I liked the twofold symbolism of the waves: of baptismal cleansing and as a reminder that 'Time's ever rolling stream bears all its sons away.' While some might think this film is ponderously slow, I reckon it's very meditative. When you're that young, time moves very slowly – remember the long school and university vacations? Teenage angst exists the world over, including struggling with one's sexuality and an evangelical young man like Brady will be able to quote chapter and verse from the bible to condemn himself. That's where the pastor was weak. His quotation of two, vaguely relevant bible verses would not have been sufficient to convince him.And who is this pastor, anyway? His church has cross and candles and the Stations of the Cross, which suggest a Roman Catholic building; not the sort of church Brady and his mother would attend as evangelicals (though their home has the tackiest reproduction of Da Vinci's Last Super that I have ever seen).The place, Rock Haven, far from being a place of escape became a means of finding oneself, somewhat like a pilgrimage destination where you have to travel in order to arrive back at where you started.Despite these minor niggles, this is a beautifully-produced film dealing with issues that are still live for many young people despite its being the Twenty-first century.

This film is essentially about the inner struggles of Brady, 18, Christian, and yet so alone until Clifford shows up. The film has many awkward moments, the story almost lurches in sync with the shy, clumsy, and yet touching progress of the friendship between Brady and Clifford. It is worth remarking that Rock Haven seems so bereft of glibness, blasé wit, and all the affectation that tends to pass for 'dialogue' in films today. Instead it is a heartfelt attempt to capture all the angst of first love and its complications from the viewpoint of the teens involved. There are no raised voices here, no harsh words or meanness and the prominence of the landscape, beautiful as it appears, almost makes you wonder if the film was part-financed by the local real estate association - Bodega Bay, California. It is generous to all points of view and ends appropriately with a focus on where Brady now is. When he says, 'I have already made the mistake of my life,' you really feel for him. Sean Hoagland as Brady' has that awful earnestness of youth, wide-eyed, the incessant twitching and all, and I wish him a great career. His 'mother' makes a strong and impressive contrast. Owen Alabado as 'Clifford' is a dream first love and I can imaging that anyone from 10yrs+ would be very comfortable with this simple story that is effectively told.

You can read the first review on here for a mostly accurate account of the film. It's not great but not awful either. For anyone who is or has experienced the battle between homosexuality vs. religious beliefs, parts of it will personally hit you.I take issue with the first reviewer referring to the mother and/or church as homophobic. I don't think that's accurate. When the son tells her he can't change and she says that she can't either, all that she's saying is that she can't change her beliefs. She doesn't hate gay people just because it's wrong or gross or against nature. She has strong beliefs about what the Bible supposedly says about it. And to say that is easily changed is not fair or true. To me homophobia screams of people who are intolerant and often times, violent because of it. It's quite possible to be tolerant of homosexuals without changing your religious beliefs regarding their behavior.

Considering the small budget this film must have had, all-in-all I found it to be a true delight. I now hold it as my second favorite after "Latter Days." Sean Hoagland turns in a masterful performance as Brady, the confused Christian lad with a heart of gold and a tortured soul. He brought the movie home for me and I found myself tearing up at the end. Sure, I wanted both of the boys to go off into the sunset hand-in-hand, but the actual ending was more realistic and illustrated the consequence of failure to be true to one's self. I can't say enough about Sean Hoagland, a truly talented young actor who completely suspended my disbelief with his performance of the naive, sweet, introverted and sad Brady - he will go far. The brief nude scene only intensified the implied love making. If the two boys were seen grinding in bed, the movie would have turned into soft-core. Instead, the act of revealing their bodies to each other in the way the two actors did told you everything you needed to know and was not gratuitous. The kissing scenes were the hottest part to me as there was real passions being expressed. In conclusion, I think it's very interesting that people seem to either love or hate this movie. Count me as one of the ones who loves it.