OUTFEST DAY ONE

SAVE ME
Opening Night Film
Orpheum Theatre LA

Ok, so I was able to get a press pass for everything except tickets to this film. I have no idea about it except it was produced and stars the incomparable Judith Light. She has been a huge supporter of gay rights and AIDS causes since the begining of her career. The film also stars Chad Allen and Robert Gant.

Also, I know that Bill Condon was given an award. I will eventually have a report on here from "Chris" because he had a ticket. YEAH JUST A LITTLE BIT BITTER!

Apparently the party was spectacular!
Here is the report
“Save Me” Or how to start a festival off on the wrong foot. So before I begin, let me just say that Judith Light is an amazing actress and this was a great role for her to have. I guess this means I will be starting my review with the acting/actors then. Chad Allen is a great actor, and has done quite a lot to move gay rights forward in Hollywood. Sadly, this was not a role for him. I just could not believe he was a drug addict. Perhaps because his performance was very one-note throughout the entire film, which I blame more on the writing than on his performance. Another actor who suffered from the script was Robert Gant. There was no build up as to why he falls in love with Chad Allen’s character, or why he is willing to go to such lengths to “save him.” Obviously, I’m not a fan of this script. I found it boring and way too long: a great part for one actor does not a script make. The rest is just filler and boring. I honestly thought this was a HUGE mistake to open Outfest with. I overheard some people chatting at the after-party and I think they summed this film up best: Wow, it’s amazing to see that Lifetime: Television for Women got a movie into Outfest. Drama only works when it’s actually dramatic and you care about the characters. -Chris

Here is what Outfest has to say:
Robert Cary's exquisite third feature, SAVE ME, is a film about redemption. A compelling story that explores one of the most polarizing religious and sexual debates in America, SAVE ME embodies the healing power of love. Mark (Chad Allen), a lost, gay man, leads a wild life of drugs and meaningless sex, searching desperately to fill the emptiness in his soul. When Mark finally hits bottom, his brother checks him into Genesis House, a 12-step, Christian, “ex-gay” ministry specializing in healing sexual brokenness.

Genesis House is the life mission of Gayle (Judith Light) and her husband, Ted (Stephen Lang). Haunted by her past, Gayle is determined to save young homosexual men from their personal demons. Scott (Robert Gant), one of the program's “fifth phasers,” is Mark's mentor. The growing friendship between these two men threatens Gayle. Increasingly suspect of Scott's motives, Gayle fights back, refusing to let her carefully controlled world fall apart. Torn by the specter of damnation and the pull of their hearts, Mark and Scott are forced to confront their truth.

The nuanced screenplay by Craig Chester, Alan Hines and Robert Desiderio conveys the insidious harm of Christianity gone awry while gracefully avoiding the pitfalls of cliché. Superbly shot amidst the beauty of the New Mexico desert, SAVE ME boasts exceptionally layered performances from its gifted cast. Outfest is proud to kick off our 25th Anniversary with this powerfully moving film starring openly gay actors, Chad Allen and Robert Gant, Outfest veteran Judith Light and a creative team with years of Outfest history.