Gimme Shelter

Coming of age films have shaped our lives. From the tortured soles of the Brat Packers to the cooler-than-they-first-appear dudes from Revenge of the Nerds, we’ve all found characters that seem to understand our troubled adolescence and managed to prevail through it. But what about the ultimate in disenfranchised youth, the closeted male surfers from the wrong side of town? Who do they idolize? Well, now they have a hero, too. His name is Zach, and he’s the protagonist of the new film Shelter.

Granted, Shelter isn’t a great film. In fact, it’s not even a good film. It is however a film, and if it has a target audience, he or (possibly?) they probably live in a coastal city like Fort Lauderdale. So if you’re gay but constantly have to pretend you’re straight, and you always find yourself babysitting your dead-beat sister’s kid, and you have art school ambitions but need to get “that scholarship to make it happen,” and you have a crush on an older, more accomplished/chiseled surfer/author who owns a fabulous piece of real estate in California – this may be the movie for you. Although, should you happen to have all of those issues, your time might be better spent in peer counseling at the local GLCC. For everyone else, Shelter opens tonight at Sunrise Cinemas Gateway (1820 Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). Tickets range $7 to $8.50. Call 954-423-2224, visit www.sunrisecinemas.com.
Fri., April 4, 2008