samkan
It is incredible to me that someone would even THINK about doing a mock documentary on a SERIOUS subject with an intent to arouse our emotions. Drama requires talent in crafting dialogue, scenery and mood to convey a message: Be it clarity or ambiguity. Documentary requires skills in packaging other's points of view: Be it to underscore the maker's message or that of the speakers. What the makers of TLP have done is to avoid the work needed in drama and documentary by canning blunt messages and delivering them without the need of acting, directing, camera work, etc. The result is cheap and insincere. I wouldn't mind learning about this tragic incident from a real documentary where even if the producers' point of view was biased I could hear the actual words and see the expressions of the interviewees. Conversely, I could handle a fictional account where I might adopt and/or appreciate another's perception of the events and emotions involved.But to impose a mandated message by pulling our outrage, pity, anger and tragedy stings like TLP is shameful.
Gordon-11
This is a film about how the town of Laramie reacted after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard.This film tells the story by a series of interviews with scenes of re-enactments of events. The interviews were professionally conducted. The responses were very real and comes right from the heart. The editing was excellent, as the scenes of the different interviews were nicely woven in such a way that viewers can integrate the vast amount of information without getting confused or losing track of who's who.In this film, different viewpoints were represented, but it was plain that this film promoted equality, love and freedom. This could be evidenced by a particular segment of a conversation, in which a senior member of a church said that, he wished Matt would reflect on his lifestyle and remember the words of God when Matt was lying on the fence before slipping into a coma. The interviewer (played by Clea DuVall) was stunned, and later chided herself for not speaking against such a view. This scene, among many other scenes, moved me to tears. Indeed, homosexuality is not a matter of choice. There is nothing to reflect or repent.I also want to commend the many big name stars for starring in this film. I would imagine them not getting a big paycheck, and they probably put their careers at risk for starring in an independent movie of controversial nature. I would particularly like to applaud Christina Ricci, as she has already starred in 2 movies (that I have seen) in which she relentlessly defended minority rights. "The Laramie Project" is one, and the other is "Pumpkin".This film literally made my collar of my shirt drenched. Yes, it is that moving. It makes you think hard. It touches your soul. This is a must see movie.
chilindrina2002
There's nothing new in this movie. Nothing you haven't thought about before, nothing you haven't heard before. The story of a gay man who is brutally murdered in a small town and the reaction of people can be broached in many ways, and this movie has chosen the most demagogic and slushy one. One of the biggest flaws in this movie is that it isn't neither a movie nor a documentary. The director has used the transcriptions of the original interviews and made the actors play them as if it was a movie. The result is weird. And finally, I read in previous comments that stated that people who don't like this movie are anti-gay. I'm pretty sure this comments come from people who consider themselves tolerant but don't tolerate that other people don't like this movie. This is a funny world.
BreanneB
I thought this movie was great. I give it 10 out of 10 stars. I loved everything about it, actors, acting, script, transcripts, production, photography and directing. The only people I hate are the ones who made nasty comments about Matthew, and talked a bunch of bullshit about him saying that he deserved it and was asking for it. That is all totally wrong. I especially hate that Fred Phelps, and his little group of people. I also hate most of all the two perpetrators, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. None of the negative talk about Matthew, was true at all. I think that both the perpetrators should have been given the death penalty. They may have life in prison without the possibility of parole, but that still was not enough at all. Remember the Golden Rule: "Do Unto Others As You'ed Have Done To You. Kudos to the cast, crew, and filmmakers! Two Thumbs Way Up!
AD
