The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Shelter: The "gay surfer movie" (it's so much more!). See it now and discuss it!
j.U.d.E.:
I would love to watch it again too, but my computer keeps crashing [I have to write fast, just in case it happens again now..] *grrrr* - this has been going on ever since last summer!
Anyway, SHELTER is on my Amazon.com pre-order list! Can't wait to watch it on normal screen and pristine quality! ;D
Fabienne, on EEN (Flemish TV channel) there was just a live concert of Stan van Samang! I bet you know him! I had heard of him for the first time only a couple of days ago and dong, there is a concert on tv. This guy is cute and good! I love what he sings (he sings only(?) in English). I was thinking of SHELTER while listening to him. His music fits the movie, I think. It looks like he is a very humble guy and so talented!
Here is a picture I took (from the TV screen):
From YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBNZDCz0TSw&feature=related
j. U. d. E.
belbbmfan:
--- Quote from: j. U. d. E. on May 16, 2008, 03:42:13 pm ---I would love to watch it again too, but my computer keeps crashing [I have to write fast, just in case it happens again now..] *grrrr* - this has been going on ever since last summer!
Anyway, SHELTER is on my Amazon.com pre-order list! Can't wait to watch it on normal screen and pristine quality! ;D
Fabienne, on EEN (Flemish TV channel) there was just a live concert of Stan van Samang! I bet you know him! I had heard of him for the first time only a couple of days ago and dong, there is a concert on tv. This guy is cute and good! I love what he sings (he sings only(?) in English). I was thinking of SHELTER while listening to him. His music fits the movie, I think. It looks like he is a very humble guy and so talented!
j. U. d. E.
--- End quote ---
hey Jude,
sorry to hear about your computer problems >:(
And you have great taste in men! LOL Yeah, Stan is very talented. A good singer and a good actor. And not bad on the eyes either!
rdg64:
Howdy all. A little internet bird told me this forum discusses this movie. Thanks to rightwhere_u_r's link, who I think is Snork here, I watched the movie a million times on the internet, and in processing and re-processing it, I am glad to have a place to post some thoughts. Also, I have found a lot of the reviews out there to be incredibly superficial, so that's another reason it's good to have a place like this! I skimmed the 26 pages of posts here, but please forgive me if I am redundant. These are the main themes of my thoughts:
The tragedy of Jeanne's life definitely clouds the happy ending of the film and makes me wonder why it is still considered a "feel good" movie. (I like the inclusion of her character, and am just saying how it effects my emotional reaction to the film.) She is going off with a man who is at least on some level abusive. She is leaving the only anchors she has, for something with hardly a remote chance of helping her life. She has lived in direct contrast to Zach's beauty, generosity, artistic gifts, ability to escape to the ocean, and now, a life with a respectful, giving partner. Looking to the future, her own options seem to be some kind of life with someone with no obviously redeeming qualities except the willingness to have her (but not the one she gave birth to) around. If she comes back from Oregon, where can she fit in to the family that is taking shape? Her character is done really well, I think, and adds a really interesting dimension to the film.
I wonder about Zach's decision to apply/go to art school being almost indistinguishable from his decision to be with Shaun. What if he had not gotten in, could there still be a healthy coming out and possibility of making a relationship with Shaun? In the otherwise wonderful final walkie-talkie scene, I feel like the move to be together was completely couched in terms of school. I did love in this scene that Zach said, "can you help me?" -- thereby making his move to "take what he wants" in this world, and accept help in doing so. And while I know there does not have to be blatant language about resuming/confirming their relationship, I wish he had said something that told Shaun he was accepting his sexuality and their relationship. Anyway, I loved the scene.
