Review: Shelter (2007)
Shelter is a 2007 film written and directed by Jonah Markowitz. It has themes of dreams, abandonment and duty.
The Cast:
"Uncle Dad" Zack played by Trevor Wright
Shawn, My Best Friend's Brother
Gabe, spoiled rich kid and Zack's best friend
Jeanne the Unfit Party Mom
Jackson Wurth as Cody
Shelter starts out in San Pedro (Pee-droh) with Zack skating around with a stencil tagging places on the way home. There we meet Dad who's obviously not taking care of himself and Cody that's a latchkey kid, son of Jeanne who is pretty much a party girl that hasn't grown up yet
The Cast:
"Uncle Dad" Zack played by Trevor Wright
Shawn, My Best Friend's Brother
Gabe, spoiled rich kid and Zack's best friend
Jeanne the Unfit Party Mom
Jackson Wurth as Cody
Shelter starts out in San Pedro (Pee-droh) with Zack skating around with a stencil tagging places on the way home. There we meet Dad who's obviously not taking care of himself and Cody that's a latchkey kid, son of Jeanne who is pretty much a party girl that hasn't grown up yet
Zack drives Gabe to college with Cody his nephew in the back pretending to be sleep to get the scoop. Gabe is Zack's best friend from the other side of the tracks with a beach house, Zack spends a lot of time there throughout the movie. Gabe wants Zack to enroll at his college and stay close by so he can get out of SP and makes Zack promise to at least visit. Gabe even offers to buy Zack a plane ticket to see him. Their friendship is a very close one having grown up like brothers together
Back at home, we see that Jeanne is just a deadbeat Mom and Zack goes to a surf session to ease his mind. Afterward, we see Zack and Cody out in front of the grocery store their Mom worked. Zack occupied the same spot Cody did but no one was with him, Cody calls him Daddy even though Zack is his Uncle. But hell, he may as well be since he spends the most time with him.
Jeanne continues to use Zack as a babysitter to keep partying. Zack spends time with his friends at the beach and reveals that he knows Shawn is gay from reading Shawn's last book. Gabe, visits San Pedro and asks if he can move in on Tori since she and Zack have finally broken up.
Zack shows Shawn his art, they wrestle and Sean kisses Zack when they're in bed together. it's a sweet payoff and it ends with them simply sleeping in bed together.
The next day Jeanne asks where Zack was as if he were Cody's Father and takes Jeanne and Cody somewhere. He skips out later for a surf sessh only to come home and have Jeanne give him the third degree about hanging out with Shawn. Zack gives Shawn the cold shoulder to later go to Shawn's and give in to a night of passion
They sleep together and enjoy some bliss.
One night Shawn invites Zack and Cody over to his sick ass house by the beach. Cody wants some $20 shoes and Zack convinces him to get some $8 flip flops because they're way cooler. Shawn asks Cody what will he have for dinner? Zack protests that Cody will eat anything, Shawn: I think I asked Cody what he wants to eat right? I love this because in a way this is showing someone of privilege letting a kid be a kid. Zack and Cody spend a few hours and before they head back because Zack doesn't want Cody waking up in strange places, Shawn gives Zack a Cal Arts application
Zack continues to think about Cal Arts and Jeanne encourages him to forget it and get a job painting houses. Zack has his eyes on Cal Arts and continues to bring it up--if he could find his portfolio! But he can't! Zack gets a message from Cal Arts saying the address it was sent from was from Ocean Beach--where Shawn lives
Jeanne fnds out that Shawn and Zack are in a relationship and accuses him of trying to mess up the family. Zack counters with the fact that he's the only one that hasn't left her. Jeanne tells him this is just a summer fling then throws Cody into the mix as if being around Shawn is worse than being around the sad sack of flesh that is he boyfriend Alan.
Zack and Shawn have a falling out because Zack is really afraid of people knowing about the two of them but he hides behind the excuse of not knowing if Shawn is what he wants.
After making up with Shawn, Zack goes to the house to find Jeanne and Alan getting their suitcases to go to Oregon. They plan to get Cody and have him live with them while Jeanne is off in Oregon. After a confrontation between Zack and Alan, Jeanne asks ALan to take a walk while Shawn goes inside to check on Cody.
