Christianity and homosexuality usually don’t mix due to Bible verses that say being gay is a sin. I know a thing or two about the former, having gone to Calvary Chapel school during the formative years of sixth through eighth grade. I’m not gay, but I believe in equality for all, so this is one of the issues that caused me to eventually lose my religion. How can a loving God disown a large population that He created, simply for being themselves? It’s a tricky question that must lead to a lot of internal conflict and self-reflection within gay Christians, which is exactly what the theme of writer/director/star Kabir McNeely’s microbudget indie film Fallaway is about.
Caden (Christian Puentes) and Giovanni (McNeely) are two college freshmen Christians in San Francisco who are slowly falling in love. However, their church is vehemently against homosexual behavior. Caden is new to the school and acts like he’s straight when talking to his gay roommate. He is looking to make friends when he meets Michael (Matthew Stefan Hopper) in the cafeteria. The two bond because Michael is a cool, well-put-together dude, so they exchange numbers for a Bible study. This leads to Caden meeting the more flamboyant Giovanni, and sparks start to fly as they nervously text each other, much like a young couple just starting to date.
“…two college freshmen…slowly falling in love. However, their church is vehemently against homosexual behavior.”
Michael, Brad (Eric Elgin), and other church members constantly warn Caden about Giovanni, since they know about his past behavior and can see that the two have chemistry. Michael even goes through Caden’s closet and personal effects to get rid of anything that could be considered “gay,” such as a pink dress shirt. Then they go clothes shopping together (not gay at all) to make sure that Caden buys some “straight” attire. Caden and Giovanni grow closer by going to a movie and almost holding hands, but the church just gets stricter as they see the signs. They even tell Caden that he can’t talk to his mother, since she could lead him astray from God. It probably seems crazy for someone unfamiliar with religions such as this, but believe me, this is quite realistic and commonplace.
Usually, the first rule taught in film school is to write what you know. It bleeds through every second of Fallaway that this is what McNeely has done. You can see it in his heartbreaking performance as well. Puentes does a fine job, too, as a young man discovering who he is, despite knowing the struggles that he’ll encounter with society and his newfound friends. In the end credits, the film is dedicated to Gurkirpal Dhillon, so it seems to have the makings of being based on a true story.
Fallaway is only 51 minutes long, but it does a stellar job of capturing all of the emotion and complexity involved with this type of story. It’s a gay Romeo & Juliet, where two young people are falling in love and coming of age, but forces outside of their control are conspiring against them.
"…does a stellar job of capturing all of the emotion and complexity involved with this type of story."
