User Reviews

A mysterious client hires private eye Don Strachey to tail a woman who turns out to be a detective running an uncover investigation. Two aging lesbians, one a high school counselor, are harassed and their home vandalized in the small town where they live. A giant real estate deal is nearing a deadline. If that wasn't enough, an old lover of Timmy Callahan's shows up. Timmy is Don's life partner. We'll soon learn that Timmy's friend knows the two women.

And before long, murder appears carrying an accelerant for arson. As Strachey digs into these seemingly unrelated cases, he gradually realizes there are links. Some of the links depend on big money deals. Some depend on long-buried secrets that have been buried far too long. Some lead to beatings and death.

Chad Allen plays Strachey in this third, and in my opinion the best, of the Don Strachey television movies. They're based on the Richard Stevenson mysteries. For those who like to read as well as watch, Stevenson has written nine of them. Death Vows, his latest, came out in 2008. He's a fine writer who comes up with complicated stories that involve deadly motives. Allen is a little shorter than how I envisage the written Strachey, and a little more ironic. He's a good actor, however, and makes believable Strachey's intelligence, decency and, when needed, willingness to do some violence. Sebastian Spence plays Timmy Callahan, Strachey's, for want of a better term, co-husband. They've been together for a while and are committed to a monogamous relationship, although sometimes tempted. Timmy works for a top legislator in Albany. He's smart, doesn't like it when Strachey gets involved with danger, and mixes a soothing martini for them both after a tough day's work.

The centerpiece of this story is the two aging women who have been together for years. Their house is being vandalized with graffiti and thrown bricks. The driving force of the story, thankfully, isn't just a screed about some townspeople's intolerance. No, this involves plain old greed, corruption and enough complications to make a satisfying story. Margot Kidder plays Dorothy Fisher, a no-nonsense woman who talks straight and is quite prepared to take a baseball bat to anyone who tries to hurt her or her partner, Edith Strong. Dorothy is an indomitable woman who can be a pain in the rear. It's a showy part and Kidder makes the most of it. Gabrielle Rose, however, as Strong, brings not only subtle emotion to the plot, but some extraordinarily fine acting. Ten years ago she played Delores Driscoll, the anguished bus driver in that achingly sad movie, The Sweet Hereafter. The most hidden secrets involve Dorothy and Edith.

With that out of the way, what about the feared gay agenda we keep hearing about? Well, sure there is one here, for those who want to call it that. Don Strachey and his committed partner, Timmy Callahan, are portrayed as two men, comfortable in their skins, who love each other and who have an easy-going, affectionate relationship. We'll see examples of deeply committed love between two older women; we'll see the problems of teens who know they're gay and have no one to talk to about it, including their parents; and we'll see a positive case made for love, affection, humor and help regardless of the gender. If the alternative to the feared gay agenda is a hetero agenda as exemplified by Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee...well, give me Cary Grant, Grace Kelly and Randolph Scott in any combination they want. I'll approve.

Okay, I have to admit, I've been a Chad Allen fan ever since I caught him live in an off Broadway play called TEMPORARY HELP. I thought he was not only handsome but an excellent actor as well. It's always good to see his work and commitment to a film, play or whatever he promotes. In this film, the last of the four part series, he once again plays gay detective Donald Strachey assigned to a case, or rather several cases at the same time. As the story unravels, you find yourself caught up with the plot and begin guessing who did what to whom. But along the way there are secrets unraveled and dark pasts revealed. It's quite a journey.

The gay theme is incidental and done with respect to the gay community by not making it the issue. And yet there are thoughts and statements that cover the subject in a delicate and touching way. Not preached at you but simply told. One of the tenderest scenes involve two young teen aged boys having a secret affair. When discovered by accident by our hero, he tells them such beautiful things and gives them purpose for caring about each other and to stand tall and believe in each other. I just cried when that scene happened. When I was young, how I would have relished that someone in my life to tell me the same things.

There are gay relationships abundant in this film. But the subject of the film is greed and land ownership, not being gay. I loved that about this film. You just accepted the relationships. Director, Ron Oliver, did a remarkable job in bringing it all together. You could tell it was he and Chad Allen's dedication to telling the story honestly that made it a real human experience. Oliver does brilliant work in this film.

Not to be forgotten are the superb supporting cast; Sebastian Spence as Strachey's lover and partner is a perfect foil for Allen. Being straight doesn't keep him from playing opposite gay actor Allen in any way. In fact you can see the chemistry between the two actors as they are working. Add the legend Margot Kidder as the other half of a lesbian couple who are centered in the story for not selling their farmhouse. Kidder is unpredictable as an actress. But she almost always gives a performance worth watching. In this film she does. As the other half of the partnership, Gabreille Rose is fantastic. Quality exudes from her throughout. She's also a beautiful woman. I hear she did a masterful job as Amanda Wingfield in Tennessee Williams' play THE GLASS MENAGERIE. Nelson Wong brings comedy and a freshness to his role as Starchey's helper. Some funny moments. Damon Runyan is another handsome hunk, playing the only nude scene in the picture, and brings an honest performance. Then Lori Ann Triolo, Barclay Hope, David Orth and Kerry James all are good in their roles.

I loved this movie and look forward to more of the same. And Chad Allen, if you read this, don't ever stop your crusade for gay rights. I can't tell you how much that means to those that need to stand up and claim their identity.

while watching this movie on the HERE! network, I came to realize that no one else could play the lead role except Chad Allen. While the movie pace is relatively slow in nature - it must after all build to the ending - it does so in just slow enough pace to make you want to pull your hair out.

Casting is decent all around - his up-tight husband is borderline annoying, and the gay secretary is becoming more annoying than in the last movie. The hot ex of the husband plays into the gay fear of the hot ex putting the make on the current husband...but it rather backfires on him as he becomes a target himself.

The last 40 minutes of the movie are the best part of the movie - you can almost skip through the first part as the pacing is too slow. But once the shooting starts and the music quickens - the pace of the movie goes into a much needed overdrive! They are currently filming another movie in the series - let's hope that they can pace the next one better - but this one is not too shabby all around - just needs a slightly higher quality of scripts!