Rites of Passage

Rating:
Summary: Powerful thriller with a tender heart
Review: If DVD is about anything at all, it's about rescuing worthwhile movies from undeserved obscurity. And Victor Salva's "Rites of Passage" (1998) is a GREAT movie, a textbook example of economy and precision, brimming with honest emotion and high quality drama. On the one hand, it's a wrenchingly powerful examination of a young gay man (Jason Behr, from TV's "Roswell") coming to terms with years of neglect at the hands of an abusive father (Dean Stockwell) who doesn't know how to communicate with him. And on the other, it's a hairy-chested thriller about a father and his grown-up sons (Behr and Robert Keith) who must set aside their differences when their visit to an isolated mountain cabin coincides with the arrival of two escaped convicts (James Remar and Jaimz Wolvett) who are searching for buried loot. These disparate strands are woven seamlessly into a satisfying whole, allowing gut-wrenching thrills to develop naturally from the emotional stand-offs which underline most of the featured relationships. A heavyweight cast rises to the challenge of Salva's extraordinarily complex script, and the film's technical construction simply cannot be faulted. It's a testament to all involved that the plot never becomes static or claustrophobic, despite the single isolated setting (the bulk of the film takes place in and around a mountain cabin during one particular night), and while the heroes and villains are clearly signposted, Salva's corkscrew plot encourages us to repeatedly question our understanding of the characters and their motivations. For all its action and suspense, this thriller has a tender heart and a vivid appreciation of human virtues and frailties.

For some reason, the DVD appears to have been issued by two separate distributors - Wolfe Video and Bell Canyon - under two separate jackets. Wolfe's jacket reflects the film's compassionate nature by emphasizing its homoerotic qualities, while Bell Canyon's (much less effective) makes it look like just another direct-to-video potboiler ("A father and his two sons are about to spend a weekend in hell!" - yawn!). Bell Canyon's blurb refers only obliquely to the film's dependence on a gay subtext, presumably to avoid frightening the yahoo crowd. A sound economic strategy, or craven cowardice? You decide... The blurb also reveals a crucial plot twist which might otherwise leave you slack-jawed with surprise, so be warned. There's no mention of Dolby Digital anywhere on the disc, but the sound format is two-channel stereo, and the widescreen image is framed at 1.85:1. The print is achingly beautiful, which makes the disc's lack of anamorphic enhancement all the more regrettable.

Salva and Behr provide an articulate, humorous, and hugely engaging commentary track which explains the origins of the script (rooted in Salva's own childhood with a difficult stepfather), the casting process, and a wealth of production details. Salva lavishes praise on all his collaborators, particularly on Behr whose superb performance is the crux of the entire film, to a point where Salva eventually becomes a little embarrassed by his own effusive compliments. To his credit, Salva's appraisals seems like genuine reactions to the consummate skill of his cast and crew, and it's left to Behr to point out the writer-director's own significant contribution to the movie's artistic success. The disc also includes a few deleted scenes which may have slowed things down had they been left in the movie, but which help to fully clarify the characters and their relationships within the narrative. Salva provides an optional commentary for these scenes, thereby explaining why the soundtrack goes dead in the middle of one particular deleted sequence. Wolfe and Bell Canyon provide all these extras on their respective discs, but sadly there's no trailer. DVD running time: 92m 28s.

