One film that no one has mentioned in this discussion of LDS cinema is Latter Days, certainly an outstanding film, and in my view, one of the two or three best LDS films yet. It's written and directed by C. Jay Cox, and stars two relatively unknown actors Steve Sandvoss (Davis) and Wes Ramsey (Christian), and two well-known actresses, Jacqueline Bisset and Mary Kay Place.

Because of the story, Latter Days is probably pretty controversial. It's a love story, about a romantic relationship between a gay man and a full-time missionary. Of course, for some people, that immediately rules it out as an example of LDS art, or as anything but gay propaganda. Let me put it this way: if you believe (as I suspect many on this list believe), that it is immoral for two people of the same gender to express their love physically, then you are likely to regard the film's depiction of Mormonism and of sexuality deeply immoral. If, on the other hand, you believe that two people in love who choose to express their love physically aren't doing anything immoral, then Latter Days will probably strike you as a profoundly moving love story, a deeply respectful film about Mormonism, and a movingly spiritual film experience.

Christian, the film's protagonist, is a flamboyant and attractive gay man, living in Los Angeles, working as a waiter, and thoroughly enjoying a wildly promiscuous lifestyle. The first time we meet him, he seduces a straight guy who has come to pick up his date (Christian's roommate is a songwriter/singer named Julie). The clear suggestion is that many people (if not most people), have homosexual longings, and can be persuaded to act on them, especially with Christian.

We also meet Elder Aaron Davis, a new missionary just arrived in LA, who lives in the same apartment complex as Christian.

Three other elders share the apartment with Davis, and they are revealed through conversation as fairly crudely homophobic ('homo' is a favorite put-down.) Christian, being a good neighbor, drops by with some 'welcome to the complex' beer, which is, of course, refused, and overhears some of their conversation, and is hurt by it. I don't know that this depiction of the attitudes of LDS teen guys is all that inaccurate.

Anyway, Christian's friends (who all work as waiters at the same restaurant, which is owned by one 'Lila', played by Jacqueline Bisset), dare him to seduce one of the elders, and tell him he has to prove his conquest by snaring their 'funky underwear.'

Christian puts the moves on Elder Davis, and Davis momentarily responds. But then something interesting happens. Davis turns away from Christian, saying that while Christian is pretty, he's also shallow, empty. He doesn't believe in anything, he doesn't stand for anything, sex to him is nothing 'but a handshake.' He's nothing but 'a marshmallow peep.'

Christian is deeply shaken by this. He asks a friend 'am I shallow?' The friend responds 'who cares when you're as pretty as you are.' So Christian starts looking for opportunities for service, and ends up delivering food to terminally ill home-restricted patients, one of whom, 'Keith' is dying of AIDS.

In the meantime, Lila meets Elder Davis outside a hospital. Her lover has just died, and she's devastated. And Davis talks to her about the plan of salvation, and how we have a limited human perspective on life's tragedies, but that if she saw the whole picture, as God does, she'd see that life is 'beautiful, and funny, and good.' And she's very moved by it.

In other words, Christian's flamboyant lifestyle is revealed in this film as empty and meaningless, and Davis' mission is shown as loaded with moral seriousness and purpose. He stands for something, precisely because he's LDS and because he's chosen to go on a mission.

Of course, Davis and Christian end up together, and so we could say that Christian converts Davis to homosexuality. But Davis converts Christian too. He shows him a better way, he gives him something approximating a Mormon perspective on life and service and the divine possibility we all share.

Davis is excommunicated, attempts suicide (after a shattering scene with his mother, superbly played by Mary Kay Place, in which she tells him "God might possibly be able to forgive you for what you've done. But if you tell me this is what you are? How can He ever forgive you for that?") Davis is placed in a kind of electro-shock aversion therapy. But ultimately, he realizes that he needs Christian; that the love he shares with Christian is a good thing. And they end up together.

Ultimately, the film suggests that love is a divine gift, that some people find each other through a series of what can only be defined as miracles, that all love is to be treasured as something divine. And the film does suggest that this is as true of homosexual love as it is of heterosexual love. The film is rated R for harsh language, and for fairly graphic love scenes. It's, again, a film some LDS people might find deeply offensive. But in all fairness, it's superbly written, with compelling, multi-dimensional characters. The acting is terrific, the filmmaking assured and confident. And it's a film that says that Mormonism itself has an inherent moral rigor and logic that transcends the homophobia of much of Mormon culture. The film also shows LDS people, for the most part, as judgmental and self-righteous and homophobic. It's not a film everyone is going to take to. But it's a fascinating examination of our culture.

Eric Samuelsen