Author Topic: Shelter: The "gay surfer movie" (it's so much more!). See it now and discuss it!  (Read 324002 times)

Offline EnigmaMDG

  • Don't Say Much
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Here is my take on Gabe....he was trying so hard to put Zach at ease...Trying to show he was ok with the situation. They have been friends for years remember? So I am sure they are used to talking about sex...probably pretty graphically, so he was striving to put things into their regular conversation. (just my thoughts)

I definitely agree with you there. This is actually one of my favorite scenes in the movie because Trevor Wright's facial expressions seem incredibly realistic. You can tell that Gabe is trying to put Zach at ease by incorporating this "new" aspect of his friend's life into a hopefully-normal conversation, but it has the exact opposite effect as intended. Zach wasn't expecting to get blindsighted by his best friend and you can see in Trevor's eyes throughout this scene that the character feels demeaned, as if his best friend were truly insulting him instead of just some affectionate bantering.

Offline EnigmaMDG

  • Don't Say Much
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Welcome enigmaMDG!  :-*

Thanks! I have been trying to get all my friends to watch this movie for weeks just so that I have someone to talk about it with  >:(

Offline David In Indy

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,447
  • You've Got Male
Thanks! I have been trying to get all my friends to watch this movie for weeks just so that I have someone to talk about it with  >:(

Hi EnigmaMDG! I saw Shelter too and I loved it. A friend of mine in Holland sent me a copy of it in computer file form, and I watched it over and over again until the DVD was released on Amazon which of course I bought! :)

Welcome to Bettermost!! :D

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline Kelda

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,703
  • Zorbing....
    • Keldas Facebook Page!
Thanks! I have been trying to get all my friends to watch this movie for weeks just so that I have someone to talk about it with  >:(

well now you've found her and you can talk about it!!
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

http://idb.easysearch.org.uk/

injest

  • Guest
I definitely agree with you there. This is actually one of my favorite scenes in the movie because Trevor Wright's facial expressions seem incredibly realistic. You can tell that Gabe is trying to put Zach at ease by incorporating this "new" aspect of his friend's life into a hopefully-normal conversation, but it has the exact opposite effect as intended. Zach wasn't expecting to get blindsighted by his best friend and you can see in Trevor's eyes throughout this scene that the character feels demeaned, as if his best friend were truly insulting him instead of just some affectionate bantering.

yes, Zach felt blindsided and defensive...expecting derision....he didn't know how to react, everything was so new to him. I feel bad for Gabe, I think he WENT there specifically to try to show Zach he didn't care...that it didn't matter to him.

Zach just wasn't where he could hear him yet.

Offline EnigmaMDG

  • Don't Say Much
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Yes, I do see a little growth in Jeannie...

To me it seemed at the first that she didnt' see Zach as an individual with needs and wants of his own. He was always there for her and she took him for granted. I think she gained some much needed respect for him by the end...

I think Jeanne gets a little bit more growth than that. The part about this scene that made me start to tear up was after they talk about CalArts, and the conversation goes a bit like this:
Zach: "He (Cody) will be fine with us. Or stay, it's your choice."
Jeanne: "Zach... if this thing with Allen doesn't work out, it's best that he's here with you."
Zach: "... He's in good hands, I promise."
Jeanne: "... yeah..."
In the following embrace, Jeanne seems on the verge of crying. I think she begins to realize that Cody is her son, whom she gave life of her own life, and she DOES actually care about what happens to him even if she has been unable to take responsibility for raising him, and finally an acknowledgment of everything that Zach has done. And yet she decides to leave anyway, it makes it even sadder when we switch to see the three boys watching her drive off. I'd be willing to bet that if the camera had panned over to see the car driving away, we might have seen Jeanne looking wistfully back at them.

Offline EnigmaMDG

  • Don't Say Much
  • *
  • Posts: 7

Sigh. That's straight men, for you. Unlike Zach, I was not, nor ever was, "straight," but my first serious relationship was with a "straight" (and unbelievably beautiful) boy who, as the cliché required, had to get drunk so he could kiss me. He got over it pretty quickly, but--Men!

Heh, it's also a pretty realistic representation. Both guys whom I've considered to be my best friends, have enjoyed the rough-housing. The horseplay didn't even usually require booze, sometimes I'd jump on their back and start trying to beat the crap outta them at work. And lo and behold, I've had... other interactions... with both of them  :laugh:

injest

  • Guest
Heh, it's also a pretty realistic representation. Both guys whom I've considered to be my best friends, have enjoyed the rough-housing. The horseplay didn't even usually require booze, sometimes I'd jump on their back and start trying to beat the crap outta them at work. And lo and behold, I've had... other interactions... with both of them  :laugh:

now see??!! That is men. I cant' tell sometimes if Jeff and D are fighting or making out.... ::) ::)

Offline EnigmaMDG

  • Don't Say Much
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Yes, there is a bit of disconnect there, if he had never told anyone Tori would not know that he had been accepted before.

I don't think it's that much of a disconnect, just takes a little bit of assumption. Upon seeing the movie the first time, my brain did this in about 5 seconds:
1) Zach gets into CalArts, his dream come true that he turns down because he feels the familial obligation.
2) Zach doesn't tell any of his family.
3) Zach doesn't tell his best friend Gabe, who may not understand the situation and would give biased advise, perhaps something similar to what Shaun says earlier in the movie ("You don't have to. It's a choice.")
4) Zach tells other best friend Tori, because she will provide a different perspective than Gabe. ("You are so responsible, please make out with me!") He asks her not to share this with anyone. That she isn't confused by Zach's re-acceptance supports this theory.
5) Zach tells Shaun, "I never told anyone," which is merely an exaggeration. After all, it may be poor form to mention how he confided in his ex-girlfriend while trying to share an epiphany with his new boyfriend.

Offline EnigmaMDG

  • Don't Say Much
  • *
  • Posts: 7
LOL! That was so funny and yes, I loved his voice breaking sometimes, he has that lazy California drawl which I love, it's very sexy!

Tell me about it. I've lived in California my entire life, and even I find myself trying to imitate the way he says "coffee" cuz it just sounds sexier