Akron

I don't know why this movie feels so weird, it's look like amateur production, first 10 minutes is so boring, and made me stop to watching it.. There's a lot other movies which better than this one...

A very touching story of two young college boys who find each other at a football game played in the mud. Unfortunately they share a dark past when both boys were 4 or 5. Benny the very cute Hispanic boy's older 6 year old brother is killed when he runs out after a soccer ball and is killed in front of a mini van. As one of the professional reviewers says Benny's Family is not stereotypical. His family is very supportive and loving. The tension of the past places stress on the boys relationship and families. The supporting cast is phenomenal the actors who play Benny's mother and father and Christopher's mother are very Noteworthy not to mention Benny's little sister and the small roll of Christopher' s best friend Played by Cailin Rose all make for a very good movie.

I mean the storyline was intriguing, but all players just can't act. The particular sore spot is the actress that played Benny's mom, horrendous acting. All the other cast members simply could not keep the scenes together with their lack of experience and emotion to bring in the viewer. It's also a problem that the script was weak with terrible dialogue. Direction was pretty non existent. The way the story wraps up was ridiculous and unconvincing. That's gay arthouse for you. Oh well, 88 minutes wasted, but it's not the end of the world.

I'm still convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that some of the reviews on here are paid for. There isn't anyone possibly on the face of the entire planet who could think this was actually a good movie. The story itself had potential and got off to a good start but then everybody's emotional reaction to everything that transpired seemed unreasonable. I actually found myself rolling my eyes at the end of every scene. As for the actor playing Benny, I don't really have anything to compare this to because I've never seen him in anything else. I will make it a point to do so in the future to see if he can actually act. He is handsome, swarthy, and very easy on the eyes. I thought overall the actor playing Christopher did a pretty good job as well. In general I think most of the problems were directly related to directing and writing. Is there really any possible way that any actor could have done anything good with the script? In general I think this movie is terrible. Some of the acting is questionable, the writing/dialogue is some of the most ridiculous I have ever heard. Every emotional aspect of this movie was over dramatized making the characters look foolish. I could understand Benny's initial reaction to learning that A past event will rock his relationship to its core. But, because this event was nobody's fault there has to come a time where you just move past it and get over it. Life goes on. If this movie had illustrated the struggles of moving on instead of showcasing everybody's anger, unforgiveness, and a willingness to allow it to destroy everything dear to them, it could have worked. Production values were good and the movie did not come across as some cheesy low budget piece of crap so many of these movies can't work around. Get rid of the writer, Director, and some of the actors, and this could've been a good one. Unfortunately it wasn't.

Great movie primarily because of the actors, especially the two who play the central characters. The plot is a bit contrived though entirely plausible. I don't think it's necessary to look for any deep meaning in the behavior of those involved. Obviously a tragedy occurred and it was bound to have a profound effect on all involved and it was something that would not have been fully explored between parents and the very young boys at the time. Likewise it would have been a painful jolt to all involved when it suddenly resurfaced again as the two young men fell for each other at school. Forgiveness and rational thinking are easy to expect in theory, but far more difficult to deal with in reality. One thought that never seemed to have arisen was whether blame should have been shared between both mothers ... Christopher's mother who was driving the car that struck Benny's brother and Benny's mother who apparently allowed the child to run out in front of the car. We never know how long the relationship between Benny and Christopher lasted. The shared tragedy might have been overcome by love and forgiveness, but it would always be a burden that would weigh on them both. It was a well done bit of drama and romance, but it was not anything from which profound meaning could be extracted.

If you like made for Hallmark and Lifetime type dramas Akron would be a good pick. If you like more meaningful and well crafted films, skip it. The actors are all pretty good though the moms skew towards TV melodrama characters. The rest of the film's construction is really pedestrian. Even thought the film is bland and the story amateurish it was nice to see a film with gay characters that wasn't about them being gay and especially nice to see a non-caucasian gay male character (though he is, of course, very attractive).

It's that sort of movies that you feel happy and refreshed after watching them. The actors played their roles pretty good especially Edmund Donovan his face expressions were perfect as well as his using of body language and the tone of his voice...I see a bright future for him in acting (hopefully). I just really liked the movie, it's a film displaying the life of two gay couple living a NORMAL life not like other movies where something tragic must happen eventually.

This is a low budget, amateurish production that is at the level of a high school drama project. The acting is forced and the dialog appears improvised and plain silly! It is an unwatchable film and just a total and complete waste of time. 2/10 is very generous for a rating!

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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.