This film is good, but it contains the same fundamental mistakes as the play: 1. It attempts to beat acceptance in to the head of it's viewers when, in reality, most of those who would view this are already tolerant towards those who are different. It emphasizes over and over the importance of tolerance, spends too much time trying to portray the same emotions in different character, and attempts to make the murder of Matthew Shepard worse than any other murder. All murders are hate crimes. All hate crimes tear communities apart.
2. It doesn't properly explore the murder. It automatically makes the murder a hate crime which, as I do not know all the facts, I cannot properly say whether it was or not. It doesn't allow for the audience to make up their own mind, and takes the views of only a select few. From many accounts that were not included in the play/movie, other factors came into play (money, the attackers's molestation as a child, drugs, etc.) that could greatly change ones opinion if they were included, or if they were mentioned more than just once.
Of course, the familiar faces that pop up in the movie so often don't exactly add to it's effect. Overall, the message is a great gift, even if the wrapping is a little shoddy. Worth watching at least once.
2. It doesn't properly explore the murder. It automatically makes the murder a hate crime which, as I do not know all the facts, I cannot properly say whether it was or not. It doesn't allow for the audience to make up their own mind, and takes the views of only a select few. From many accounts that were not included in the play/movie, other factors came into play (money, the attackers's molestation as a child, drugs, etc.) that could greatly change ones opinion if they were included, or if they were mentioned more than just once.
Of course, the familiar faces that pop up in the movie so often don't exactly add to it's effect. Overall, the message is a great gift, even if the wrapping is a little shoddy. Worth watching at least once.