Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Redwoods (2009) Written and Directed by David Lewis

Everett (Brendan Bradley) is a gay man with a good life; he has a relationship of seven years with Miles (Tad Coughenour) and they are raising their son, Billy, who is autistic.  However, this is not gay Eden in the Northwest; the relationship with Billy shows us clearly that Everett is the sensitive, emotive type tuned into the needs of those around them, and Miles is a very factual detail oriented personality.  In fact, their interactions seem to consist of Everett taking care of everything, while Miles nitpicks about what he needs to do next.

So, with Miles and Billy out of town to visit Miles' parents, Everett is feeling a little taken for granted, and that leaves him vulnerable to the charms of Chase (Matthew Montgomery) a writer come up to Redwood country to finish his novel.  Their romance is well underway before Everett mentions his entanglements.  And that sort of changes the dynamics, but not the outcome.

One gets the feeling that Everett's family is well aware of Miles' emotional shortcomings; Mom (Elinor Bell) is very much in favor of the affair.  Perhaps she hopes he will trade up; perhaps she just hopes it will give her son the same warm memories her own affair gave her to sustain her through the rough times of her marriage.  Whatever the case, Chase and Everett give into passion.  Now the only question is what will happen when Miles and Billy come home?

This is in many ways a typical romance story; the fact that all the principles are male doesn't really signify.  It boils down to a choice; does the fact that Everett is not getting all his emotional needs met counterbalance tearing up a home he has spent years building?  If it were Everett and Miles alone, I would say go for it!  But there is Billy to consider; he needs Everett.

The story is low key; it manages to avoid both sentimentality and melodrama (a neat trick in a gay relationship) and instead just comes across as very real.  This very realism means that the performances are self contained, and don't really give the actors a lot to emote with; it is much more subdued than that.  That means, in many ways, that the only actor who really shines is Matthew Montgomery, I don't know if this is superior skill, or just being a well seasoned veteran of the Indie Gay Flick, but he works well inside the confines of realism.  This is not to say Brendan Bradley is not charming; he is.  But his position and passive personality don't give him the chance to break loose.  Also, why did they make the emotive half of the couple the accountant?  Was it just not to be cliché in making the cold fish the number cruncher, or was it intended to show this guy just really doesn't know how to make himself happy?  Both are possibilities; the second one offers more insight, but it was never developed far enough to be sure.

The scenery is wonderful, the cool dappled landscape of Redwood country, the towering trees like sky scrapers, the warm neutral tones of the interiors, all work very well for the cinematography. So does the warm silken skin tones.  There is nudity in this movie, but it is not gratuitous, and the romance scenes never stray out of R into X.  It is far more about the emotional content of the scene than the hot and sweaty bits.  It is a lovely movie; it is sweet, and evocative.

I just wish I knew for sure what it's message was.  I am sure it boils down to one of two songs; I just can't decide which;

If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with....or,

You can't always get what you want, but you might find sometimes, you get what you need.

Certified Lean-N-Mean, 1st, and Entered in Captain D's Good Movie Write Off.

Gay Movies:

La Mission***Burnt Money***8: The Mormon Propo$ition***In The Flesh***The Sensei***The 24th Day***Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon***ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction***East Side Story***Dorian Blues***Creatures From the Pink Lagoon***Satyricon***Ice Men***Richard O'Briens Rocky Horror Tribute Show***Prom Queen***The Kids are All Right***Between Love and Goodbye***The Mudge Boy***That Man: Peter Berlin***A Single Man***Almost Normal***Outing Riley***Outrage!***Law of Desire***Love is the Devil***Cowboy Junction***Horror in the Wind***Bedrooms and Hallways***Cut Sleeve Boys***Big Eden***For A Lost Soldier***Midnight Cowboy***Redwoods***The Massuer***Boy Culture***Breakfast With Scot***The Fluffer***Flesh***Little Ashes***L.I.E. ***Dorian Gray***9 Dead Gay Guys***Shank***I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry***Beautiful Boxer***Bangkok Love Story***Schoolboy Crush***Shelter***Back Soon***Dog Tags***Theft***The Mulligans***The Velvet Goldmine***Swashbuckler***Smoke Signals
***C'Thulhu***Milk***The Picture of Dorian Gray***Brideshead Revisited***Notes on a Scandal***RocknRolla***Mamma Mia!
***Priscillia: Queen of the Desert***The History Boys***Brokeback Mountain***The Broken Hearts Club*** Yaji and Kita: Midnight Pilgrims ***Surge of Power ***In & Out ***Mambo Italiano ***Touch of Pink ***To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar ***Wolves of Kromer ***Rocky Horror Picture Show ***Taboo ***Deathtrap 


Gay Themed Series:

Spartacus: Blood and Sand
Dante's Cove
Hex
Carnivale Season One
Carnivale Season Two
Rome Season One
Rome Season Two
True Blood
True Blood: Season Two
The Book of Daniel: The Complete Series
Torchwood: Children of Earth
Torchwood: Season One


Gay Animation:

Pirate's Booty***Sensitive Pornograph***Loveless: The Complete Series***Loveless: Hope on the Run***Loveless: Soul of Chains***Loveless: Lost and Found***Embracing Love: A Cicada in Winter***Embracing Love: Cherished Spring ***Stonewall & Riot***Drawn Together Movie: The Movie***Drawn Together: Season 2***Drawn Together: Season 3

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age