zif ofoz A story that is believable and told in a quiet civilized manner. Some of the other reviews here are needlessly harsh.But because it involves 2 boys who find each other and are attracted to each other some viewers loose their common sense. It's well worth watching. Don't expect A class acting but the story is handled well.

LProductions-837-667666 Despite the efforts of what seems to be a talented cast, the film just dissolves into one embarrassment after another. After 25 minutes of insanely naive optimism (which has some charming moments), an old domestic tragedy reawakens to ridiculously overblown proportions and turns the movie into an almost unwatchable squawk-fest courtesy of a egregiously awful screen play.I doubted if I could make it through the entire 84 minutes and kept checking how much time was remaining during the endless, last half hour. And then – poof! – one speech of less than a minute and happiness reigns as if years of suppressed angst never happened.This is what I have come to expect from American gay films. There really are so many more gay-oriented films out there geared to intelligent adults (most of which seem to come from Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, and France; even Hungary has at least one excellent gay film!). Explore! Don't fear subtitles!

swedeboi I've seen and compared them all--Watercolors, Departure, For My Brother, Latter Days, Monster Pies, Brokeback Mountain, Newcastle, A Single Man, Sons, L.I.E., Beautiful Thing, North Sea Texas, Mysterious Skin, Milk, Closet Monster, Hidden Kisses, The Boys, Hidden Away, Holding the Man, The Way He Looks, Dream Boy, The Journey of Jared Price...you name it, and THIS movie, Akron, ranks above them all. In virtually every category imaginable, it shines. It has extremely attractive young actors who understand their trade. It features passion and frequent heart-wrenching emotion. The plot is well-conceived and carries tension throughout. The filming and production are professional. It has everything, really, except a lot of nudity. It doesn't even become tiresome on a second or third viewing, because the acting is so superb and the emotional power so strong.Edmund Donovan and Matthew Frias are brilliant in their portrayal of Chris and Benny, two college freshmen who fall in love at the University of Akron, but who prove to be as star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet, though unwittingly so at first. By the worst luck imaginable, they learn that they are linked by a tragic event involving their mothers that occurred 12 years before they met.Don't be fooled by the rural settings used in the movie. It's not an apple farm yawner like Fair Haven. This film has pace and is supported by powerful chemistry between two young and very talented actors. The supporting cast members, especially Andrea Burns and Amy Da Luz who play the boys' mothers, bring extra power to the script.Akron's IMDb rating of 6.0 (and lower in the recent past) kept me from watching it until recently, and what a huge mistake that was. It's every bit the equal of Departure and Brokeback Mountain and moves at a quicker tempo than either. You'll wonder, as I do, why its IMDb rating isn't closer to 8.0. Clearly, it suffered from under-promotion upon release. It is one truly beautiful film.

julierom The more you watch this movie, the better it gets. It packs an emotional wallop. Even though the depiction of the two young gay men being totally free and expressing their love outwardly is very unrealistic because Akron is a very homophobic city. The acting by all is outstanding. Matthew Frias projects the dominant role in the relationship. He makes the first move and takes charge. He's displays the Latino temperament when he's riled, especially in a scene where he blows up at his boyfriend. Edmund Donovan seems to be the sensitive one who grounds Benny when things are tense. His projection of love for Benny is something everyone dreams about. He seems to good to be true and Donovan's acting is touching because you feel his pain as the pawn who is caught in the middle. The scene where he rips into his mother is riveting, yet heartbreaking. This film does not deserve the rating that it has gotten from IMDb. It deserves better and I wouldn't believe the negative ratings. Despite some of the implausibility of the plot, the performances and the direction overcome that detail.