Bottom line: Rent it, buy it, or borrow it, even if it's just to drool over Jason Behr (!), but whatever you do, DON'T MISS IT. "Powder" proved that Victor Salva could work magic with a substantial budget, while "Rites of Passage" demonstrates his unique ability to create similar miracles with virtually no money at all. An absolute delight from start to finish.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful thriller with a tender heart
Review: If DVD is about anything at all, it's about rescuing worthwhile movies from undeserved obscurity. And Victor Salva's "Rites of Passage" (1998) is a GREAT movie, a textbook example of economy and precision, brimming with honest emotion and high quality drama. On the one hand, it's a wrenchingly powerful examination of a young gay man (Jason Behr, from TV's "Roswell") coming to terms with years of neglect at the hands of an abusive father (Dean Stockwell) who doesn't know how to communicate with him. And on the other, it's a hairy-chested thriller about a father and his grown-up sons (Behr and Robert Keith) who must set aside their differences when their visit to an isolated mountain cabin coincides with the arrival of two escaped convicts (James Remar and Jaimz Wolvett) who are searching for buried loot. These disparate strands are woven seamlessly into a satisfying whole, allowing gut-wrenching thrills to develop naturally from the emotional stand-offs which underline most of the featured relationships. A heavyweight cast rises to the challenge of Salva's extraordinarily complex script, and the film's technical construction simply cannot be faulted. It's a testament to all involved that the plot never becomes static or claustrophobic, despite the single isolated setting (the bulk of the film takes place in and around a mountain cabin during one particular night), and while the heroes and villains are clearly signposted, Salva's corkscrew plot encourages us to repeatedly question our understanding of the characters and their motivations. For all its action and suspense, this thriller has a tender heart and a vivid appreciation of human virtues and frailties.

For some reason, the DVD appears to have been issued by two separate distributors - Wolfe Video and Bell Canyon - under two separate jackets. Wolfe's jacket reflects the film's compassionate nature by emphasizing its homoerotic qualities, while Bell Canyon's (much less effective) makes it look like just another direct-to-video potboiler ("A father and his two sons are about to spend a weekend in hell!" - yawn!). Bell Canyon's blurb refers only obliquely to the film's dependence on a gay subtext, presumably to avoid frightening the yahoo crowd. A sound economic strategy, or craven cowardice? You decide... The blurb also reveals a crucial plot twist which might otherwise leave you slack-jawed with surprise, so be warned. There's no mention of Dolby Digital anywhere on the disc, but the sound format is two-channel stereo, and the widescreen image is framed at 1.85:1. The print is achingly beautiful, which makes the disc's lack of anamorphic enhancement all the more regrettable.

Salva and Behr provide an articulate, humorous, and hugely engaging commentary track which explains the origins of the script (rooted in Salva's own childhood with a difficult stepfather), the casting process, and a wealth of production details. Salva lavishes praise on all his collaborators, particularly on Behr whose superb performance is the crux of the entire film, to a point where Salva eventually becomes a little embarrassed by his own effusive compliments. To his credit, Salva's appraisals seems like genuine reactions to the consummate skill of his cast and crew, and it's left to Behr to point out the writer-director's own significant contribution to the movie's artistic success. The disc also includes a few deleted scenes which may have slowed things down had they been left in the movie, but which help to fully clarify the characters and their relationships within the narrative. Salva provides an optional commentary for these scenes, thereby explaining why the soundtrack goes dead in the middle of one particular deleted sequence. Wolfe and Bell Canyon provide all these extras on their respective discs, but sadly there's no trailer. DVD running time: 92m 28s.

Bottom line: Rent it, buy it, or borrow it, even if it's just to drool over Jason Behr (!), but whatever you do, DON'T MISS IT. "Powder" proved that Victor Salva could work magic with a substantial budget, while "Rites of Passage" demonstrates his unique ability to create similar miracles with virtually no money at all. An absolute delight from start to finish.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Great!
Review: Its a relatively low budget film, and the story line is nothing I have not seen before but the movie is great because of the acting. I'm no big time movie critics but I just like it - A+.

Rating:
Summary: Jason Behr is captivating!
Review: Jason Behr stands out immediately.His performance in this film is his best, yet.I was amazed at his acting abilities and hope to see more from this very talented young actor.The plot is powerful with some wonderful messages about family, especially fatherhood.It keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end, never quite sure what's going to happen next.It's a great film!

Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: Not only is Dean Stockwell amazing, Jason Behr is magnificent! This movie shows how much Behr has blossomed as an actor (since smaller rolls in 7th Heaven).

Victor Salva is to be highly praised for directing this masterpiece. He carved his nitch when he directed the controversial film Powder (people even boycotted the movie!). Rites of Passage shows just how much he's grown.

