Movie Title: Rock Haven
Release Date: 21 June 2007
Director: David Lewis
Writer(s): David Lewis
Principal Actor(s): Sean Hoagland, Owen Alabado, Laura Jane Coles
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 78 minutes
Format: DVD
Reviewer: Roger Howell
Blurb: Brady (Sean Hoagland), who will shortly be going away to college, is a shy, introspective 18-year-old, who moves to the coastal seaside town of Rock Haven with his overprotective, widowed mother Marty (Laura Jane Coles), who is setting up a Christian school nearby. He spends a lot of time on the beach, either reading the bible or staring at the waves crashing on shore, until he meets a neighbor’s free- spirited visiting son, 19-year-old Clifford (Owen Alabado). There is an instant attraction to each other, even though homosexuality conflicts with Brady’s devoutly Christian beliefs.
Review: I went into this movie not really knowing what to expect. All I had read was the short synopsis on the jacket cover of the DVD I rented from Netflix. Brady is a shy and introverted 18-year-old boy. He is also devoutly Christian. Then he meets Clifford and his worldview becomes turned upside down. Clifford is totally out the closet. Bradley has to start dealing with his emerging sexuality and feelings, which to him are a conflict with his religion. He also has to deal with telling his mom about his feelings at one point in the movie. The anguish and torment occurring to Brady is something all emerging gays go through and it was really believable.
As for the plotline the movie seemed slow throughout. Maybe the director intended this to happen to give time for the relationship to build but it seemed to leave something lacking in my honest opinion. The actor portraying Brady did a great job in portraying the struggle homosexual Christians have in mixing their sexual identity with their faith. Clifford as his best friend trying to help lead him through the crisis was fantastic as well. All in all, the movie ended on a great note.