I like Shaun's character and wonder if he was kept purposefully a bit vague (what's the story of his breakup, how does he feel about falling in love with someone younger, etc.?) I love his equilibrium somehow, even though some critics have said he is too even-keeled! I love that he left a breakup and is coming back with two of his own new guys! Aesthetically, I loved Zach's street and bedroom art, and the "ghetto" of San Pedro backdrop, and loved them in the ocean. Okay, I haven't said much in the end, and now I am posting and running, but thanks for the Shelter topic here. I hope to be back!
mvansand76:
--- Quote from: rdg64 on May 16, 2008, 04:43:50 pm ---Howdy all. A little internet bird told me this forum discusses this movie. Thanks to rightwhere_u_r's link, who I think is Snork here, I watched the movie a million times on the internet, and in processing and re-processing it, I am glad to have a place to post some thoughts. Also, I have found a lot of the reviews out there to be incredibly superficial, so that's another reason it's good to have a place like this! I skimmed the 26 pages of posts here, but please forgive me if I am redundant. These are the main themes of my thoughts:
The tragedy of Jeanne's life definitely clouds the happy ending of the film and makes me wonder why it is still considered a "feel good" movie. (I like the inclusion of her character, and am just saying how it effects my emotional reaction to the film.) She is going off with a man who is at least on some level abusive. She is leaving the only anchors she has, for something with hardly a remote chance of helping her life. She has lived in direct contrast to Zach's beauty, generosity, artistic gifts, ability to escape to the ocean, and now, a life with a respectful, giving partner. Looking to the future, her own options seem to be some kind of life with someone with no obviously redeeming qualities except the willingness to have her (but not the one she gave birth to) around. If she comes back from Oregon, where can she fit in to the family that is taking shape? Her character is done really well, I think, and adds a really interesting dimension to the film.
I wonder about Zach's decision to apply/go to art school being almost indistinguishable from his decision to be with Shaun. What if he had not gotten in, could there still be a healthy coming out and possibility of making a relationship with Shaun? In the otherwise wonderful final walkie-talkie scene, I feel like the move to be together was completely couched in terms of school. I did love in this scene that Zach said, "can you help me?" -- thereby making his move to "take what he wants" in this world, and accept help in doing so. And while I know there does not have to be blatant language about resuming/confirming their relationship, I wish he had said something that told Shaun he was accepting his sexuality and their relationship. Anyway, I loved the scene.
I like Shaun's character and wonder if he was kept purposefully a bit vague (what's the story of his breakup, how does he feel about falling in love with someone younger, etc.?) I love his equilibrium somehow, even though some critics have said he is too even-keeled! I love that he left a breakup and is coming back with two of his own new guys! Aesthetically, I loved Zach's street and bedroom art, and the "ghetto" of San Pedro backdrop, and loved them in the ocean. Okay, I haven't said much in the end, and now I am posting and running, but thanks for the Shelter topic here. I hope to be back!
--- End quote ---
Hey there! Welcome to Bettermost and to this thread! Yep, it's me, Snork but you can call me Mel! ;D :D
Wonderful review!
belbbmfan:
hey rd! Welcome to bettermost, pull up a log and stick a boot in the fire!
Thank you for your very nice post. I've been thinking about Jeanne too. She's gotten a lot of bad press 'How could she abandon her child like that'. But you're right, her story is tragic. I think she felt really trapped and didn't know how to 'take what she wants'. She had the bad luck to fall for guys who were/are the opposite of Shaun. I think it really stung when Zach told her 'Shaun's really great, he cares about Cody and me.' and 'We're gonna make it work'. The contrast with her own situation couldn't be greater.
I was also wondering about her 'homophobia' and the fact that during the last scene, she changed her mind pretty quickly about leaving Cody with Zach and Shaun. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she couldn't picture a gay family. After all she wanted Zach to meet some other girl after he had broken up with Tori. As if a straight Zach wouldn't abandon her and Cody but a gay Zach would.
Lots to think about.
I think the link between the school and the relationship is a very real one, but I would regard this more as a fact that Zach was coming out as a gay man but also as an artist, whether he got into CalArts or not.
I would loved to know more about Shaun's background too. As Gabe said things had been pretty rough for him. Although the devastated look on his face when Zach told him 'I'm done' spoke for itself. He looked so brokenhearted. But you have to give him credit for taking a chance with Zach so soon after his relationship ended.
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