I only wonder why when it was on the big screen it wasn't given more publicity. It's disappointing to me that people are so petrified of controversial issues. Jason Behr and the entire cast deserve much more recognition for Rites of Passage.

Rating:
Summary: Both Family Drama and Thriller, It's a Winner
Review: Rites of Passage starts off like a suspense thriller. Two men are in the woods camping when along comes a man asking for help. It doesn't take long for them to figure out that the man is an escaped convict. But by then it's to late, a second convict shows up and murders the two campers.

After this, the movie quickly moves to its real substance: family drama. It's a story about a father and two brothers that somehow remind us of Cain and Abel. Not because one brother was good and the other evil, but because the father viewed them that way. Campbell, the youngest of the two brothers, is the father's disappointment. DJ, of course, is the father's pride and joy.

By coincidence, they all end up together in the family's cabin in the woods. Needless to say, the family quarrels begin as the father's adultery surfaces. Of course, the father isn't the only one who has skeletons in the closet. In the meantime, guess who shows up? None other than the escaped convicts.

At this point, the scriptwriter continues the family drama while introducing elements of suspense and mystery. For the first time in years, I sat glued to the screen wondering what was going to happen next. Hats off to the scriptwriter, who cleverly introduces new twists and turns without losing focus of his central theme: the consequences of father/son relationships.

Great acting crowns this superb script, making Rites of Passage one of the most intense, original and rewarding movies I've seen.

Rating:
Summary: Not a complete waste of time
Review: The acting in this film ranges from better than average to pretty damn good. The script, however, has holes that you can drive a truck through, and the plot is silly bordering on the inane. There is no new territory here at all and the territory that is opened has been been covered better by other gay and non-gay themed films. I felt like I was being fed a Twinkie and told that it was roasted duck (an old Hollywood trick that is now increasingly present in "independent" films).

Rating:
Summary: Almost Perfect
Review: The commentary by the writer-director and lead actor is very good; fun and informative. Overall great performances and a tight story, the type with twists and turns as happens in real life. Most of the time you can't see the surprises coming, sometimes you can. I think it depends upon how involved you are in thinking about the last scene that played or whether a character's attitude or dialogue is preoccuping you with a memory of something from your own life. The movie combines drama-mystery-suspense and romance, as well as concepts of redemption and reconciliation. The basic premise about a homosexual son who has been disenfranchised from his father and yet accidently meets up with him at the worst possible moment in their lives - with escaped-from-State-pen felons on the loose and headed their way - is a contrivance that gets the basic plot moving, so you can't resent it. In fact, you wouldn't have much of a movie without it. The film plays like a theatrical production, with its minimalistic sets (a cabin by the lake), but the plot and acting is so realistic you don't feel constricted. If you like the writer-director's film POWDER (as I did) you might want to catch this one also as an example of great story-telling, but POWDER and RITES have nothing to do with each other in terms of plot. POWDER is cosmic and RITES deeply personal. Only two problems with this film/DVD and why I didn't rate it 5 stars: 1) There isn't more of it (more flashbacks to enjoy the characters more fully); 2) Occasionaly the characters speak in a rather florid fashion that even extremely well-educated types don't, as if they were characters in a play rather than real life.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Pass This One Up!
Review: The excellent acting by Jason Behr and Dean Stockwell, combined with the fascinating storyline, make this a must-see movie. "Rites of Passage" not only explores a father-son relationship; it does so from a unique perspective and in a tasteful manner. Dean Stockwell has always been an outstanding actor and I have a feeling this is the first in a long line of wonderful roles for Jason Behr.

Rating:
Summary: My Heart Belongs To Daddy
Review: The Farraday men are men with secrets. And when all of them end up at the family's mountain get-a-way unexpectedly -- one secret turns deadly in this unique and chilling thriller from writer/director Victor Salva (Powder). Old wounds and resentments between father and son arise as Dell (Dean Stockwell) realizes that his homophobia may be pushing his youngest boy, Jason Behr (Roswell) into the arms of a much darker and deadlier father. This movie is wild and creepy in all the right ways. A thriller!