This film makes a great double bill for the 2008 TV movie "Prayers For Bobby", the story of a gay teenager who killed himself after his Christian mother (Sigourney Weaver) rejected him when he refused to get help and ended up becoming a gay rights activist. Here, "Genesis House" is run by Judith Light, a loving Christian woman whose teenage son came out to her and faced a similar rejection then died of a drug overdose. She has started a home to help gay men find Jesus and change their lives to become straight. When the drug-addicted Chad Allen moves in, he is at first resentful, but slowly comes to be a replacement for her son as he brings Jesus more into his life. Another resident (Robert Gant) becomes friendly with him, and Light fears that they may become romantically involved. She feels it is her duty to prevent them from heading down further sinful paths and does all she can to keep them apart. This is made apparent at a church dance where the church girls do their best to get the men out on the dance floor and find out that just because they have a dance partner, romance won't loom because the men still are what they are. One of them actually adamantly refuses to even look at the girl eying him for a dance and scoots away from her every time she inches towards him. Robert Gant's dying father refuses to accept the fact that Gant could possibly be saved and their farewell scene is very poignant and even heartbreaking. Then one of the men attempts suicide which is the foundation for the film's emotional conclusion.
The Christians presented here are all very nice people, even if they thoroughly believe that gays are doomed to hell unless they give up homosexuality to fully bring Jesus into their lives. Judith Light is excellent, and it is a tribute to her liberalism and activism on many human right issues that she would take on a role so unlike her real-life persona. You can't fault her character for her feelings on the subject of homosexuality because she is understanding even with all of her bible-thumping Christian mentality. Even in her confrontation scenes with Gant, it is obvious that she only has her client's well being in mind even if she is short-sighted on many aspects of the issue. Stephen Lang is outstanding as her sensitive husband, a recovering addict himself, who actually seems to be more in tuned with the reality of the client's lives. When he stands up to Light, not a lot of words are needed to express this character's feelings on the hypocrisies of the situation. He seems to realize that many of the gay clients quietly hold Christian values to their hearts and honor Jesus in spite of the lashing out at their community by the church.
This is not presented as an attempt to change the minds of Christians who truly believe in everything they read in the bible, but to present the issues as seen through each side of the coin. Hopefully, viewers from each side of the fence will be able to see the points of views of the other and be more understanding as the issue continues to be debated.
The Christians presented here are all very nice people, even if they thoroughly believe that gays are doomed to hell unless they give up homosexuality to fully bring Jesus into their lives. Judith Light is excellent, and it is a tribute to her liberalism and activism on many human right issues that she would take on a role so unlike her real-life persona. You can't fault her character for her feelings on the subject of homosexuality because she is understanding even with all of her bible-thumping Christian mentality. Even in her confrontation scenes with Gant, it is obvious that she only has her client's well being in mind even if she is short-sighted on many aspects of the issue. Stephen Lang is outstanding as her sensitive husband, a recovering addict himself, who actually seems to be more in tuned with the reality of the client's lives. When he stands up to Light, not a lot of words are needed to express this character's feelings on the hypocrisies of the situation. He seems to realize that many of the gay clients quietly hold Christian values to their hearts and honor Jesus in spite of the lashing out at their community by the church.
This is not presented as an attempt to change the minds of Christians who truly believe in everything they read in the bible, but to present the issues as seen through each side of the coin. Hopefully, viewers from each side of the fence will be able to see the points of views of the other and be more understanding as the issue continues to be debated.