Latter Days

"Aaron prays, Christian plays...opposites attract."

2004 1h 48m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 282

DramaComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Christian, a hunky, 20-something, West Hollywood party boy gets more than he bargains for when he tries to seduce Aaron, a sexually confused Mormon missionary who moves into his apartment complex.

“Aaron prays, Christian plays...opposites attract.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Steve Sandvoss
Elder Aaron Davis
Wes Ramsey
Christian Markelli
Jacqueline Bisset
Lila Montagne
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Elder Paul Ryder
Rebekah Johnson
Julie Taylor
Mary Kay Place
Sister Gladys Davis
Erik Palladino
Keith Griffin
Amber Benson
Traci Levine

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: C. Jay Cox
Writers: C. Jay Cox
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 96% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by C. Jay Cox, shot by Carl Bartels. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Keitel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Steve Sandvoss and Wes Ramsey and Jacqueline Bisset carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Aaron prays, Christian plays...opposites attract.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0345551 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

C. Jay Cox directs. Carl Bartels behind the camera. John Keitel cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 96% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 22 years ago.
4Directed by C. Jay Cox, shot by Carl Bartels. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor John Keitel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Steve Sandvoss and Wes Ramsey and Jacqueline Bisset carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Aaron prays, Christian plays...opposites attract.".
8IMDB entry: tt0345551 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 20 themes, including "coming out", "homophobia", "excommunication", "sexuality".

The technical file

Cinematography: Carl Bartels
Editing: John Keitel
Production design: Chris Anthony Miller
Makeup / hair: Ashley Fox
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $850,000
Box office: $819,939
Return: 96% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Latter Days (2004)

Also by

C. Jay Cox

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-09-03
★ 6/10
This is a rather insubstantial film that appears more intent on taking a swipe at religious intolerance - especially at the bigotry of the Church of Latter Day Saints - of homosexuality. Wes Ramsey "Christian" is a good looking Lothario who sails through life working as a waiter then seducing and shagging his way through his nights. When a group of 4 young Elders move in to an adjacent apartment, he bets his team in the restaurant that he can seduce one of them. He sets his sights on tall, handsome Steve Sandvoss "Aaron" and off we go... The film does try to address the emptiness of Ramsey's existence and broaden it to a wider comment on promiscuity and shallowness, but mostly it's an over-long love story that takes an age to get anywhere, then ends in really rather predictable way. The plot has more holes than a string vest - and for reasons that do not appears clear at all to me, Jacqueline Bisset crops up from time to time as the almost angelic owner of the restaurant. Sandvoss is very easy on the eye, which does make it watchable - but otherwise, it's just another love story with a sticky start...
LuckyLinden2023-11-14
★ 6/10
I first saw the film years ago and rewatched it this weekend. I ended up with a few conflicting thoughts. One, the movie doesn't necessarily hold up well (in terms of writing, acting, pacing, story, etc.) but in many ways that doesn't matter in terms of whether it's worth watching. It's probably a more important film than it gets credit for. It's hard to understate how groundbreaking this film was for the time, offering onscreen representation and voice to several underrepresented segments and experiences in society. By today's standards, the romance feels a little Hallmark and Lifetime movie-esque, but in the moment, it was unheard of for a movie like this to have the reach it did with the message it had. I recommend this film to anyone interested in gay cinema, independent cinema, and the journey these industries have taken over the past 30 years.
kinrich302026-09-08
★ 9/10
This was one of my favorites, although sometimes I think some of the dialogue was a bit over the top, it was still a wonderful movie. A lot has been written about this one in the past, but I don't know if everyone realizes how shocking the hotel scene was at the time.