Nate Merritt (Paul Preiss) was abandoned by his father and lives with his mother Debbie (Candy Clark), a Hollywood actress turned recluse, and his fiancée Trish (Amy Lindsay). They don't seem to love him for who he is, but for the the man they think he could be. Life is not easy for them financially so he joins the Marines.
Hitchhiking to a jewelry store near the base, Nate goes on leave in Palm Springs and meets Andy Forte (Bart Fletcher), a free-spirited and energetic young gay man who dreams of going to Hollywood for the glamor. Andy is an equally lost "careless carefree" loner who "loses track of time" and "can't remember whether something happened four minutes ago or forty years from now." Like Nate, Andy is on leave when the two meet at the "Straight Marine's First Gay Sex" porn shoot that neither thought they'd be involved with thanks to the manipulation of its sleazy producer. Andy and Nate become good friends platonically but as time passes their relationship becomes physical and deeply intimate. Interestingly, they are polar opposites--Nate is introspective and pensive while Andy seems to be without a care in the world.
Nate, a mechanic, helps fix Andy's car and the two learn more than they should by eavesdropping on conversations each has with the white trash families they're trying to escape. They find themselves in vulnerable positions regarding each other and as Nate looks more deeply into himself, he discovers and uncovers his missing father's identity. He also discovers who he actually is. A picture frame, a drive in movie theater screen, and the titular set of "Dog Tags" all fit into place in the haunting mystery of who Nate is, and who his long lost father isn't. It's a heartbreaking love story with a sad ending.
This isn't really a gay romance, as the sexuality of the young men seems as confused as they are, meaning this might just be one side trip in their paths to adulthood. But it is a beautifully-told story of life and love, how loneliness and lack of direction can affect a person, and how much difference a good friend can make. It's an emotional and moving coming of age drama with too many pointless flashbacks. Comments from viewers are mixed. One wrote, "You keep wishing that something will be happening and you keep waiting until the end, too slow and not too good acting." "Curious" is not rated, but has sexual content and rear nudity. The DVD has a director commentary and trailers. Jeffery Alan Jones composed the original music, and Damion Dietz wrote the screenplay and directed.
