"Latter Days" is about party boy Christian Markelli (Wes Ramsey) and Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), a Mormon missionary. Aaron is from Pocatello, Idaho and is sent to LA with three other missionaries to spread their faith. They move into a bungalow next to the apartment of openly gay Christian, an aspiring actor, and his roommate Julie Taylor (Rebekah Johnson), an aspiring singer. Christian works as a waiter at Lila's, a trendy restaurant owned by retired actress Lila Montagne (Jacqueline Bisset). Intrigued by his new neighbors, Christian makes a $50 bet with his co-workers that he can seduce one of them. Christian soon realizes that Aaron is a closeted homosexual. One day he nearly seduces him, but Aaron becomes upset by Christian's stance that sex "doesn't have to mean anything." Aaron says Christian "equates sex with a handshake", accuses him of being superficial and shallow, and walks out. Worried that Aaron is right, Christian joins Project Angel Food to deliver meals to people with AIDS.
Mormon Paul Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), has a cycling accident, and an upset Aaron encounters Christian, who comforts him with a hug and then they kiss. But they failed to notice the return of Aaron's roommate. Christian is ordered to leave and Aaron is sent home in disgrace. Ryder tells him that Aaron has a five-hour layover in Salt Lake City. Christian catches the next flight there and eventually finds Aaron standing in the snow outside the terminal. Christian confesses his love, and Aaron admits his own feelings of love. With all flights cancelled due to a snowstorm, Christian and Aaron spend a loving and intimate night together in a nearby motel. However, when Christian awakes in the morning, he finds Aaron gone, his pocketwatch left behind as a gift. Christian returns sadly to Los Angeles.
Aaron's kissing another man violated the rules of the Mormon Church regarding homosexuality. On arriving home in Idaho, Aaron is excommunicated by the church elders, led by his own father (Jim Ortlieb), who is the Stake President (regional leader). Aaron is rejected by his father and scolded by his mother (Mary Kay Place) when he said that Christian told him he loved him. She says that he needs to pray for forgiveness, though Aaron disagrees and says that what if it isn't something he did, but who he is. His mother slaps him, causing him to cry. Overwhelmed by despair, he tries to commit suicide. Aaron is sent by his parents to a treatment facility to undergo aversion therapy to "cure" him of his homosexuality.
Christian eventually locates Aaron's home address and phone number. On phoning, he is devastated to be told by Aaron's mother that "Thanks to you, my son took a razor to his wrists. Thanks to you I have lost my son." Believing that Aaron is dead, Christian spends the next few days thinking non-stop about Aaron, as he constantly holds his pocket watch. Christian seeks out the family home in Idaho, where he tearfully returns Aaron's family heirloom watch to his mother. She realizes she was too harsh, but is too late to stop Christian before he drives off.
Aaron returns to Los Angeles in search of Christian. Arriving at Christian's apartment, he is heartbroken to find a shirtless stranger answering the door. Assuming he is another one-night stand, Aaron makes his way to Lila's restaurant. Christian is shocked but overjoyed at seeing Aaron alive, and their reconciliation ends the movie on a happy note. Together with Christian's co-workers, they celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to a happy future together.
"Latter Days" is funny, sexy, emotional, with too many unrealistic coincidences. It was written and directed by C. Jay Cox. He based both characters, Christian and Aaron, on himself. Cox was raised as a Mormon and served at a mission before coming out as gay, and wondered what the two halves of himself would have said to each other if they ever met. Eric Allaman scored the soundtrack to the film after shooting wrapped, and composed much of the music himself. In 2004, the "Latter Days" screenplay was adapted into a novel by T. Fabris. The book is faithful to the movie, but adds several extra scenes that explain confusing aspects of the film and gives more information about the characters' backgrounds.
Mormon Paul Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), has a cycling accident, and an upset Aaron encounters Christian, who comforts him with a hug and then they kiss. But they failed to notice the return of Aaron's roommate. Christian is ordered to leave and Aaron is sent home in disgrace. Ryder tells him that Aaron has a five-hour layover in Salt Lake City. Christian catches the next flight there and eventually finds Aaron standing in the snow outside the terminal. Christian confesses his love, and Aaron admits his own feelings of love. With all flights cancelled due to a snowstorm, Christian and Aaron spend a loving and intimate night together in a nearby motel. However, when Christian awakes in the morning, he finds Aaron gone, his pocketwatch left behind as a gift. Christian returns sadly to Los Angeles.
Aaron's kissing another man violated the rules of the Mormon Church regarding homosexuality. On arriving home in Idaho, Aaron is excommunicated by the church elders, led by his own father (Jim Ortlieb), who is the Stake President (regional leader). Aaron is rejected by his father and scolded by his mother (Mary Kay Place) when he said that Christian told him he loved him. She says that he needs to pray for forgiveness, though Aaron disagrees and says that what if it isn't something he did, but who he is. His mother slaps him, causing him to cry. Overwhelmed by despair, he tries to commit suicide. Aaron is sent by his parents to a treatment facility to undergo aversion therapy to "cure" him of his homosexuality.
Christian eventually locates Aaron's home address and phone number. On phoning, he is devastated to be told by Aaron's mother that "Thanks to you, my son took a razor to his wrists. Thanks to you I have lost my son." Believing that Aaron is dead, Christian spends the next few days thinking non-stop about Aaron, as he constantly holds his pocket watch. Christian seeks out the family home in Idaho, where he tearfully returns Aaron's family heirloom watch to his mother. She realizes she was too harsh, but is too late to stop Christian before he drives off.
Aaron returns to Los Angeles in search of Christian. Arriving at Christian's apartment, he is heartbroken to find a shirtless stranger answering the door. Assuming he is another one-night stand, Aaron makes his way to Lila's restaurant. Christian is shocked but overjoyed at seeing Aaron alive, and their reconciliation ends the movie on a happy note. Together with Christian's co-workers, they celebrate Thanksgiving and look forward to a happy future together.
"Latter Days" is funny, sexy, emotional, with too many unrealistic coincidences. It was written and directed by C. Jay Cox. He based both characters, Christian and Aaron, on himself. Cox was raised as a Mormon and served at a mission before coming out as gay, and wondered what the two halves of himself would have said to each other if they ever met. Eric Allaman scored the soundtrack to the film after shooting wrapped, and composed much of the music himself. In 2004, the "Latter Days" screenplay was adapted into a novel by T. Fabris. The book is faithful to the movie, but adds several extra scenes that explain confusing aspects of the film and gives more information about the characters' backgrounds.
