Rock Haven (2007)

Touches You

People are voting emotionally.

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I liked the twofold symbolism of the waves: of baptismal cleansing and as a reminder that 'Time's ever rolling stream bears all its sons away.' While some might think this film is ponderously slow, I reckon it's very meditative. When you're that young, time moves very slowly – remember the long school and university vacations? Teenage angst exists the world over, including struggling with one's sexuality and an evangelical young man like Brady will be able to quote chapter and verse from the bible to condemn himself. That's where the pastor was weak. His quotation of two, vaguely relevant bible verses would not have been sufficient to convince him.And who is this pastor, anyway? His church has cross and candles and the Stations of the Cross, which suggest a Roman Catholic building; not the sort of church Brady and his mother would attend as evangelicals (though their home has the tackiest reproduction of Da Vinci's Last Super that I have ever seen).The place, Rock Haven, far from being a place of escape became a means of finding oneself, somewhat like a pilgrimage destination where you have to travel in order to arrive back at where you started.Despite these minor niggles, this is a beautifully-produced film dealing with issues that are still live for many young people despite its being the Twenty-first century.

Considering the small budget this film must have had, all-in-all I found it to be a true delight. I now hold it as my second favorite after "Latter Days." Sean Hoagland turns in a masterful performance as Brady, the confused Christian lad with a heart of gold and a tortured soul. He brought the movie home for me and I found myself tearing up at the end. Sure, I wanted both of the boys to go off into the sunset hand-in-hand, but the actual ending was more realistic and illustrated the consequence of failure to be true to one's self. I can't say enough about Sean Hoagland, a truly talented young actor who completely suspended my disbelief with his performance of the naive, sweet, introverted and sad Brady - he will go far. The brief nude scene only intensified the implied love making. If the two boys were seen grinding in bed, the movie would have turned into soft-core. Instead, the act of revealing their bodies to each other in the way the two actors did told you everything you needed to know and was not gratuitous. The kissing scenes were the hottest part to me as there was real passions being expressed. In conclusion, I think it's very interesting that people seem to either love or hate this movie. Count me as one of the ones who loves it.

I gave this film a 5 - but really don't know WHAT to give it. I think the problem is with the director/writer, in that I don't think he ever really knew what he wanted to do here. The opening lines were so trite I found myself talking back to the screen... Then the two boys meet and I began to wonder if it was just bad acting/directing, or whether somewhere between the lines the director was hoping for parody... at times it was so embarrassing that I thought he HAD to be attempting comedy. The overlong pauses made me wonder if it was bad acting - or bad editing - or both. The lead character , Brady, played by Sean Hoagland, was filmed almost always in close-up - where he seemed to think that he had to project at least three different emotions all at the same time... He seemed to be twitching through his role too much of the time. And his mother seemed to be channeling some very uptight drag queen...All of this was my first impression.Somewhere about halfway through though, I actually found myself enjoying the film - mainly, I think, because, despite a certain amateurish quality to the acting, the two boys really did have a sweetness to them that was almost impossible not to like. And they both have charm - so it made it easier to let myself get drawn into it. Although most of the script seemed ineffective, there were a few lines that did ring true and make some sense. Oh, and Owen Alabado, who plays Clifford, is definitely worth watching - he has a screen presence and a hot quality to him that is very promising. In fact, under the right director, I think both of these boys could end up making waves.But then, near the end, suddenly it all came apart. First of all, two lines from the Bible are not enough to find a solution to such existential questions as those presented by the situation; Second - the priest - played by the director - reintroduced a fuzzy unfocused dissonance to the proceedings - which is why I think most of the blame for what doesn't work in this film comes directly from him. As the priest - he comes across as a very possible gay priest who can barely control his desire for his young charge, and can't seem to keep his paws off him, caressing his shoulder as if he were touching Christ himself. His performance (if you can call it that) adds an entire subtext to the film that never gets resolved, and only manages to complicate things without adding anything worthwhile. And it doesn't really make sense that if the priest was that positive and tolerant towards the boy, how come he didn't take any time to try and help the mother?The only part of the movie that truly worked well for me was the scene where they make love for the first (and only) time. They both seemed mesmerized, so lost in each other's eyes that as they strip off they don't even take a moment to appreciate each other's bodies (but the audience does, I'm sure!) Someone will certainly write that it wasn't necessary to show full-frontal nudity, but I think this was the most honest thing in the film; the two boys were finally letting down all the barriers between them and offering themselves up to each other without the slightest artifice. There is an innocence to this scene that makes it truly beautiful... and the nudity only underlines the sincerity that the two boys bring to it. So there it is - a mishmash of a film which shouldn't be totally dismissed, even though there are many things that could have been done better. Worth seeing, nevertheless, for the moments of un-jaded sincerity and sweetness.

