As a word of warning to my more sensitive viewers:

I know I don’t generally start a review with a statement like this, but I don’t normally review and recommend movies from this genre. I will elaborate within the review, but do not read this review nor watch this movie if you are completely and totally against gay/homosexual movies of any kind.  If, however, you are open to something new (like I was), feel free to read on.

 A gay detective tries to solve the murder of a college student

My review:

First and foremost, know that this is truly a leap outside of my comfort zone.  In the past, I have reviewed a few LGBT books, but I have never been open to any movies from this genre. After all, I do not endorse this lifestyle–that has not changed. However, I do happen to realize that so many Christians go to the extreme of annihilating people of this persuasion.  In fact, one aspect of this movie exposes how quasi-religious people treat homosexuals, which is entirely wrong. Notwithstanding, I had mixed feelings going into the viewing of this film–I’ll be honest.  However, two of my friends recommended it highly, and of course, dear reader, you know of my devotion to the actor Sebastian Spence. Therefore, I felt it incumbent upon me to at least give these a try. But I decided to be rather covert about it lest I did not like them.

As I prepared to put the DVD into my machine, I was not too worried, but I I made the decision to give this movie a try with an open mind.  Before five minutes had gone by, I was sold. And that is saying something. This conservative Christian girl would never have even given this movie a viewing, and I will admit that I would have missed out. Although it does not mean that I will change my beliefs, I am able to recognize the pure genius of these films in absolutely every sense of the word.

Starring as Donald Strachey, the “gay detective” is Chad Allen. It was only as I began researching for this review that I discovered where I had seen him before. I knew I recognized him as I watched last night but could not place him. He played Matthew Cooper on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The moment I read that, I understood why I liked him so well–always loved him on that show.  And in this role, he was absolutely incredible–I had no idea he was gay in real life–in fact many of the actors involved with these films are (there are a total of four in the series). I thoroughly enjoyed watching him bring this detective to life, and everything on the screen came across as being completely genuine.  Chad has a way of making everything look effortless on the screen–you forget that he is acting. And he completely embraced this role in every sense.

Need I say anything about Morgan Fairchild? Just to say her name is probably enough, but she played the role of the grieving mother who couldn’t accept that her son was gay.  This woman is an absolute legend, so I won’t even attempt to evaluate her acting other than to say she was fabulous and stunning. Enough said.

So before I evaluate my reason for watching, permit me to comment on something related to the storyline. While the movie is full of potentially objectionable content (profanity, intimate scenes), I am so grateful I was able to overlook all of that. The story concerns a “foundation” that is trying to reform homosexuals.  This foundation purports to transform this segment of the population so they may practice a straight lifestyle. And how do they do it? Oh, by using psychotherapy and changing the person’s thinking.  It goes about the entire process without true love and caring. I’m not going to say much here except to say that it is clear that this “foundation” is full of hypocrites, and even I see the fallacy of this type of thinking. Guilt and psychology is not the way to change anything in one’s life.

And now to the entire reason I watched this movie, wrote the review, and invited anyone to read it–Sebastian Spence.  If you have read my other reviews, you will be fully aware of the fact that I am biased when I come to this particular actor.  However, for the purposes of this review, I can somewhat set that aside and say that his portrayal of Timmy Calahan, the life partner of Donald Strachey is absolute genius. Frankly speaking, I have been impressed with his acting before, but his acting in this film is almost of a higher caliber.  In fact, his portrayal of this role often leads to an incredible amount of speculation–is he gay or not?  While it truly makes no difference, I have it on good authority that he is not.  And the fact that he can be so convincing in this role in spite of what some might call a handicap even makes my estimation of his ability climb higher.  In addition to this, as per usual, Sebastian has embodied this role in every sense of the word. There is something about his character in this role especially that simply electrifies the screen every time he makes an appearance.

In conclusion, the very idea that a conservative such as I can call this movie well-done and clever should be viewed as a high compliment to all. I can honestly call these two together adorable, and the movie does have some much-appreciated comedic elements to lighten the tension of the murder mystery and serious topic.   While this does not mean that I will seek out this genre in the future, I can say that if nothing else, I can appreciate it. And in this case, I can say categorically that this movie is one of Sebastian’s finest, and I do not regret watching it. On the contrary, I’m pleased I overcame my doubts to do so.

For more information on the movie, click here.

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