Zack lays the gauntlet, stay or go, it's your choice but if you go he is coming to live with me and Shawn. He will have someone that cares for and loves him. Jeanne knows this, and leave Cody into the care of Zack and Shawn
End credits show that Shawn and Zack with Cody on the beach, and they have a little dog too!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Shelter is a well written well thought out look at family, generational poverty and second chances. Zack gets a second chance at Cal Arts and Cody gets a second chance at a loving family. Jeanne is not as static as I would expect as her character in fact grows even though I think that she will continue her party girl ways for a while longer. Shawn and Zack's relationship is pretty well done and while Gabe is the connection the relationship between the two isn't predatory. Though I haven't mentioned it a lot in this review the surfing seems to be a place of relaxation and the beach seems to reveal some things about the characters
The music is another feature of this film that I enjoy a lot. It really serves as a great background to what is happening and even complements the film wonderfully!
I like that being gay isn't at the forefront of the movie even though it is part of it. It seems characters who happen to be gay and not having things happen to them BECAUSE they're gay. It's refreshing to look at a film and not have the tragic ending lots of them have.
With that in mind, I give this movie a solid 4 surfboards out of 5!
Back at home, we see that Jeanne is just a deadbeat Mom and Zack goes to a surf session to ease his mind. Afterward, we see Zack and Cody out in front of the grocery store their Mom worked. Zack occupied the same spot Cody did but no one was with him, Cody calls him Daddy even though Zack is his Uncle. But hell, he may as well be since he spends the most time with him.
Jeanne continues to use Zack as a babysitter to keep partying. Zack spends time with his friends at the beach and reveals that he knows Shawn is gay from reading Shawn's last book. Gabe, visits San Pedro and asks if he can move in on Tori since she and Zack have finally broken up.
Zack shows Shawn his art, they wrestle and Sean kisses Zack when they're in bed together. it's a sweet payoff and it ends with them simply sleeping in bed together.
The next day Jeanne asks where Zack was as if he were Cody's Father and takes Jeanne and Cody somewhere. He skips out later for a surf sessh only to come home and have Jeanne give him the third degree about hanging out with Shawn. Zack gives Shawn the cold shoulder to later go to Shawn's and give in to a night of passion
They sleep together and enjoy some bliss.
One night Shawn invites Zack and Cody over to his sick ass house by the beach. Cody wants some $20 shoes and Zack convinces him to get some $8 flip flops because they're way cooler. Shawn asks Cody what will he have for dinner? Zack protests that Cody will eat anything, Shawn: I think I asked Cody what he wants to eat right? I love this because in a way this is showing someone of privilege letting a kid be a kid. Zack and Cody spend a few hours and before they head back because Zack doesn't want Cody waking up in strange places, Shawn gives Zack a Cal Arts application
Zack continues to think about Cal Arts and Jeanne encourages him to forget it and get a job painting houses. Zack has his eyes on Cal Arts and continues to bring it up--if he could find his portfolio! But he can't! Zack gets a message from Cal Arts saying the address it was sent from was from Ocean Beach--where Shawn lives
Jeanne fnds out that Shawn and Zack are in a relationship and accuses him of trying to mess up the family. Zack counters with the fact that he's the only one that hasn't left her. Jeanne tells him this is just a summer fling then throws Cody into the mix as if being around Shawn is worse than being around the sad sack of flesh that is he boyfriend Alan.
Zack and Shawn have a falling out because Zack is really afraid of people knowing about the two of them but he hides behind the excuse of not knowing if Shawn is what he wants.
Zack visits Cal Arts and heads to the Admissions Office and is accepted
After making up with Shawn, Zack goes to the house to find Jeanne and Alan getting their suitcases to go to Oregon. They plan to get Cody and have him live with them while Jeanne is off in Oregon. After a confrontation between Zack and Alan, Jeanne asks ALan to take a walk while Shawn goes inside to check on Cody.
Zack lays the gauntlet, stay or go, it's your choice but if you go he is coming to live with me and Shawn. He will have someone that cares for and loves him. Jeanne knows this, and leave Cody into the care of Zack and Shawn
End credits show that Shawn and Zack with Cody on the beach, and they have a little dog too!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Shelter is a well written well thought out look at family, generational poverty and second chances. Zack gets a second chance at Cal Arts and Cody gets a second chance at a loving family. Jeanne is not as static as I would expect as her character in fact grows even though I think that she will continue her party girl ways for a while longer. Shawn and Zack's relationship is pretty well done and while Gabe is the connection the relationship between the two isn't predatory. Though I haven't mentioned it a lot in this review the surfing seems to be a place of relaxation and the beach seems to reveal some things about the characters
The music is another feature of this film that I enjoy a lot. It really serves as a great background to what is happening and even complements the film wonderfully!
I like that being gay isn't at the forefront of the movie even though it is part of it. It seems characters who happen to be gay and not having things happen to them BECAUSE they're gay. It's refreshing to look at a film and not have the tragic ending lots of them have.
With that in mind, I give this movie a solid 4 surfboards out of 5!
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