It keeps amazing me, that one and the same movie can generate such totally opposite reactions on this site. I saw "Rock Haven" last night, and was totally charmed by it. To me it seemed sincere, respectful, realistic, sensitive, engaging and very touching.To begin with: I didn't mind all the waves at all, it sort of created this dream-like atmosphere that contributed to the feeling of an endless summer, of being a little bit outside of the real world - exactly as one should feel on summer-vacation. The many silences in the interaction between the few characters may have felt awkward, but that was precisely the point, evoking in the viewers the same feelings as in the protagonists of the movie. And the silences between Brady and Clifford also enhanced the wonderful feeling of sexual tension that kept building up. Both young actors did a great job: maybe not Oscar-winning performances (as the script didn't aim on providing them with Oscar-winning material), but they were (to me) exactly right for their parts: the one naive, innocent, cute and terribly afraid of his own feelings; the other sensual, a little more streetwise, and yet as much afraid of this fragile new love as his friend. There was noticeable chemistry between the two of them and all this mutual shyness and carefulness and awkwardness felt very realistic: that's how it goes (or should go) with first loves and first sexual experiences.Sure, I felt disappointed, even a bit cheated, that Brady didn't ran off to the airport to stop Clifford from leaving, after he came to terms with himself and with his mother, I would so much have enjoyed a happy ending. But this is obviously how the writer wanted it, and it makes sense too: how many first loves - especially summer-loves!- that at the time seemed like The Bigggests Thing ever, just evaporate after summer is over. Maybe Brady was too young and too much a freshman in his new state of being out and in love, to expect him to take such a bold and theatrical step as rushing to the airport en reclaiming his love.Then there were reviewers who commented on the way the mother sort of exchanged her acceptance (or toleration) of her son's being gay for her right to have her own (negative) opinions on homosexuality. Maybe that seemed like some artificial paradox, but to me it actually did make sense. Personally I came out as being gay in the same kind of suffocating (roman-catholic) environment, and my mother cried hell (and worse!). I tried to make her at least respect me in having my own feelings. She could not. I only share this with you to point out that I would have died for a mother who took this up as Brady's mother did, even if it's "just" a compromise or some sort of truce. You simply cannot expect everyone to change. And we gays should stop monopolizing the rest of the world in pointing out what's politically correct behavior. If you want respect, you have to give some too.If anything, I was a bit disappointed in the religious "solution" of the story. I could relate (how could I not, with my background!) to the doubts of Brady (like: "how can something so beautiful be a sin?"). But the end of the movie suggested some sort of religious catharsis that failed me. The role of the priest was rather dubious, what he had to offer as support and wisdom was cryptic to say the least. So I couldn't really grasp the fact that apparently Brady in the end could bring his being gay to terms with his religious beliefs, just by two quotes from the bible. As I know it, the RC church still thinks that being gay is alright but acting on it is wrong and sinful. So what "solution" did Brady end up with?? I'm sorry that I do not know the writer's real agenda on this.For the rest, I absolutely enjoyed the movie, the beautiful and effective photography, the sincere and subtle direction, the powerful script and these two young and very promising actors (and let's not forget Laura Jane Coles as the rigid mother!).A last word about the one and only nude scene. There are a zillion adult movies to choose from if you want sex and nudity, so I don't expect or need that at all in a movie like this. That's why it took me a bit by surprise. And the even bigger surprise was, that it DID fit in and it worked like wonder. Because it allowed us, the audience, to share the exact feelings of these two guys, their amazement and awe at being together totally naked for the first time. It took their breath away, as it did mine. That really proves how powerful and instinctive David Lewis's direction was.I give it a heartfelt 10 out of 10!!