Shelter | 
| Director: Jonah Markowitz
Actors: Brad Rowe, Tina Holmes, Mat Bushell, Trevor Wright, Ross Thomas
Studio: Genius Products (TVN)
Category: DVD
List Price: $23.95
Buy New: $19.99
You Save: $3.96 (17%)
New (14) Used (4) from $14.21
Rating:  105 reviews
Sales Rank: 900
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Widescreen
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 89 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: LIB00135
UPC: 858423001353
EAN: 0858423001353
ASIN: B0013D8LCW
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 7 to 12 days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The feature-film debut from art director Jonah Markowitz (Quinceanera) pivots on the tension between responsibility to family and responsibility to self. Recent high-school graduate Zach (Trevor Wright) has one summer to reconcile the competing halves of his life. The aspiring Picasso lives in blue-collar San Pedro with his irresponsible sister, Jeanne (Tina Holmes, Half Nelson), her five-year-old son, Cody (Jackson Wurth), and their rarely-seen father. Zach gave up his art school dreams to toil in a diner and help look after his much-loved nephew. With his best friend, Gabe (Ross Thomas), away at college, Zach draws, surfs, and skateboards by his lonesome. When Gabe's novelist brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe, Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss), returns to his Orange County home to recover from a broken heart, he and Zach alternate between riding the waves and encouraging each other to pursue their aspirations. Shaun is gay, while Zach appears to be straight, but a casual kiss between the two soon leads to a secret relationship. Before the former returns to Los Angeles, the latter has to decide who he is--gay, straight, artist, cook, uncle, or father--and what he's going to do about it. Except for the location shooting, this low-budget indie plays like an extended episode of The O.C. what with all the "bro"s and "dude"s and love scenes tame enough for network TV. Nonetheless, Markowitz's heart is in the right place, and Shelter may provide some real-life Zachs with the courage they need to follow their passions. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
Forced to give up his dreams of art school, Zach spends his days working a dead end job and helping his needy sister care for her son. In his free time he surfs, draws and hangs out with his best friend, Gabe, who lives on the wealthy side of town. When Gabe's older brother, Shaun, returns home, he is drawn to Zach's selflessness and talent. Zach falls in love with Shaun while struggling to reconcile his own desires with the needs of his family.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 100 more reviews...
The joy of small triumphs December 26, 2008
Ann Somerville (Australia)
This is a simple story about a young man following his heart and finding his dreams. Zach (Trevor Wright) is working class, with a crappy job as a short-order cook, an on again/off again relationship with Tori (Katie Walder), a very sick widowed father, and a feckless, self-centred single mother of a sister (Tina Holmes) whose only redeeming feature is her adorable five-year-old Cody (Jackson Wurth). Zach is Cody's only real male role model, and not surprisingly, Cody looks up to him as a father, not an uncle.
Zach has a lot of responsibilities, and since his hope of going to art school died when his mother did, and his sister got pregnant, his only joys in life are his friends and his surfing. He's aware, much more so than his privileged best friend, Gabe (Ross Thomas), or his sister Jeanne, how much of life is passing him by, and what he's given up for his family, but there seems no way out. Until Gabe's handsome, gay older brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe), returns to Malibu and doors open, along with Zach's heart.
I've seen reviews of this film which call it mediocre and unambitious. Seems to me that misses the point. It's not a story of high drama. It's about small things - ordinary family dysfunctionality, ordinary dreams, ordinary love. The extraordinariness lies in Zach's selflessness and Shaun's willingness to help him out of the hole in which he's drowning. What makes this film work is the beautiful, affectionate tenderness between the two leads (both straight actors turning in gorgeous and credible performances as young gay men in love), and the strength of the acting on all sides. Every character rang true - and when even the kid didn't strike me as stupidly cute, there has to be something working. I especially loved the character of Tori, who could have come off as a heinous bitch, but was instead a rounded and likable friend to her ex-boyfriend.
Tina Holmes as Jeanne has a thankless task in an unpleasant role, but she is pitch perfect as the emotionally manipulative and immature mother and sister. Her scenes with Trevor Wright are painfully honest. But then Wright just shines in this. He and Rowe have such chemistry together, such physical easiness - you see them as friends and as lovers, and they felt completely real to me.
It's a short film at an hour and a half, and though it takes a while to get going, it's well worth the wait, and is a positive, happy affirming portrayal of young gay people that allows them a happy ending. That in itself makes it worth the price of admission/purchase.
Life can be complicated... December 26, 2008
J. Brennan (San Francisco, CA United States)
First of all, I want to be on record as SWEARING that Brad Rowe is actually the love child of Brad Pitt and Rob Lowe... just look at him!!!
This is an easy film to like. Much of the conflict that drives the story is internal for the characters. The young lead is quite a good actor, displaying those conflicts with his expressions more than his words - just like most college aged boys would do. He moves between the freedom and joy of surfing and the challenges of lower socio-economic existance. He struggles with relationships, challenged by his desire for honesty and his fear of the consequences that truth will bring. And through it all we see him growing, in realistic ways.
I do think the movie fails in any type of exploration of the meaning of relationships between younger and older men (if early 30's can qualify as older). I never did quite figure out the time span covered in the film, but decided I'd like the film best if it is months rather than weeks.
The surfing and waves make great symbols of change, control, collapse. The always sunny Southern California setting adds a quality of its own, whether at the multi-million dollar house or the places next to the refineries.
The most effective mesage taken away from the movie is how true love, if between lovers, friends, family is inclusive. It is neediness that blocks those not seen as the fount of that satisfaction.
All a little esoteric. This movie is a pleasure to watch. The extras, particularly the "making of", add a lot of value. Though, I gotta say, I still get bummed out when straight actors, even the gorgeous ones, get to play the solid gay characters. Yeah, I know. I want the gay actors to be able to play straight characters, and I should be consistant. But, I am not.
Wow December 24, 2008
E. Montoya
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When I inserted the disc into the player I actually closed my eyes and hoped this film was not going to be another stereotyped, all about sex, gay film. I was not disappointed. From the cast, to location, to the soundtrack, Shelter is a very well made film. If you are even slightly intrigued by this film, watch it.
Second chances are sometimes great December 21, 2008
Bilynelson (Texas)
Boy lives in "hell" with deadhead family and stifled dreams. Hope is in a place he doesn't suspect, one that's been there all his life.
After boy can't save his family, his new love (lifetime friend) makes a new start possible for both.
This is a nice movie, no sex involved, but implied. The characters are crazy enough to be in anyone's life.
Wonderful!! December 20, 2008
Julia Nunes (Brazil)
This is a beautiful story, no matter what. Anyone can enjoy a good movie, and this one is GREAT.
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