2007, USA
Drama, Romance
READ THE REVIEW AT The Desert Sun.
Sometimes it is hard to feel comfortable in our own skins when everyone expects us to fall in line with matching uniforms. Yet it is the discovery of our uniqueness that can provide the greatest joy and comfort.
Art director Jonah Markowitz delivers a thoughtful directorial debut feature with Shelter, which has deservedly won awards at numerous gay/lesbian film fests. His film marked the here! Networks' first film produced under their Independent Film Initiative, and it sets a precedent for the company's future storytellers.
Though sexuality becomes an aspect of the main character's uniqueness, it does not define him. Zach is the caretaker for his dependent family: a father doped up on pain meds, a sister whose only concern is the next one night stand and her forgotten son who just wants to be a kid worthy of attention. Young Cody has become so accustomed to Zach's reliable babysitting that he insists on calling him "Dad" instead of "Uncle."
While supporting this immobile tribe, Zach's hobbies reveal the life he would prefer. Between clearing his mind with skateboarding and surfing (and the many surf shots), he artistically tags the streets of San Pedro with stencils of local landscapes. Markowitz utilized artist Ryan Graeff to help illustrate this world. Zach scribbles on walls and tables what he would prefer to be etching at Cal Arts, yet his familial obligations prevent him from pursuing that life.
That is, until he becomes reunited with his best friend's older brother, a writer who follows his dreams and encourages Zach to escape the albatross that is his demanding family. In Shaun, Zach finds his bliss and soon his love. This newfound release of his hidden sexuality is not treated with cliché circumstances or tired discussions. Friends and family ask the usual questions when they hear rumors of the relationship, but Zach's internal thoughts remain private.
Markowitz maintains his focus on the effects of Zach's decisions and the burden of disclosing a new identity and allowing for personal happiness at the detriment of his family's immediate future. Almost as much a matter of his reputation as a gay man is his struggle for independence. Breaking away from the only life he has known is a frightening step towards adulthood, and the path to Shaun's door seems alternately deceptively easy and riddled with obstacles.
Although the director notes that both leads are straight, their chemistry is both sweet and palpable. Trevor Wright carefully grapples with Zach's turn of emotions, as he falls into and out of acceptable behavior. Yet when his character shares time with Shaun, played by Brad Rowe, there is a perceptible release of tension and visible happiness not found when carrying the weight of the world on his young shoulders.
Shelter is a touching film about one man's journey, but it is not hampered with a blunt message of acceptance. Zach's loved ones need bending but are more malleable than expected, and it his personal struggle that requires the greatest fight.