met while he was a missionary. Unbeknownst to him, it is the same restaurant where Christian works as a waiter, and the two are reunited. The movie ends on a happy note with Christian, Aaron, and their friends (who also work at the restaurant) celebrating Thanksgiving, and life.

Cast

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

Awards

• Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
  • Audience Award: Best Feature
• Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
  • Audience Award: Outstanding First Narrative Feature

External links

• Official Latter Days Website
• Latter Days at IMDb
• About Gay Movies :: Latter Days Information, synopsis, gay-interest, review, quotes, pictures, etc.
• outrate.net review of LATTER DAYS(with pics)