Product Description

A man overcomes his hectic life to fall in love with his friend's brother in this engaging drama. SHELTER stars Brad Rowe (BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS) and Tina Holmes (EDGE OF SEVENTEEN).System Requirements:Running Time: 88 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/LOVE & ROMANCE Rating: R UPC: 858423001353 Manufacturer No: LIB00135

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163 in DVD
• Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
• Released on: 2008-05-27
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 89 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

Gimme Shelter...
Sometimes, rarely, after having watched dozens upon dozens of disappointing films, you get lucky and come across one that not only lives up to, but surpasses all the praise that more often than not was just hype anyways. And... also sometimes, you go back to watch it a second time just to see if your first impression was correct, and you are horrified to see that you were mistaken and that this is just a lousy film and you don't know what you were thinking. Have I sufficiently confused you? Then let me just say that this film, "Shelter", was one of the most beautiful, surprising, well acted, noble films I've ever seen. These actors, most of whom are either unknown or not "stars", are so, so much better than the small but undying, rotating, irritating crop of so called superstars that monopolize every churned out piece of Hollywood garbage. The performances here are so seamless, modest, and real, that you feel that you are watching just that, real life. Of course, watching real life can be boring, and what most actors and films of today completely fail at is to not only make the story interesting, but enables it to go beyond being entertainment to give it that intangible element of realism that truly moves you. In this film you feel their pain, joy, loneliness, frustration, and liberation in your very gut, and that is rare for films today, especially a "small' film that does not bang you over the head with special effects or try and bring a tear to your eye with overacting and ear splitting sweeping music. Though this film has a gay story line, it is relevant to anyone who is alive, and it's message about love, loyalty, and being true to yourself is for everyone. I will not go on and i will not tell you the story line as plenty of other reviewers have already done this, and some of them very well. I will only say that as a person who grew up loving the movies and having been disappointed in 95% of all the films made in the last 25 years, it is so refreshing, enjoyable, and heartening to come across a film as beautiful as this one. It is poetry. It is perfect. It hopefully makes some people aware that there are different and positive qualities that define a "family." It is the best film of it's kind that I have ever seen. And the actors, director, writer, etc..should all be extremely proud of their accomplishment, and, as a disheartened, quality- starved filmgoer, i thank them all.

Loaded with angst but...
The beginning of this film had me frustrated and angry for Zach. I kept asking myself why allowed himself to be used by his pathetic excuse for a sister. But he was the one in the family with heart and responsibility. Then we meet Shawn. The brother of Gabe who is a good friend of Zach's. The two form a friendship again even after knowing each other for years. The chemistry between them is awesome and the one....only one...(darn) heated love scene, is electrifying. It was a good movie. The only complaint I had was I wanted more good sexy fun between the two men, and less brow beating agony. But I do get the producers were looking for mainstream, and mainstream love to see gay men punish themselves...yawn. Buy it. It was still a feel good film worth the time.

Romantic, warm, and insightful
When Zach, a young man (one year, I think, out of high school) reconnects with his best friend's big brother (Shaun,) long-supressed sparks cannot be contained.

However Zach is the one solid member of his dysfunctional and crumbling family: his father is injured, his mother is dead, and his sister is unconcerned and inattentive to her 5-year old son Cody. Zach fulfills the parental role for Cody, although at times grudgingly, as he gives up hope for a better future on the other side of the tracks and resigns himself to a life of flipping burgers.

Suddently Zach cannot suppress his feelings for Shaun, but nobody is really thrilled with the revelation that Zach might be gay. Zach must decide between his own needs and dreams (whatever he decides they are) and the needs and requirements of his family.

Brad Rowe, last seen in Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss finds material much more worthy and he rises to the occasion. Actually, all the acting and production in this film is good and the tone and pace of the film are well-executed and effective.

Along with gay and straight parenting/family issues, there is a good examination about the formation of a relationship between two men of somewhat differing ages, economic backgrounds, and in different stages of coming out to themselves and their families.

This is a great movie overall and a great example of modern gay-themed movies. Highly recommended.