I don't usually review films, but I began this movie with high hopes. The rating is at 6.4, which is damn near Oscar nomination worthy as far as lgbt movies go. 5 minutes in and I'm assaulted by atrocious acting. I thought to myself, maybe I got the movie mixed up. I came back to IMDb to look at some of the reviews, and what pains me most is one reviewer that gave this movie 10 stars admitting that the acting was horrible and that the script wasn't the best. And then this reviewer compared the movie to Shelter (which really was one of those Oscar nomination worthy as far as lgbt films go). But I decided to keep watching. The film really destroyed my concentration. It's not like there is just 1 bad actor, but a litter of them that come in the form of teachers and coaches and parents of the two teens. I'm all for letting a few things slide on account of budget issues, but lets call a spade a spade and admit that this was terrible. If we can't judge a film by the actors' ability to act or the script, then what criteria are we using to judge this? I hope that we're not judging based on the porn scene or the fact that the kids are naked quite a few times in the movie. The basics of the film's script were solid, but it needed to be polished quite a bit. I operate on a scale of 4 to 10, 4 being bad, 10 being outstandingly perfect. And few times I will use the rating of 1 just to say that the film was completely atrocious. I give this film a 4, which is the lowest on my basic scale and the only reason it didn't get a 1 is because the kid dies at the end, and I felt like justice was served. Just kidding. Like I said, the foundation of the script was solid, it was just executed very poorly.

Not only is Tye butt ugly in the face and has this horrible sarcastic look on his face all movie long but he portrays this character that is full of himself, self serving and a total victim. I found myself disgusted at this character's actions and final "solution". A total coward and unmitigated ass. He was completely unworthy of the affections of his lover from start to finish. Young people like this character are exactly what is wrong with the gay community. it should have been him who was bashed, not his naive lover.On the whole the movie is a self indulgent dramatic waste. I hope for All the gay folks out there that they don't have lovers like Danny Wheeler As their first loves, or anywhere along the way either.

This is a phenomenal and beautifully shot film about young gay romance. It is a gripping, dramatic, and moving portrayal of discovery and new love. I mean everything was utterly amazing: from the actors' performances (especially the Danny character), to the cinematography and even the haunting score playing all throughout. The movie is longer than most (almost 2 hours) but you honestly don't feel it because the story is so captivating and engaging. This is by far one of the best films ever made in this genre of gay themed dramas. There are scenes depicting sexuality with the unbelievably beautiful body of the swimmer character, but they are done tastefully and shot with an entrancing artistry. If there were Oscars for in-dies like this, I'd award it all the top honors. Highly recommended to the point I will compare all future films of the genre to this one! Truly a gay classic with an above average production value !

This film is better than most of it's ilk but only gets about halfway there. For every unexpectedly clever line, there's a cliché. For every great performance, there's a dud. Karen Black as the art teacher reminded me of Catherine O'Hara in any Chris Guest movie. Greg Louganis makes an appearance that makes us glad he chose swimming, instead of acting. But who better to play the swim coach of a gay swimmer? The swimmer resembles a young, long-haired Sean Penn. The other is just as attractive, but has been given ugly eyeglasses and an unfashionable hairstyle to make him into the classic geek. Romeo and Juliet figures prominently, so be warned. Uneven, but still - a very watchable flick, with two likable, attractive young men in the leads.